I've seen different challenges around but this one i haven't seen.

The rules for this one are simple, the player is not allowed to own more than 1 system during the whole game. (yes that means you cannot conquer anything either.) let's see how well we do?



if you're new to challenges the idea is simple, just download the save file below "Sophons - Turn 0.zip" and load it, play till turn 30 save and post your save game here with your stats.



this is not a competition, let's all have fun and learn from each others strategies!



My score: 144

population:14

Food:126

Production:180

Research:318

Dust:-7 (still had 33 over 0 at turn 30, would need to change tax rate soon tho.)



If you want you can also play till 60 or 90 turns, I know I will, I'll be posting my points later.



Save games are attached here:

Wow, ok that sounds difficult yet neat at the same time - probably because I'm a noob. I can't wait to try it and let you know how bad I stunk at it. lol

craigbic wrote:
Wow, ok that sounds difficult yet neat at the same time - probably because I'm a noob. I can't wait to try it and let you know how bad I stunk at it. lol

I'm waiting with great curiosity!

I'll do this, when I can actually finish downloading the new release...

VitunSuoPaska wrote:


My score: 144

population:14

Food:126

Production:180

Research:318

Dust:-7 (still had 33 over 0 at turn 30, would need to change tax rate soon tho.)

Felt bad that this hadn't had any takers so I did a ten minute rush of this challenge. Btw, your base value for science is 228, not 318- 318 is only your potential science output with the ind-science conversion.



My results:

Food: 201

Ind: 162

Science: 235

Pop of 15

Edit: With lvl 4 hero and some hyperium



In the future, I would stick to the 30 turn challenges that permit colonization. Being limited to your starting system is obviously unrealistic, too narrow, and isn't a proper test- there's a lot of skill required involved in colonization and so deliberately avoiding this aspect in a 30 turn challenge is a bit nonsensical.
SOPHONS - Turn 30 Sebbers.zip

Sebbers wrote:
Felt bad that this hadn't had any takers so I did a ten minute rush of this challenge. Btw, your base value for science is 228, not 318- 318 is only your potential science output with the ind-science conversion.



My results:

Food: 201

Ind: 162

Science: 235

Pop of 15

Edit: With lvl 4 hero and some hyperium



In the future, I would stick to the 30 turn challenges that permit colonization. Being limited to your starting system is obviously unrealistic, too narrow, and isn't a proper test- there's a lot of skill required involved in colonization and so deliberately avoiding this aspect in a 30 turn challenge is a bit nonsensical.

Well played, although after comparing the saved games I noticed that you didn't go straight for the +40 science improvement? as I noticed my save game having like 4-5 techs more. (even pretty expensive ones from the bottom tree.)



I agree with your point of colonization requiring skill, but hey a man gotta venture the options! ain't that right?



And thank you for pointing out my mistake, my real science output indeed is 228.

VitunSuoPaska wrote:
Well played, although after comparing the saved games I noticed that you didn't go straight for the +40 science improvement? as I noticed my save game having like 4-5 techs more. (even pretty expensive ones from the bottom tree.)

Indeed, leaving that until later was definitely a mistake, although I noticed that in your save you went for some later techs that weren't entirely necessary, like the warps, engines, lava colonization, (which you could have saved until the desert planet was fully colonized), and missed out on a few key ones like the hyperium, colonial rights, tier 1 dust improvement (can't remeber its name).

Sebbers wrote:
Indeed, leaving that until later was definitely a mistake, although I noticed that in your save you went for some later techs that weren't entirely necessary, like the warps, engines, lava colonization, (which you could have saved until the desert planet was fully colonized), and missed out on a few key ones like the hyperium, colonial rights, tier 1 dust improvement (can't remeber its name).

yeah, now that I think of it going for those was really dumb.

The same:



Pop:15

Food:220

Industry:112

Science:235

Dust:56



Dust total: 182(+51)





~ 15 is the max without duping / exploiting retrofitting transports.



Ok, I'll say this: this was a terrible challenge. You know why?





No, not for the obvious reason. For the reason that it could have been a really nice challenge if you'd made it 45 turns or the planets had been designed better. Why?



Simple: if instead of going for the desert, you could have rushed the lava + epigenetic crop seeding + tax<->dust wasn't broken in alpha 2 [sogettingecstaticissillyeasynow] to get more pop, it would have been an excellent challenge. Hell, if that Ancient Ruin had been a Garden of Eden, it'd have at least been close.



But you can't in 30 turns [Itriedinitially], making this a one solution challenge. ZZZZzz.



Instead, the terran / jungle combo means it's actually incredibly difficult not to get 14 pop simply by building x2 farms and then not researching anything for 30 turns.
Single Planet T30.zip

4x_Fan wrote:
The same:



Pop:15

Food:220

Industry:112

Science:235

Dust:56



Dust total: 182(+51)





~ 15 is the max without duping / exploiting retrofitting transports.



Ok, I'll say this: this was a terrible challenge. You know why?





No, not for the obvious reason. For the reason that it could have been a really nice challenge if you'd made it 45 turns or the planets had been designed better. Why?



Simple: if instead of going for the desert, you could have rushed the lava + epigenetic crop seeding + tax<->dust wasn't broken in alpha 2 [sogettingecstaticissillyeasynow] to get more pop, it would have been an excellent challenge. Hell, if that Ancient Ruin had been a Garden of Eden, it'd have at least been close.



But you can't in 30 turns [Itriedinitially], making this a one solution challenge. ZZZZzz.



Instead, the terran / jungle combo means it's actually incredibly difficult not to get 14 pop simply by building x2 farms and then not researching anything for 30 turns.

in my initial message i did mention that we could go for 60 or 90 turns, which I think we should do as the results are indeed really similar.

Wow, I told you I'd stink at this. My first attempt was:



Population: 7

Food: 40

Industry: 18

Dust: 22

Science: 25



Obviously not worthy of attaching a savegame......



My second attempt resulted in:



Population: 13

Food: 153

Industry: 77

Dust: 47

Science: 284



Dust total: 192 (+43)



I thought it might be worthwhile to attach my savegame for my second attempt in case anyone is interested in looking at it. I vastly improved in my results, I learned a thing or two about ES, and I thoroughly enjoyed the challenge!
SOPHONS - Turn 30craigbic.zip

craigbic wrote:
Wow, I told you I'd stink at this. My first attempt was:



Population: 7

Food: 40

Industry: 18

Dust: 22

Science: 25



Obviously not worthy of attaching a savegame......



My second attempt resulted in:



Population: 13

Food: 153

Industry: 77

Dust: 47

Science: 284



Dust total: 192 (+43)



I thought it might be worthwhile to attach my savegame for my second attempt in case anyone is interested in looking at it. I vastly improved in my results, I learned a thing or two about ES, and I thoroughly enjoyed the challenge!

YES! the challenge actually helped someone to learn! and really nice development btw.

VitunSuoPaska wrote:
YES! the challenge actually helped someone to learn! and really nice development btw.

Thanks! I had a lot of fun with it and it's a good teaching exercise that I'll recommend in my noob group.

ill try this out as soon as i get on my good computer!

If you find this is useful, you may want to join the 30-turn challenge group:

http://forums.amplitude-studios.com/group.php?groupid=80

The group is just a link farm, but there are fun discussions in the threads themselves.

4x_Fan wrote:
Simple: if instead of going for the desert, you could have rushed the lava + epigenetic crop seeding + tax<->dust wasn't broken in alpha 2 [sogettingecstaticissillyeasynow] to get more pop, it would have been an excellent challenge. Hell, if that Ancient Ruin had been a Garden of Eden, it'd have at least been close.



But you can't in 30 turns [Itriedinitially], making this a one solution challenge. ZZZZzz.

Actually, (now) it is possible!



Screenshot:







How I did it:

• I started with the first Food tech to kick off my population growth.
• The first two planets have resources, so I hit those techs next for an early Industry and Science boost, followed by Nonbaryonic Particles.
• After that I beelined Lava colonization. At this point I was making 200+ research a turn with Ind-Sci conversion.
• Finally I beelined Botanical Scanning for the Epigenetic Crop Seeding.
• I stayed at Ecstatic the entire game. In fact, to avoid bankruptcy, I used Ind-Dust conversion rather than go below Ecstatic.
  
  

Not a 100% optimal game (I was a turn late on some tax changes and population assignments), but it can be done. That said, I'm not sure 4 Dust for 6 Food and a turn of construction is the best trade--I just did it because it was said it couldn't be done.
OSC 30.zip