[Spoiler request] What now?

[andysonofbob]

I have been having a blast.

I have pretty much exploited the early part of the game though, to get a Starmaster quick. But now I am at a loose end and would love some ideas on how to progress.

Thoughts:
I really enjoy the combat in this game. I am at the mission where the Guild has introduced me to the Navy. What happens from this point? The top military ship, Chimera(?), sounds cool. (I love the way you can't exploit the game to get that btw.) So this or...

What's the big deal with construction? Why do people do it? Where? Could someone sum up what the benefits are for me please. What does an 'end game' set up look like with regard to this?

Station permits just let you keep stuff at stations right? What's the attraction with them? What's another cool way too use them?

Thanks!

[Marvin]

Taken from the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Evoverse:

[img=600x600]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v97/p ... c1907e.png[/img]

To hold those territories (in multiplayer), clans must build stations. Else, the percentage drops rapidly.

Player-built stations also give you the option of placing a safe haven in Hostile and Moderate star systems ... wihout having to pay for a license or a docking fee. Also, if built near a high-tech station where prices are high, most likely you've automatically created a short-hop trade run.

[Busch]

Couple of ways to "use" trade stations. Build one yourself (automatic license), or buy a license at a station of your choice, in the system of your choice. There's a 25% discount on all commodity/equipment/etc. purchases. Also, there's a reduction in the offered amounts for posted contracts/missions. The understanding/practise is that you're going to hang out and perform contracts at that station, in that system for a while. And, because of your station license, that station will protect you from the bad guys. (Pretty much nukeing the in-bound missiles before you have to concern yourself). You don't get a price break on hangar fees by having a station license. Those are pretty much standard where ever you go in the Evo-verse, regardless of rank or rating. You really don't get a "station break" until you attain the civ rating of Legend. Then you'll never pay station docking/trading fees again or ever after.

Constructing/building trade stations, if one is all clanned up, serves to secure that clans' control of a given system. And really helps retard the control percentage decay rate. After 80% system control is attained, there's a sliding scale of monetary benefit derived from those controling efforts. It varies - 11k credits for tyros per cycle to 110k credits for the vets per cycle is the usual range. It's fairly well based on your civ rating, rather than military rank. For an independant pilot/mercenary, building a trade station could serve many purposes (of those stated above as well). The stations you build in SP do not transfer to the MP environment and the contrary is also true. The stations you build in MP, stay in MP on that game server/platform where built. Ettiquette usually dictates a request to the clan, should you think to build in a clan-controlled system. (a condition commonly known as situational dementia)

A second side to building stations (trade/constructor/science/ore processor/power) in a given system is so that one may raise the available tech level within that system. And, it's usually a "global" benefit for that system, rather than being "restricted" to that station/location. You'll not be able to build out the max ship, but you can make significant inroads on the local economy. Some times good, some times not-so. It does depend on the local economic "game set", which you can find in the Evo Quad map (toggle open F1 Nav-Con, lwr rgt.). You can usually achieve a 2 or 3 level tech "bump" in that system.

Now, you can also deploy certain items like shield/sensor arrays and mining probes. And fuel, repair, and energy stations. These deployed items are generally "single-use" structures, and will auto-majicly disappear/self-destruct should you leave the sector where built. The upside to this is if there are other pilots in the area where you deploy some of these items, they'll stay 'til the last pilot departs the AO, turns off the lights and shuts the door. Handy for those pesky war zone situations/stations where not many, or any, have a license.

Hope this helps some.

[Edited on 4-13-2013 by Busch]

[Edited on 4-13-2013 by Busch]

[Jk-77]

Taken from the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Evoverse:

Btw Marvin, keep up the good work with the guide , its an enjoyable read and a 'unique' take on the games backstory and main elements. Ive got many a memory of laughing while reading it

Just to add to Busch's great post on stations and buildable content, i think you can store things for free (in your trade station), so store items that are hard to come by, like station dets and rare equipment like the mantis drive and stealth gen, things that you dont have space for now, but might use again some time in the future. Store them while you are not using them so its not as much of a hassle flying everywhere to find them again. Starbuck will back me up on the station det thing, we looked for ages and eventually come across some... I think its safe to say that i will be stocking them in the future, lol.


[Edited on 13-4-2013 by Jk-77]

[SeeJay]

Hi.

A little hint. Don't store anything on a build station.
They can be destroyed!;)

[Jk-77]

Hi.

A little hint. Don't store anything on a build station.
They can be destroyed!;)

Good point , so if you need to store things, just hide the station, put it into an area of space that generally pilots are not going to cross by, but yeah use caution when and if you store your things. Its generally uncommon that your stations will be blown to bits, you do however, run the risk.

[Edited on 13-4-2013 by Jk-77]

[Busch]

If you spend a lot of "quality time" in a particular system, then please do buy a license at one of the hard-wired, game stations. They are the more "commonly named" stations, like Starport 1, OutPost 1103, and etc... (As opposed to some thing like "[XX]321Fluffy".) There's more "implied security". And, it may save you a lot of time and effort, eventually. Then, what ever hangar storage fees you may pay, will be more in the form of buying insurance against theft of merchandise. Which can and does happen quite often, especially in those areas where you shouldn't take your mother......or any one else for that matter!

[andysonofbob]

Thanks for the tips, really informative!

I get the idea of stations for clan control in MP but I guess I am still unsure about single player.

Will my constructed stations generate money? If so, how much?
When you mention short hops, are we talking same sector? Do you 'buy' from yours to sell to a neighbouring station?
Increasing tech levels. What's a good zone to do this? Do you just add one of each type anywhere or must they be placed carefully?

Will that Hitchhiker's Guide talk me through all this?

Thanks

P.S. I love how I can play the game for 10 hours+ and still not have discovered vast tracks of gameplay!

[DaveK]

Have you done the initial IMG quest?

If so have you done Marvin's Quest for Peace?

There's a page in the Hints&Tips Guide (beware also lots of spoilers in the Guide) with several dozen ideas on what you can do in game (available from Seejay's Site - as is a collection of player written short stories that add to the background "colour")

[Busch]

The best way to generate lots of cash using a station w/license, is to buy goods from that licensed station and then sell your products elsewhere. Trade stations do not, in and of themselves, generate any cash for you. Sometimes, depending on location, an inter-system run works. Though trade runs seem to be more profitable if you can hook up an intra-system run. Say like Talison-Cerulean-Atlas, as an example.

As far as picking a system in which to increase tech levels....that's something you'll have to figure out for yourself. Because there are a few items to consider. Location. Location. Location. (Works for Real Estate too !) Careful of placement, especially in MP-space. Some of the more active clans have system-control issues, or already have tech structures in place. There is a bit of a "build protocol". DaveK's Hints & Tips Guide and the Official Mercs Manual both discuss (somewhat) station/structure building. It would take me a bit to discuss/expound what you may find there.

Marv's done some great work there, but the Hitchhiker's Guide is not as truely a definitive publication as is DaveK's efforts with the Hints & Tips Guide and Mercs Manual.

[Marvin]

Marv's done some great work there, but the Hitchhiker's Guide is not as truely a definitive publication as is DaveK's efforts with the Hints & Tips Guide and Mercs Manual.

I take exception to that. Granted, it's all too true ... but I still take exception. Nonetheless, what the H2GE probably needs is an entry on SP. 'Though I'm not sure Vice would like to see an expanded entry dedicated to SP ... seeing as how quite a bit of the EMX (Evocrhon Mercenary Expansion) spotlights MP. Still, player-built trade stations are useful ... even in SP.

[andysonofbob]

Have you done the initial IMG quest?

If so have you done Marvin's Quest for Peace?

There's a page in the Hints&Tips Guide (beware also lots of spoilers in the Guide) with several dozen ideas on what you can do in game (available from Seejay's Site - as is a collection of player written short stories that add to the background "colour")

Initial as in the very first task? Yup. I think I am on the last tutorial mission now - atmospheric dog fighting.

Will I find Marvin's Quest for Peace after I have completed that one?

Again thanks all!

btw does it matter what server you play on?

[Dingo]

Have you done the initial IMG quest?

If so have you done Marvin's Quest for Peace?

There's a page in the Hints&Tips Guide (beware also lots of spoilers in the Guide) with several dozen ideas on what you can do in game (available from Seejay's Site - as is a collection of player written short stories that add to the background "colour")

Initial as in the very first task? Yup. I think I am on the last tutorial mission now - atmospheric dog fighting.

Will I find Marvin's Quest for Peace after I have completed that one?

Again thanks all!

btw does it matter what server you play on?

Server doesnt matter, it is all transferable to any server and SP. Its good that way. Welcome btw.

[Marvin]

The Quest for Peace can be found at SeeJay's old website (the link is in SeeJay's sig block). And, as to servers, there are two things to keep in mind: (1) which server gives you the best ping (usually, it depends on the server's location), (2) which server gives you the greatest opportunity to build your own territory. Additionally, depending on how important you find it: which server is the most active (right-clicking on any server on the list will show you who is currently logged in).

[DaveK]

Marv's done some great work there, but the Hitchhiker's Guide is not as truely a definitive publication as is DaveK's efforts with the Hints & Tips Guide and Mercs Manual.

Thanks for the vote, Busch

Marvin's HHG is an excellent laugh a minute stress buster though!

Perhaps a bookseller will offer the three volume set as a special offer

[Busch]

Rather a niche market, don'tcha think ?

[PlasmaJedi]

The OP mentioned 'construction', don't forget that you can use weapons labs in stations to build custom weapons and missiles, as well as constructor stations to build pieces of tech which are not necessarily easy to come by for a fresh player.

Constructor stations can make fulcrum drives (tho not mantis), fuel collectors (even if you don't use them, a few thousand in Antimatter cells makes over a mil in fuel converter!), cargo scanners, repair units, and the parts necessary to build weapons at weapon labs.

The biggest reason to use your own weapons is that you can max out the range, which gives you an incredible advantage against stock weapons, tho generally only the AI uses stock weapons.

Money is so freakin easy to come by in this game with cheap trading routes, but real power is in your ship, and all the money in the galaxy doesn't help if you're still using basic gear!

[DaveK]

Money is so freakin easy to come by in this game with cheap trading routes,

This has been a discussion point for as long as I've been a player.

Some want a hard life, having to earn their crust or starve . . . others want to be able to make their pile and then enjoy life doing just what they want.

A balance isn't as easy as you might imagine (or else Vice would have implemented it!) but if you find money is too easy to get, then give it away or buy expensive gear and jettison it! or buy expensive ships and store them in hangars around the galaxy - storage fees are quite steep!! (yeah I know!! )

[Marvin]

And build lots of stations.