Also, I think Starbase Orion has a lite available, so you can try. The two are really quite different. Starbase Orion is like a clone of Master of Orion. Eclipse is like Master of Orion made into a boardgame which is then made into a computer game.
It's odd, but Eclipse feels more like MOO2 to me than Starbase Orion does. Starbase is really balanced very differently, you can't participate in combats and building up planets with Roman Numeral technologies is very sterile. It's exceedingly difficult to know what your opponents are doing in a game of Starbase and so therefore it's hard to interact strategically with them. Diplomacy and spying are nonexistent. (Some of this might have changed since I last played it, anyone with more recent play experience can feel free to correct me).
Okay I got off the fence and bought it. First thoughts: oh.. Its so nice looking and a great UI Second thoughts: omg look at all those icons.. What do I dooooo.. Lol
Only the six buttons at the bottom right corner are actions. The rest are just for info. The six actions from left to right: EXP: Explore - flips open a new sector card. INF: Influence - removes or claim influence on a sector you own or had abandoned. RES: Research - buy new tech with your pink points. UPG: Upgrade - add two new tech you bought to two of your ship types. BUI: Built - built new ships using your green points. MOV: Move - Move your your ships to another sector. In the first few rounds, research and explore. Then build, then move your ships to hold the center sector tile. That is just one way of starting out. Caveat: I am not an expert Eclipse player...
? This is a terribly confusing, head scratching posts I've read. I presume you have an iPod touch, otherwise I would seriously question why you are on this site And it's iPad only just FYI. Go through the not so perfect tutorial Read the manual. REALLY read it. Watch gameplay videos. Play. Then play some more. I've said this many times, but I'm an idiot and I figured it out.
Well, I've spent 2 days playing with this. Have to say I've now deleted it, I won't attack the game but I'll just say its not for me and I wasted my money.
Give it some time. Strategy games sometimes need some time to gestate before clicking. For me, it was Battle Academy, which I bought eons ago, but could not get into until just last week...
If you can wait until 2015 P), you might want to try Agricola. That game has a pretty extensive array of difficulty levels and modes, from actual solo games (no opponents), to basic cardless matches (multiplayer versus AI or human), to matches that use special cards from a variety of set decks that become progressively more intricate and interdependent.
No, I couldn't play for a few days and I guess it deleted all my games I didn't realize that happened. Sorry, I'll start a new one This is accurate. The game is excellent. It's not easy, but you need to actually give it some time. Did you read the manual? Watch any videos? Did you play online with people who know the game and can walk you through the strategies? Even just reading the manual should be enough to get you through understanding the game. I keep saying this, but it is true: if I can figure it out, anyone can. Hell, it took me longer to figure out Carcassonne. Yes, I just admitted that . Though Carc was my first proper board game, so that had something to do with it. I do believe eclipse is doable. It's not easy but it is doable. I've heard 2023 I presume SOMEONE got into the beta. If so, I do hate you so very much
Gone thru 4 AI games straight today, all losses, as expected. I think I begin to get hang onto something: 1. There are a number of ways to get VP, which means winning. 2. To boldly go is one way, but like the Mystic or Heavy Infantry, having only these do not win the game. 3. Defeating the Ancients gives you extra VP, which is one good way, the AI really loves that bad a** space station. 4. So, it comes to ships, you need to research to arm them and keep them afloat. Good stuff are expensive. When the research item is available to buy and you have the pink points in the bank, balm! You get the item! 5. Saving up is a way to go. Careful spending may help. 6. Going bankrupt is not always a bad thing, as long as it is justified. But I still don't understand how the AI gets the reddish weapon by round 4 and how it arms 3 slots onto the dreadnought. Anybody who wants to teach-me-a-lesson, please feel free to send me a game. My handle is "Curry".
Probably you've got the idea that you need to capture and hold all your territory. Unless you're Planta, that's probably a poor idea that leaves you struggling for resources. By turn 4 if you are struggling for resources and for also for actions, it means you are spending your influence turn after turn on poor investments of the same, things like hexes with only 1 planet, or hexes where most of the return is locked into advanced colonization opportunities you don't have the technology for.
Hey Curry, I forgot that the chat in Eclipse isn't persistent so all text disappears when you leave the game. Next time I move (I already completed one) I'll stay on a bit longer to explain things. Remember that each tile is worth a different amount of VP (the blue number on the bottom) some some sectors are more important. You're also right about going bankrupt, especially if you influenced a blank tile for the alien tech. In terms of VP battles aren't that important as the maximum VP you can get is about 20 depending on your race's slots (found in the diplomacy/reputation bar). The more you battle the more likely you are to switch out any low tiles. The ships are so important because you can claim other sectors with them. This not only gives you points by taking them away from the opponent that used to own it, but also gives you access to that sector's resources and hinders your opponent.
Doubt: Thanks all. I am not sure how good the "advanced colony" thing actually helps. I see after colonizing an advanced colony, I still get a +1 in production. Reflection: Noted that some sectors carry more VP than the others. In one game yesterday, I have the early lead and with more sectors. But AI saves enough production and research so it can build monolith. In round 9, it builds one monolith for each controlling sector, effectively boosting the sector VP and wins in the end. Observation: the AI really loves the central sector and attempts to get it first (some time it fails though). I see fighting the Ancient is quite profitable cause it gives extra VP and I think before diplomacy drops in, I don't mind some strategic competition...
Generally getting an advanced colony technology is worth it if you have 3 of the corresponding type of advanced colony in your space ready to colonize. Hydrans get advanced science worlds for free at the start of the game. If you have 2 of the corresponding type this can still be worth it if it's on a tech track you're advancing and you can get the technology at minimum cost. Also note that depending on your trade ratio, it can be much better to have many of one kind of production than a balanced production. If you can go from 12 to 15 per turn in a resource, this is better than going from 2 to 3 in another resource, especially if you're humans and can trade at 2:1. When making and breaking diplomatic pacts, colonizing gray planets, and researching advanced colonization, keep this in mind.
Observation: Advance Colonies is good if you have a bunch of them in your territories and do not mind getting some extra stuff. Query: how in the world can the AI add some really big guns onto their dreadnoughts? Enlarged engines? Magic? Or what? Some guide on ship upgrade would be very much appreciated. Another query: is there any extra VP in wiping opponent completely out of the game? Announcement: VeganTnT, I think I have officially lost the game. If you don't mind keep on beating, I am fine to go on. Starting on another one is also fine. Reporting: I think many below have been mentioned before, but I still like to add mine: 1. Most of the time, the first launch of the app crashes after showing the title screen, the second launch right afterwards is fine. 2. Chat, as mentioned, is not working async. 3. No matter how many online games are on my turn, the banner of the app always show "1". 4. I really need to know what my human opponent has done during last turn. 5. When my opponent is battling against another player, I want to skip right upon the first screen, not after firing. (minor)
Curry: right now it's 7 vs 16-22 which isn't great for you but not insurmountable. You have that Dreadnaught just sitting there next to two sectors with aliens on them and you passed the round with at least 3 actions left. You could explore more sectors looking for red planets, if you pull a tile without a red DON'T influence it. You'll have to pay for taking the action but you won't have the influence upkeep the next round so you can try again.
