RCS Guide V2.6 A guide to successfully play the RCS in VGA Planets 4 written by Thriyon (comments and questions are welcome: Thriyon@Yahoo.de) Date: February 22, 2007 (Host 212g, Planets 63, Racepack 806e) (1) Overview (2) The special buildings (3) Starting (4) Fighters, ground units and ships (5) General management and strategy (6) Against other races Legend: RCS Reunited Coalition of Systems NG Nawole Gardens XH Xelovi Hive AC Arerran Capital HW Homeworld (starting base) JG Jumpgate SL Super Laser PBC Plasma Bolt Cannon TW Transwarp LW Large Weapon PD Point Defense Weapon GWG Gravity well generator OA Organic armor HG High Guard Ranger (1) Overview The RCS is a fascinating race with many special features. The handling is not easy, so I wouldn't recommend it to newbies. The story: 3 hunted peoples, the Arerrans (a humanoid lifeform), the Xelovi (an insectoid lifeform) and the Nawole (sentient, intelligent plants) united to defend their very existence against the ruthless Draconians. Each people brought in its unique technology and 2 native ship designs. Together they created the RCS and developed some excellent new technologies. Ship list traits: TW ships 1 full-cloaker (other ships are good visible) JGs GWGs Laser mines (can't lay any other type ever) Many mine sweepers Economical traits: Average growth Low income Good farming Excellent mining Pod Speed 40 Military traits: Good war ships Good ground combat ability One very cheap fighter type One TW fighter type General RCS specials: The RCS can only lay Laser mines and can never lay any other type, even if owning a ship which normally can. Energy mines will pass through the shields of RCS ships. RCS PDs can't shoot them down. A RCS-controlled SL does not destroy planets and only drains 2,000 points of enemy shields and 5,000 armor per hit. Other super weapons drain only 2,000 points of enemy shields and half the normal armor drain. Insectoids always join your bases at a rate of 5% additionally to the normal joining chance. They also add 100 to the mining rate of their base like Reptilians when they exceed 50k. Can't build Med labs or Smelters. (2) The special buildings The first 6 ships in the ship list are the native ships of the 3 united peoples. You need their own special building in the shipyard base to build these ships. Then you can build the 2 matching native ships (the ships with the first letter of their creator's race and a dot at start of their name) there with a military spaceport as usual. Another way is to build them with the Binary's dry dock. You can only have one of these buildings in each base. No second special building can be built, so choose wisely. The special buildings have some additional effects: NG: - doubles the money being send to the Galactic Bank here (only the 30% part of the total taxes that goes to the Galactic Bank automatically, not the money you send via the Government center) - natives grow twice per turn in the base - limits the food harvest from farms here to 12.5% (only fungus farming) Use the NG to increase taxes in high population bases and to increase the native populations. The entire bonus money goes directly to the Galactic Bank, of course. Look at the Taxes to Bank income in the tech screen to see what you really get. XH: - raises the mining rate here to 300 - smelts 5% of all ores in the base (needs at least 1 active mine for this) - adds 50% to the taxes that are placed in the base here - sends only 41.65% of the usual 30% part of the total taxes (12.495% instead of 30%) to the Galactic Bank here - 1,000 or more Insectoids on planets within 300 lys send a good scan of the planet (not from bases) via telepathy Use the XH to exploit mineral rich planets much faster. The XH money bonus results in 17.495%, thus is lesser than the NG one. However, if you need more money in the base, it may be the better choice. AC: - provides 1 extra food unit and 1 free med unit for each active farm per turn - reduces the mining rate here to 12.5 - converts up to 5,000 Humanoid natives in the base into RCS colonists (new farmers) if the colonist happiness is above 100 Use the AC to improve your food harvest. If you have many minerals in the ground, consider to bring 50k Reptilians or 50k Insectoids to this base. They would add 100 to the mining rate each, making mining at a reasonable rate possible again. Coalition Trade Triad: if all three special buildings are within 50 lys (host configurable) of each other, all three bases earn 1,500 mc as special trade income. Those bases can't join other triads. Seek early for star constellations within your range that are suitable to create triads. If you HAVE to remove a special building: Make sure all your people, natives and valuables have left the base. Then either destroy your base with a ship in orbit and base command code TNT or transfer your base to a non-RCS ally with base code GBA. This destroys only special buildings. After your ally transfered the base back, you can build a new special building. (3) Starting The starting ships are: 1 Binary with weak weapons and an Anti-Matter-Maul 3 Interstellars with good weapons and a small shield The HW starts without Med lab and Fighter plant. Build NG on your HW. Then you can collect and breed natives, where they are protected by the defense buildings. For transports use the fast pods on short distances and the Interstellars on long distances. Build Interstellars with the starting FTL-5 Warp drives and tow other ships with them. Use Willows and your starting Poppy fighters as scouts. Launch 8 wings of 10 fighters each to scan planets with them (switch scanners on). Build up refuel bases with ships and pods for the Poppies. Scouting is extremly important, because since normal scanners give only a complete (good) planet scan if you have a ship or wing near the planet. The Bio scanner give many other races a big advantage in finding the important resources. Try to get ships with a Bio scanner early. Build 50 Training centers and a Government center in your first AC base ASAP. Use more bases with an AC as training colonies later. Build a single Training center on bases with many colonists, too. Training colonies must provide the HGs needed to use the Bio computer on Lotuses and to defend against sabotage actions and boardings. Don't use HGs for boarding. Training colonies are also needed to produce many troops to board and ground assault and to defend against ground assaults. Have always enough Rescue Teams around to save your troops and crew in ground combats and to rescue them when they are captured. If the enemy uses ground units, use Stallions (type 1 ground unit) to destroy them. Build more type 1 fighters with your Binary if you have to fear an early fighter ambush. If you discover natives, build a base there. Seek especially Ghipsoldals (every 10 Kerria Crystal Artifacts give 1% joining chance per turn each), Amphibians and Amorphous Worms (every 10 Lerchin Spices give 1% joining chance per turn each). When natives joined your base, send them back to your HW to profit from the doubled native growth and the +30% money bonus. You should keep 1.4M colonists there to get all the native tax money. To gather natives more quickly, build single Public Space Ports in bases within 300 lys and use 500 natives of the same kind to lure their wild relatives into the base. Public Space Ports are also very good to raise the happiness of your colonists and your natives. Send 50k Ghipsoldals and 50k Amphibians to your NG bases (especially shipyards) to get more free hightech engines and LWs. Keep their happiness above 75. (4) Fighters, ground units and ships Fighters: UMFV-6 Unmanned Drone: Cheap and thus the best choice against fighters. S/Ai-383 Wraith: Average missile-fighter. Drops Holo Decoys while firing beams if there are more than 40 of them in a wing. Si-90 Poppy Strike Fighter: Anti-ship-fighter and scout fighter. With a range of 190 it can easily travel on its own, hopping between bases, resupply pods and ships. Escorted by TW ships, it can travel almost unlimited. It is not damaged when hitting Laser mines. Beware of Glory device ships, Stellar matter launchers and exploding Laser mines! Wing suggestions: 10 Poppies: Good for exploration and against ships. Usually doesn't need to be carried. Minimum wing size. 9 Drones 1 Poppy: Good against Base Shields, ships and fighters. Excellent bang for the buck. Minimum wing size. 74 Drones 1 Poppy: Size adjusted to be carried by RCS ships. Allows more mobility at the cost of bang for the buck. Ground units: M-68 Stallion: Cheap. Good attack against other ground units, but rather weak otherwise. I/A-32 Thunder Bomber: Good attack against fighters and base structures. Good defense against people and other ground units. Has good chances to survive ground combats. Others May Live Rescue Team: Very good attack against people. Each team saves 80% of the troops, crew and colonists (up to 50k each) who would be killed by people (not by fighters or ground units) in ground combat (not during the bloodbath after there was no surrender). The survivors are loaded up onto life pods and launched to a nearby base. You don't need a pod launcher for this special to work. Each team will rescue 5,000 of your prisoners from an enemy base within 250 lys. The prisoners will appear in the same base the team is located. Each team will also destroy 50 Labor Camps and 50 Labor Mines within 250 lys. The prisoner rescue and building destruction will not work against the Evil Empire. Ships: Hull specials: Gravity Sensor: Scans ships with installed Hyperdrives, Gravitonic Mine Droppers, Chunnel Devices, Gravitonic Accelerators and GWGs within 400 lys after movement. They don't have to be active. Not working during movement phase, so you won't be able to attack or intercept ships if you don't scan them with normal scanners. You can board them, however. An excellent addition to normal scanning. Always on. Hive mind: Gives a +3 Attack and a +2 Evasive Bonus to the ships of all races in a battle, which have a PSI rating of more than 35. The limit of this bonus is +30 Attack and +20 Evasive Bonus. Use 10+ Hive mind ships to enhance big fleets against low-PSI enemies. Always on. OA: OA ships always start with full armor for free. It's immune to small weapon fire including the special effects. OA gets destroyed by LW fire at different rate: OA Drain = (Armor Drain / 5) + (Kill Power / 8). It requires 1 med unit to regrow 1 point of destroyed OA. Armor Drain Exotics don't work on OA. A ship can grow up to 10% of its armor limit per turn. OA can't be affected with repairs, normal armor units or the Borlox Armor exotic. The fire of fighters or super weapons doesn't treat OA different to normal armor. Hits by non-Privateer-LW fire have only 20% Kill Power. All LWs on a Darkwing G drain an additional Armor Drain / 2 of OA. Target Enhancers: Give +25% accuracy to LWs. LWs chance to hit the Soft Spot is increased by 500%. Add 30% accuracy to the PDs against fighters and incoming LW fire. Turbo Laser PDs are great on these ships. Always on if ship is RCS controlled and has at least 30 kt fuel aboard. Plasma Stream Enhancer: Causes all PBCs aboard to charge twice as fast (in 10 ticks), add 4 to Shield Drain, add 4 to Armor Drain (not against Lizard ships with Lizard crew), have about tripled range (760), accuracy (90) and doubled ord usage (4). Almost ignores Evasive Bonus and distance of target with PBCs. As a direct result of the doubled charge rate you have to calculate an additional energy drain of 35 for each PBC you install on Plasma Stream Enhancer ships! If power boosted, the PBCs on these ships have only halve BOOM risk. If different LW types are power boosted, the BOOM risk is lowered depending on the ratio between the PBCs and the non-PBCs. Ask allies for their free PBCs. They are much more worth on these ships. Bio computer: Gives the ship +100 Attack and +50 Evasive Bonus while a HG mindmelds with it and at least 4 med units present. It needs 4 med units per turn to prevent system damage. The last 12 med units will not be used to regrow OA. The ship starts with 75 med units. All RCS ships have a fighter bay size of 75 (if they have fighter bays) and at least 1 pod bay. The Arerran ships: (you need an AC in the base or a Binary to build them) A.Interstellar Class Frigate: Devices: Mine Sweeper Array, Boarding Laser Hull specials: Gravity Sensor Main task: Exploration, mine sweeping, boarding, transporting, towing, swarm ship Comment: An excellent allrounder. Build them in great numbers and spread them in around the map. A.Odin Class Carrier: Devices: GWG, Gravity Rift Generator (switches off all Gravitonic Accelerators before movement and nullifies the anti-hyperjump-effect of GWGs and Gravitonic mines within 150 lys / uses 25 kt fuel per turn) Hull specials: Gravity Sensor Main task: Usage of the devices, carrying of fighter wings Comment: The RCS carrier with 16 fighter bays. Should be well protected. Build only as many as you need. The Xelovi ships: (you need a XH in the base or a Binary to build them) X.240 Comb Class Escort: Devices: Laser Mine Dropper, Mine Sweeper Array, Cloaking Device Hull specials: Hive mind Main task: Laser mine laying, usage of the Hive mind, early platform for free Ionic Gun Arrays and Turbo Laser Arrays Comment: The only RCS mine layer. Use Laser mines to decloak intruders and to defend against fighters. The Cloaking Device can't full-cloak the Comb, but protects it against Cargo Grapplers and Fuel Robbers. Needs a good shield in combat. Build only as many as you need. X.1260 Royal Class Heavy Cruiser: Devices: Cloaking Device Hull specials: Hive mind, Queen's presence (with 1 HG present, up to 2,000 Insectoids on a planet under the Royal join the ship per turn as RCS troops to serve the queen as honour guard / (300 - Insectoid happiness) Insectoids in bases join the ship per turn and per base / Robot bases with Nest are immune to this effect) Main task: Space combat, troop recruitment Comment: The first true war ship. Use free Ionic Gun Arrays and Turbo Laser Arrays as LWs. Use free Tylium Thrusters for a good energy supply and tow it. The Lotus should be your primary war ship as soon as it is available. Needs a good shield in combat. The Cloaking Device can't full-cloak the Royal, but protects it against Cargo Grapplers and Fuel Robbers. Build them only if you really need them! The Nawole ships: (you need NG in the base or a Binary to build them) N.Willow Class Survey Ship: Devices: Long Range Mine Detector Hull specials: OA, Target Enhancers, SDI Anti-Probe (prevents Probe launchers from scanning planets and scans native planets within 100 lys) Main task: TW transporting, exploration, swarm ship Comment: A well armed scout. Be aware of the small ord and repair space. N.Evergreen Class Science Vessel: Devices: Alchemy Forge, DTMS-N fuel converter, Global Warmer, Global Icer, Soil Refomer Hull specials: OA, Target Enhancers Main task: Improving food production, medium war ship Comment: A versatile ship. Be aware of the small ord and repair space. The RCS designs: Binary Class Star Port: Devices: Ore Processing, Mobile Fighter(1, 2, 3) Factory, JG Builder Hull specials: Gravity Stabilizer (can not be moved in any way), you need any special building to build it, can build any RCS ship except itself Main task: Building the native ships and a JG Comment: Use it to establish a JG network for faster travel. You can use an Anti-Matter-Maul on the Binary to destroy a JG present within combat range (set the JG as Kill target). If no better JG-building ship is available, you should consider recycling the Binary after the JG is built. This keeps the Binary from advertising the location of your JG and saves at least the big amount of metals. Be careful where you build JGs! If an enemy knows your JG's code, he may ambush you with a big fleet from nowhere! Surround your JGs with Laser mines to decloak spying ships. Guard your JGs with some war ships. The Gravity Sensor allows you to scan ships with the detectable devices after they used a JG. So you could place some Interstellars at the JG to detect and board intruders. Build them only if you really need them! Maelstorm Class Light Cruiser: Devices: Mine Sweeper Array, Cloaking Device Hull specials: Mine resistance (will never hit mines), Target Enhancers Main task: Ambushing, hidden transports Comment: An excellent ship for secret operations. Be aware of the small ord and repair space. Lotus Class Pursuit Ship: Devices: Mine Sweeper Array Hull specials: OA, Target Enhancers, Plasma Stream Enhancer, Bio computer, Gravity Sensor Main task: Space combat Comment: A shiny war ship - fast and strong. A good standard equipment set is 2 PBCs, 3 Pulsed Phasor Cannons, 1 Sand Caster, 1 Photon Torpedo Tube, 7 Pulsed Lasers, 2 Micro Sand Casters, 5 Turbo Lasers, a Galefleck DT900, 5 Servodynes 800 and TW. Use the Attack Computer exotics early. Beware of minefields! The high warp signature makes the Lotus very likely to hit mines. Use Evergreens as escort. Aurora Class Flagship: Devices: Mine Sweeper Array Hull specials: OA, Target Enhancers, Plasma Stream Enhancer, Bio computer, Super weapon Jammer (keeps non-Aurora ships from firing their super weapon in combat), Exotic hull (needs 3,000 galactic credits per turn to prevent hull damage at the percentage that was not paid) Main task: Jamming super weapons, destroying base shields Comment: Use single Auroras (well protected against boarding!) to lead your big fleets if they need a SL to destroy base shields or protection from super weapons in combat. The Lotus is more cost efficient if you just need firepower. The RCS can't destroy planets with its SLs. Build them only if you really need them! (5) General management and strategy Income: Money will usually be a big problem. The RCS needs to save money whereever possible and use any income source available. As tax rate I suggest Ultra Conservative and Complex. Just switch to Complex if you colonists and natives are happy and back to Ultra Conservative if not. Enslavement can be worthwhile if you have many Insectoid natives, but check your happiness then. The growth rate of 100 is actually less than average. Invest in the Tank-o-Tronic exotics early. You can save money by using repairs to build up the armor on your ships (takes 22 turns for Maelstorms, so save your already existing armor plates for these ships). Additionally use primarily Pulsed Lasers as small weapons and the free equipment from natives and wreckages. Build expensive shields only if you really need them. Use Maelstorms to deploy your strong troops and the great Rescue Teams to ground attack rich enemy bases. Capture money and natives to boost your economy. Techlevel advancement: Start Early game Mid game Planet Tech 4 4 4+ (do you need the other buildings?) Super Weapon Tech 0 0 0+ (do you need super weapons?) LW Tech 1 4 10+ (search for Amphibians) Small Weapon Tech 2 2 2+ (do you need the other small weapons?) PD Tech 3 5 7+ (do you need the expensive PDs?) Generator Tech 3 6 6+ (do you need the expensive generators?) Engine Tech 8 14 20 (search for Ghipsoldals) Hull Tech 3 5 9+ (do you need the Aurora Flagship?) Hyperdrive Tech 0 0 0+ (hyperjumping ships available?) Shield Tech 3 3 7+ (do you need the bigger shields?) Ship management: To counter the lack of repair and ord space on some RCS ships, you should give your ships the command codes BUR and ORD. This orders your ships to beam up repairs and ord from your bases. Additionally activate the fleet share code. Another good way to deal with small repair holds is to switch only the most important repair switches on. This are the Engines, the Controls and the Life Support. All other switches should usually be off on ships with small repair holds. Especially hull damage may need many hundreds of repairs to be fixed. You may miss them to escape destruction or capture some time. Place many troops and HGs on your ships if someone keeps boarding them. Set the ships in a fleet to transfer HGs, troops and crew between each other to recapture boarded ships immediately. Laser mines offer a good way to deal with cloaked boarders. Keep off hyperjumpers with GWGs. Fill your fighter bays with type 1 fighters and use Sand Casters and Target Enhancer ships with Flake Cannons and/or Turbo Lasers if you have trouble with enemy fighters. Some Laser mines will certainly help, too. The utility group: Priority is versatility. 1 Odin 2+ Interstellars (towing the Combs) 2+ Combs 1+ Willow 1+ Evergreen The combat group: Priority is speed and strength. 5+ Lotuses with TWs 3+ Evergreens with TWs 1+ Willow with TWs The Swarm: Priority is firepower at low costs. Use cheap/free equipment. X Interstellars (towing the Willows) X Willows Add these if you send the swarm against a low-PSI enemy: 10+ Interstellars (towing:) 10+ Combs (6) Against other races The Draconians are the hunters in the story behind the RCS. The Solar Gamma Ray on the Krait destroys OA at a rate of 1 point per combat tick. Your OA ships will loose 250 points of OA at a range of 200 lys per turn and Krait. Try to eliminate the Draconians early. Beware of big Federation fleets with Photon Torpedo Tubes. Try to avoid ship combat with them. The Privateers (and anyone else who acquires a Cargo Grabbler) are dangerous for your Lotuses and Auroras, because they can steal the needed med units for the Bio computer. Avoid Cargo Grabbler ships with those ships and attack with other ships. Keep cloaked Maelstorms with med units nearby to resupply Lotuses and Auroras if needed. Try to eliminate the Privateers early and take the money they leave behind when blasted from orbit. Deny stars with a heat of over 90 to the Solorians. The Cyborgs, the Crystals, the Birdmen, the UEA and the Robots should be attacked early. Thanks to Tim Wisseman and Rick I. Glover for the game, Christian Jadot for the race and Jochen Schwarze, Claudius Müller, Hilmar Benne and Karsten Okrusch for useful hints.