Planet Baen: Web Game for free eBooks - Page 32

Freeshadow · 05-12-2012, 11:43 AM

:-) I got bloodsport whack again retroactive birthcontrol

orlok · 05-12-2012, 11:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gbm

My last visit by the Crows wanted 130k Military, so took the whack lost about 10k in food. If I lost any population did not really notice.

My defence against The Crows is going to be four or sex Bug Juice Plantations.

bernie

I'm going to have to try some of this sex bug juice myself, I think

.

Okay. You convinced me to take the whack and see what happens.

gbm · 05-12-2012, 12:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by orlok

I'm going to have to try some of this sex bug juice myself, I think

.

Okay. You convinced me to take the whack and see what happens.

I was sure that I typed Six.

bernie

Elfwreck · 05-12-2012, 12:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by orlok

Thanks. I can surge my Food and get almost exactly 30000, or surge my Military, and get the 54000 needed to pay the hit. Not sure which is the least/most damaging?

Food is useful for other things. Military's only good for taking whacks, not getting you more money by keeping your population breeding.

I've decided to just take the Crows whacks and pay off other ones as I can (which, so far, is all of them).

orlok · 05-12-2012, 02:12 PM

Well I took a 2k Population hit and a 5k Food hit. Those Crows aren't so tough!

kaleissin · 05-12-2012, 05:18 PM

I actually decide to take quite a lot of whacks. I don't recall ever having used military to stop dissidents or refugees for instance. When the discrepancy between bliss and military became too large, paying off whacks would have wiped out all the military so then i took even more whacks.

Level fifteen now, 82K population (I increase it extra every turn), eight quick-charge thoriums but I rarely need surge more than two, lots of free space on the asset grid and running a good surplus on everything. No longer get any energy gifts from the AI though, so none to give

I miss the projects.

If I'm short on cash I surge my level 15 Communications Center for 42K bucks, that one seems to be gone from the asset list all together.

ATDrake · 05-12-2012, 05:30 PM

The system has been giving me a lot of Bliss gifts lately. I just let them expire. The ones which land in my personal hoard I re-gift to someone who says they want Bliss gifts under their name (I found maybe two of them in the 700+ Alliances list).

I pay off most whacks because I've found that if I take them, they actually deduct more from my Military than if I'd just paid them outright. Either way, it seems like nothing else gets deducted.

Levelling up is kind of boring without the projects, and I've been using the built up cycle bucks to slowly re-ally people instead.

Elfwreck · 05-12-2012, 05:44 PM

I'm level 15 with 156k population and income of 2.6m per cycle. I've joined 22 alliances; I need 3 more to get another ebook for that, and then I'll give up on alliances. I have 13 Thorium Reactors, and I use 3 or 4 every cycle, except when I'm catching up from a pop surge and use 5 at a time for a few cycles. I pay off any whack that costs less than 3k military.

I miss the projects too; I gather they're looking for ways to continue to provide tasks/challenges at the higher levels.

I think I'm going to write up a set of suggestions/ideas including that they flat-out stop giving out ebooks for levels & alliances at some point... either 10 or 15 ebooks, or 10-for-levels and 5-for-alliances, or something like that. Because as it's set now, after about level 10, there's *nothing to do* but optimize one's board to produce bucks as fast as possible to get new ebooks.

I know they have social features planned, but unless they've got solid plans to *force* people to use them, they won't discourage sockpuppetry.

(Wow, hadn't noticed the removal of the Comm Center. Highest-value remaining bucks generator is the Encyclopedia Galactica Press, for 23k at Lvl 15.)

cromag · 05-12-2012, 05:49 PM

I took some whacks at the lower levels, but I have so much military now that I've been paying most of them off -- except for the Crows, who seem to be based on a percentage of Bucks rather than Bliss. The last one would have needed more than 325,000 military. I'm nowhere near that.

Elfwreck · 05-13-2012, 02:20 AM

Worth noting--leveling up gets you a Bliss burst equal to your population. So it's fine to drag yourself into extreme Bliss debt *just* before leveling up. (Although you'll likely then have a horrific energy debt.)

I've been considering a strategy of surging pop and bliss and ignoring energy & food except to stay away from starvation, and seeing how long I can keep that up.

cromag · 05-13-2012, 03:25 AM

I used to be chronically short of energy, and bleeding bliss, but for the past several levels my people have been fat, dumb and happy. The result has been that most whacks (based on Bliss) have been bigger.

I've been a little short of energy for the past few cycles, and my Bliss penalty was 5% last time I looked. I figured I'd try to stay just a little short of energy and see if I can lower that Bliss level a bit.

Elfwreck · 05-13-2012, 11:08 AM

I'm going to try catching up on energy & letting them starve a bit to draw bliss down; it's easier to catch up with food deficits than energy.

koland · 05-13-2012, 03:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elfwreck

I miss the projects too; I gather they're looking for ways to continue to provide tasks/challenges at the higher levels.

I think I'm going to write up a set of suggestions/ideas including that they flat-out stop giving out ebooks for levels & alliances at some point... either 10 or 15 ebooks, or 10-for-levels and 5-for-alliances, or something like that. Because as it's set now, after about level 10, there's *nothing to do* but optimize one's board to produce bucks as fast as possible to get new ebooks.

Although quite true, without the lure of those books, there's not a lot to keep you interested after a certain point (currently, anyway)....

One more level and I get another book (I think I have to join 8 more alliances to get one that way, all the way to 29....)

Elfwreck · 05-13-2012, 04:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by koland

Although quite true, without the lure of those books, there's not a lot to keep you interested after a certain point (currently, anyway)....

I agree. I don't think even that is enough to keep people interested after level 25 or so and after ~29 alliances. It would become 1 minute of activity on the site every four hours to surge energy & get new pop, with no more actual reading of blurbs or interaction between players.

It needs something to do after the projects are done, and some way to avoid being "visit here once a day and every week you get a new ebook."

Freeshadow · 05-13-2012, 05:39 PM

Whacks: the only I take is crows (unpayable) and bloodsport (population losses ain't that high and the Blissloss helps)

Boredom @ higher levels: What have you all expected? That's a browsergame folks :-) I can't imagine any other reason to play it than the free books. It's themed advertising with giveaways.

Of course I do pay attention while doing so and report with all observable details when something seems fishy or plainly broken. When I do betatesting I do it properly. But at no point I have expected any enormous amounts of fun.

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05-12-2012, 11:43 AM	#466
Freeshadow temp. out of service Posts: 2,815 Karma: 24285242 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Duisburg (DE) Device: PB 623	:-) I got bloodsport whack again retroactive birthcontrol

05-12-2012, 02:12 PM	#470
orlok Close to the Edit! Posts: 9,797 Karma: 267994408 Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis, Amazon Fire 8", Kindle 6"	Well I took a 2k Population hit and a 5k Food hit. Those Crows aren't so tough!

05-12-2012, 05:18 PM	#471
kaleissin Connoisseur Posts: 71 Karma: 623136 Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Norway Device: Kindle Keyboard Wi-Fi, Kobo Glo	I actually decide to take quite a lot of whacks. I don't recall ever having used military to stop dissidents or refugees for instance. When the discrepancy between bliss and military became too large, paying off whacks would have wiped out all the military so then i took even more whacks. Level fifteen now, 82K population (I increase it extra every turn), eight quick-charge thoriums but I rarely need surge more than two, lots of free space on the asset grid and running a good surplus on everything. No longer get any energy gifts from the AI though, so none to give I miss the projects. If I'm short on cash I surge my level 15 Communications Center for 42K bucks, that one seems to be gone from the asset list all together.

05-12-2012, 05:30 PM	#472
ATDrake Wizzard Posts: 11,517 Karma: 33048258 Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Roundworld Device: Kindle 2 International, Sony PRS-T1, BlackBerry PlayBook, Acer Iconia	The system has been giving me a lot of Bliss gifts lately. I just let them expire. The ones which land in my personal hoard I re-gift to someone who says they want Bliss gifts under their name (I found maybe two of them in the 700+ Alliances list). I pay off most whacks because I've found that if I take them, they actually deduct more from my Military than if I'd just paid them outright. Either way, it seems like nothing else gets deducted. Levelling up is kind of boring without the projects, and I've been using the built up cycle bucks to slowly re-ally people instead.

05-12-2012, 05:44 PM	#473
Elfwreck Grand Sorcerer Posts: 5,187 Karma: 25133758 Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: SF Bay Area, California, USA Device: Pocketbook Touch HD3 (Past: Kobo Mini, PEZ, PRS-505, Clié)	I'm level 15 with 156k population and income of 2.6m per cycle. I've joined 22 alliances; I need 3 more to get another ebook for that, and then I'll give up on alliances. I have 13 Thorium Reactors, and I use 3 or 4 every cycle, except when I'm catching up from a pop surge and use 5 at a time for a few cycles. I pay off any whack that costs less than 3k military. I miss the projects too; I gather they're looking for ways to continue to provide tasks/challenges at the higher levels. I think I'm going to write up a set of suggestions/ideas including that they flat-out stop giving out ebooks for levels & alliances at some point... either 10 or 15 ebooks, or 10-for-levels and 5-for-alliances, or something like that. Because as it's set now, after about level 10, there's nothing to do but optimize one's board to produce bucks as fast as possible to get new ebooks. I know they have social features planned, but unless they've got solid plans to force people to use them, they won't discourage sockpuppetry. (Wow, hadn't noticed the removal of the Comm Center. Highest-value remaining bucks generator is the Encyclopedia Galactica Press, for 23k at Lvl 15.)

05-12-2012, 05:49 PM	#474
cromag Surfin the alpha waves ~~ Posts: 26,424 Karma: 459765791 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: New Jersey Device: Jetbook Lite & Mini, Nook STR, Kobo, Hanvon N516, Kindle 2, Androids	I took some whacks at the lower levels, but I have so much military now that I've been paying most of them off -- except for the Crows, who seem to be based on a percentage of Bucks rather than Bliss. The last one would have needed more than 325,000 military. I'm nowhere near that.

05-13-2012, 02:20 AM	#475
Elfwreck Grand Sorcerer Posts: 5,187 Karma: 25133758 Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: SF Bay Area, California, USA Device: Pocketbook Touch HD3 (Past: Kobo Mini, PEZ, PRS-505, Clié)	Worth noting--leveling up gets you a Bliss burst equal to your population. So it's fine to drag yourself into extreme Bliss debt just before leveling up. (Although you'll likely then have a horrific energy debt.) I've been considering a strategy of surging pop and bliss and ignoring energy & food except to stay away from starvation, and seeing how long I can keep that up.

05-13-2012, 03:25 AM	#476
cromag Surfin the alpha waves ~~ Posts: 26,424 Karma: 459765791 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: New Jersey Device: Jetbook Lite & Mini, Nook STR, Kobo, Hanvon N516, Kindle 2, Androids	I used to be chronically short of energy, and bleeding bliss, but for the past several levels my people have been fat, dumb and happy. The result has been that most whacks (based on Bliss) have been bigger. I've been a little short of energy for the past few cycles, and my Bliss penalty was 5% last time I looked. I figured I'd try to stay just a little short of energy and see if I can lower that Bliss level a bit.

05-13-2012, 11:08 AM	#477
Elfwreck Grand Sorcerer Posts: 5,187 Karma: 25133758 Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: SF Bay Area, California, USA Device: Pocketbook Touch HD3 (Past: Kobo Mini, PEZ, PRS-505, Clié)	I'm going to try catching up on energy & letting them starve a bit to draw bliss down; it's easier to catch up with food deficits than energy.

05-13-2012, 05:39 PM	#480
Freeshadow temp. out of service Posts: 2,815 Karma: 24285242 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Duisburg (DE) Device: PB 623	Whacks: the only I take is crows (unpayable) and bloodsport (population losses ain't that high and the Blissloss helps) Boredom @ higher levels: What have you all expected? That's a browsergame folks :-) I can't imagine any other reason to play it than the free books. It's themed advertising with giveaways. Of course I do pay attention while doing so and report with all observable details when something seems fishy or plainly broken. When I do betatesting I do it properly. But at no point I have expected any enormous amounts of fun.

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