Little Known SC Ploys include many strategies abhored by many in the SC realm. You should be aware of their existence since others may try one of them on you.
I don't have a Nuke On Site (NOS) list. I used to maintain one. Then I realized the game's creator foresaw ALL of these sometimes irritating ploys. So I thought it best to just list them so others could be prepared, especially for the most controversial ploy: going off alliance at the end of a hard-fought game.
My best advice: if someone goes off alliance, don't be surprised. Be prepared!! Or play no alliance games.
The following are various ploys I've encountered in SC:
- Pre-arranged alliances.
Get a partner, or two, before logging on. When you enter a game, send each other your coordinates. Each of you then send scouts away from each other in hopes of finding planets belonging to other players. Then colonize those planets. You can go back later to claim/split the other planets between yourselves.
- The latest variance o pre-arranged alliances is joining together at a chat room or IRC room. The pre-arranged alliances enter a game and nuke away. I would like to list the two empires I felt employed this tactic. They say it was all a misunderstanding. Just beware of people asking you to come, quick to join a game being formed. It could be an easy nuke for them.
- There is a variation of ploys No. 1 and No. 2 above, except here a person has clicked on the "New Web Browser" under Netscape browser's menu and is playing two or more empires with two or more browser screens. This can be difficult in a three-minute game, especially in the early going. If a player has a fast connection to the NET, it can be done. I've met one player playing three empires at once. Everyone else never had a chance. This ploy is best done in a five-minute game.
Empires that try this strategy will show long or see-sawing access times at the diplomacy screen.
- Wonder how you can get that first nuke? First win? Use a dummy empire/nuke baby.
Again, employ two or more browsers and log into a game. This is best done late at night if you don't want to be caught. Note the "nuke baby's" coordinates then nuke away.
There is a negative: If a third player enters game, it could get more of the nuke baby's planets than you. Or even get the nuke. Or worse yet, nuke you!
The way to spot a nuke baby is when one player is idle for a minute or two between turns. Then it's active while another player is not active. These see-saw, on-off times often point to collusion.
- Here's a ploy used by several players.
Go to trade or alliance with everyone around you then log off. Or better yet, give an excuse that you can't fight because you are neutral with everyone, who you were called away from your work and couldn't make the updates.
After 20 or so updates, you definitely will have more tech maintenance and a higher BR level than anyone. You will wade through the opposition like a knife through butter. You go off alliance or trade with a huge fleet hovering over the unsuspecting empire that thought you were its ally. Easy nukes for you against everyone!
The favorite excuse is that you want everyone to get along. If they don't, you will go off alliance and nuke the empire not going along with you. Beware!
- Don't want anyone to know who you are? Or want to use someone else's empire name?
When you log in, put a blank or two after your empire's name. When someone tries to check out your stats after you've announced your arrival in a game, they won't be able to find anything on you!
This ploy no longer works 100 percent of the time in version 2.8, but it still can hide an empire name fairly well.
- This is kind of an obvious cheat: The old go to truce, trade or worse yet, alliance, scout a system then go off alliance etc. to war and nuke it.
You have to watch these players. They do exist. Sometimes you can get other players angry at such tactics.
Players like this usually run in packs, so don't be surprised if you are attacked by more than one empire.
The following are short tidbits about the game:
- Want to make a ship's name blink? Use html language. Inside <> brackets write BLINK, then your short message followed by, again in <> /BLINK. Your ship's name will look like this: . You only get a couple letters for your ship's name.
- I like to keep a diary on players I've met. After you've played a few dozen games, your mind turns to mush when trying to remember what status you had last with an empire.
- You are in trouble, someone is breathing down your neck and you don't want to be nuked. There's other players in the game, which eventually will give this person problems.
Build minefields or satellites (which I prefer for cost and efficiency). Build several of each. Then let tech maintenance and BR level pile up. If you stay ahead of your enemy, you can hold them off a long time. Only build to full strength. If you have one planet, and it has pop of 50 or more, do the same there. You can hold out a long time doing this.
The other empire either must set off your minefields (you lose half your pop, so if done on a planet, try to get pop to 100 on the planet or home world) or will have to build sweepers. A lot of sweepers, which are expensive. If the other empire appears to be tiring of a two-hour hunt, offer a truce/trade/alliance and shared a win.
With engineers in the game, you could also undo a link between you and the enemy. Only problem is you don't build tech faster than your enemy. I've been in one game where I should have used an engineer. I could have closed a link before the enemy could discover where I was. I was already aligned with another team, which could then attack or send attacks my way for a surprise attack.
Either way, I would be the loser in the end because I was not building tech.
Congratulations on finding this page. You can keep this information to yourself or share it.
If you know any other sneaky tricks, let me know. .
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