What manner of pod popper are you?

Slaghead · February 18, 2001, 14:13

I'd have to say that I'm an Ironman, I go hunting them out ASAP and don't care about the mind worms until they show up. Then I curse at the game for cheating. So, I guess I'm a 2-1. Laser squad or something I guess. I'm not sure what the computer would name that. hehe

Drifter · February 18, 2001, 15:27

I've been playing for a while and reading these boards regularly. I haven't posted here before, but thought I'd add my opinion to this topic since I seem to be a bit different than most.

Actually, I always play with pods only at crash site. This changes my games in many ways:

- No Alien Artifacts
- No free units, free comm frequencies, or free techs
- No monoliths, except for the ancient ruins
- Resource specials are visible on the map, not hidden in pods

Playing without pods changes the dynamics of the early game scouting. I can focus on finding good base sites and opening up the map. I need fewer scouts, since there is no objective to grabbing up pods. I also almost never build an early game navy, since there are no sea pods to search for and no need to race the AI to getting the goodies.

The biggest disadvantage that I've seen from this setting is that factions with poor research get punished even further by not having a quick way to grab some much needed tech.

Dimension · February 18, 2001, 16:09

That's actually the whole reason I started playing nothing but Ironman games... It's too easy to just reload when you get a pod with mindworms.

cbn · February 18, 2001, 23:21

I never play with Ironman on but in essence I do play an ironman style since I never reload no matter what stupid thing I do ( and man I felt stupid when that nice city went into the ocean).

The only time I have reloaded recently was when the cat walked on and then sat on the keyboard while I took a phone call. I feared that she might have sentried some units or crashed others so rather than scolling the whole map to see what the heck had or had not happened, I simply reloaded the last turn.

To me reloading to get a better pod pop is a "cheat" and besides I keep looking for ways to make the game harder, not easier. I end up using self-imposed handicaps-- last game was random factions, transcend,double-blind and I wasn't permitted to subvert units or cities.

Oh and I generally pop land pods immediately but will sometimes wait if a colony pod is coming. Sea pods-- I sometimes like to use the team approach-- a transport pops the pod in hope of getting an AA while and an empath and hopefully resonance foil rides shotgun to kill any IOD that might appear
[This message has been edited by cbn (edited February 18, 2001).]

Misotu · February 19, 2001, 00:23

cbn, you should definitely give PBEM MP a try ... if you are looking for more of a challenge, it's unbeatable. It's kind of scary at first - but then it's really fun, there are a load of very friendly people playing here ...

Misotu · February 19, 2001, 00:25

On the pod-popping ... I'm an ironman although I have to confess that in some games I leave the pods until I have back-up ... To be honest, I like the Gaians for popping - bit of a coward I guess. Nothing like a mindworm for that stuff ...

lbores · February 19, 2001, 01:55

I would imagine that everyone pops those pops nearby your first base.

But what about later? And what manner of 'pod popper' are you?

Are you:

1) ChickenMan - 'Oooo!", [SAVE], 'pop!', [Reload] ...
2) IronMan - 'OooYah!, 'pop!', 'Sh-t! Come on mindworms!'
3) AluminumMan - 'Hmmm'(plonks base down next to pod), 'pop!', 'OK, not bad.'

Do you:
1) pop a pod immediately that you find it?
2) wait until later if within territory
3) or ...

[This message has been edited by lbores (edited February 18, 2001).]

Myronides · February 19, 2001, 04:41

Never an AluminumMan, I 'm a ChickenMan in sp, but an IronMan in MP

I always pop as soon as I find the pod. Can't resist the temptation, I like little surprises

Skanderbeg · February 19, 2001, 09:03

I'm ironman. But a careful one.
If possible, I use a rover (with two move points) or better a native lifeform to pop, and on sea, I don't pop pods with the last move point.

And I don't play with ironman option on (my games take so much time that I can't play without stopping and playing on another day), but I play like ironman, without reloading if something goes wrong.

"Steelborn, Starborn"

Garth Vader · February 19, 2001, 10:56

I almost always pop pods with two units in the area, when I don't I get worms. Actually my last few games have been horrible for pods so I often leave them until I can pop them with rovers.

I don't play SP anymore so I can't reload.

buster · February 19, 2001, 12:12

I am two unit collaborative and preferably by rover on first move unless in fungus where it doesnt matter pop anything in sight type of pod popper.

That is when I cannot get worms to the job of course.

mark13 · February 19, 2001, 12:16

I'm a rover-on-first-move type of guy, whichever category that fits into. Either that or worms....

lbores · February 19, 2001, 12:26

quote:

Originally posted by Misotu on 02-18-2001 11:23 PM
cbn, you should definitely give PBEM MP a try ...

PBEM?

Watzwiddat?

mark13 · February 19, 2001, 12:37

PBEM = Play By E-Mail

Check out the AC-MP forum if you are interested - we have a great PBEM tournament here run by our very capable and proficient CMN, Tau Ceti. There are games being set up for newbies, experts, everything in between, and there is no knock-out element to the tournament - it is just for fun.

Looking like the PR wagon has been working overtime these past couple of days

DilithiumDad · February 19, 2001, 12:54

I try to wait until I have a base nearby. My most feared result of a pod pop is not mindworms, but xenofungal bloom. A bloom on top of some resource specials or rainy river tiles can set me way back in the early game!

------------------
Creator of the Ultimate Builder Map, based on the Huge Map of Planet, available at The Chironian Guild:
http://guild.ask-klan.net.pl/eng/index.html

Myronides · February 19, 2001, 17:03

ups, triple post! something's wrong

[This message has been edited by Myronides (edited February 19, 2001).]

Myronides · February 19, 2001, 17:04

sorry, double post
[This message has been edited by Myronides (edited February 19, 2001).]

Myronides · February 19, 2001, 17:06

Skanderberg:
You don't have to finish a game in a day if you have ironman on. You can allways save an ironman game and continew later. You just can't reload from an old save, you have to reload exactly were you left it.

Skanderbeg · February 20, 2001, 10:03

quote:

Originally posted by Myronides on 02-19-2001 04:06 PM
Skanderberg:
You don't have to finish a game in a day if you have ironman on. You can allways save an ironman game and continew later. You just can't reload from an old save, you have to reload exactly were you left it.

Myronides!
Thanks for that tip! I thought ironman means "no saving".

sunchaser3 · February 20, 2001, 14:00

I am a maniac pod popper. I just can't resist. I will pop a pod with a colony pod in the early game. This is not as crazy as it sounds really.
Think about those first six or so turns. You have (lets say for argument) three pods on your screen when you land. If you wait to use your scout patrol to get them all, or until your second one is built, it could be 8-10 turns before you can open them all. If one of those pods has a monolith that could be as much as twenty energy wasted just trying to get to the pod. That could be a lot in those early races to get SotHB or something.
If you send your scout in one direction and your colony pod in the other all the pods will be open in half the time. I also have noticed that pods opened by colony pods seem to reap better things, but that may just be my scewed perception.
It is a calculated risk, but for someone as reckless as me (hmm.. my 80% damaged rover could wait one turn before opening that thing, but I can't resist!) it is a risk worth taking.

Ogie Oglethorpe · February 20, 2001, 18:02

No real set pattern for me. Inthe early game I pop as many as possible in the hopes of having an event Your Human Genome Project has been completed or a resource special/monolith or an AA.

Later on 'bout the time I have 6 or so bases built I'll look to be a little more cautios and either build a base next to a pod or send in an empath speeder with two movement points. Since I'm rarely a 'greenie' worms normally don't get used for pod popping detail altho' deep inside I know it would be worthwhile.

What I would like to know tho' is how the program makes decisions as to what will be the outcome of a popped pod. Seems to me at a certain point the likelihood of worms/IOD's becomes much greater than any other outcome. Am I dreaming this or do others think the same way? B/c of this I normally make later pod pops knowing that I will be able to deal witht he consequences.

Og

Slimehorse · February 20, 2001, 18:40

Ogie: Wait a second... "Your *HUMAN GENOME PROJECT* has been completed"?!? I've never ever seen a pod pop end up rush building a SP. Is this really possible?

mark13 · February 20, 2001, 20:12

Never seen that happen - I will often chose something really expensive to build in my outpost, and rely on it being completed by a pod, but never SPs.

Misotu · February 20, 2001, 22:00

Wow, no. Like Mark, I change production in the hope but never to an SP ... is that really true Ogie? I didn't think it was possible ...

Fitz · February 20, 2001, 22:16

quote:

Originally posted by Ogie Oglethorpe on 02-20-2001 05:02 PM
What I would like to know tho' is how the program makes decisions as to what will be the outcome of a popped pod. Seems to me at a certain point the likelihood of worms/IOD's becomes much greater than any other outcome. Am I dreaming this or do others think the same way? B/c of this I normally make later pod pops knowing that I will be able to deal witht he consequences.

Are you popping during periods of increased native lifeform activity. i believe this increases the likelyhood of getting worms from a pod.

Ogie Oglethorpe · February 20, 2001, 23:40

Naah guys I was just yanking your chain. I've never had an SP completed from a pod pop. But the fable has it that someone out there has at one time. Now if I could only remember who it was. Damn memory loss and early onset of Alzheimers. Seems to me it was someone(s)from the ACOL crowd or maybe even predated to the OWO forum days back when I used to lurk instead of post.

However, it does make you think. Maybe just maybe it will work to have the event finish off an SP.

Anyone have any idea as to what could be the underlying logic as to what the outcome of a pod pop is. Fitz, I think your right but also I think theres more to it. Seems to me if I pop pods in perehelion I almost always guaranteed a worm or two, but also since I run a lot of FM, I seem to get more than my fair share of worms. Do you think your planet rating might have an effect as well?
[This message has been edited by Ogie Oglethorpe (edited February 20, 2001).]

Basil · February 21, 2001, 00:05

I've had a popped pod complete a planetbuster (which had just been started)

a cool 250 minerals or so!

Killjoy · February 21, 2001, 21:20

The further away you are from your headquarters when you pop a pod, the more likely you are to get a mind worm instead of something beneficial. IIRC its in the Prima guide.

I also believe your planet rating has an effect on the resulting 'pop' but I'd have to double check.

RedFred · February 22, 2001, 00:38

Ogie, I seem to recall somebody here at 'Poly that claimed to have pod popped a SP, but he claimed that it could only happen in OCC. I haven't seen it myself though. Another wild rumour methinks.

You can call me an ironman. I will not reload after a pop. As I don't have a cat, I only reload if the game crashes.

For me worms are often a good outcome. Cash or maybe even a "free" native unit. I'll lose a unit here or there if I don't have backup but I use mainly expendible units, preferrably worms of my own anyhow. Early pod pops of fungus are worse but not as bad as the evil earthquake in the jungle, which can wipe most of it out. Earthquakes have a nasty habit of wiping out my sea transport when popping on islands as well.