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WIZZARD's Power Words for Pax Imperia II
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After "Dungeon Keeper" - the second Power Words are about the strategy game
"Pax Imperia II" (These PWs are released 4.1.1998, after playing this game for several
days. Thanx to Andreas for hardware). This game is ... let`s say very similar to "Master
of Orion II". If you've played that before it is not too difficult to start your
own Empire. The realtime-mode is not too bad, slow it down at the beginning
or in important phases. For those who never saw Orion: you can create your own
galactic empire with colonizing planets, doing research, conquering worlds
and managing your empire. It is a complex strategic and economic simulation
where you often have to think about all aspects at once, in short- and longterm-
plans. I played only the German version, so I am not shure about some original
names. By the way, the German translation of this game has many funny or
just stupid mistakes. (ever seen "Schlitze" in a spaceship? ;-).
Here is one strategy (there are many ways to win) and some common tips:
- I don`t play custom races. My created race are the Elarians. They are a
proud race of scientists (science +5 in the attributes) and constructors
(construction +5) of mighty spacefleets. Doing Spionage or sabotage is against
their honor (spionage -5). They don`t need that because of their superior
technologigal knowledge (weapons, shield, ship & colonial research "high+1").
Alcyone, the home planet of the Quantum Empire is well kown for its great cities
and impressive buildings, for the Elarians are a rich race (finace +1).
- Staring your empire: better test your staring position. If you have many
opponents, check out that no one is directly nearby. Start on the edge of the map.
Important is to find several green planets (very fast population growth) in
range of the start-position. Build at once another transporter and send the
other off at once (Speed = 0). The research should go 100% on research
buildings (750 points, 3750 points) & then on construction. Build these
buildings very fast on your planet & start all yur new planets with research.
This is a very important phase. After some time (hope to have no encounter yet)
you can start researching some weapons & shields & basic spaceship equipment
like fast tactical engines. But do most research on weapons & shields at
the beginning for they are the most important at that time. When you have some
destroyers (don't resesarch or use rockets -> trash) you should research very
fast for better colonizing units (Class C). Never build a ship with old
weapons when you found new technology, e.g. the waveshield.
- The Elarians don`t like spionage, so don`t pay any money for it (0%).
- Planets: at the beginning is finding & chosing the right planets very
important. Green is top, best with high wealth, orange is OK when having
more than 10 population with at least 3 wealth. Don't build colonies on
red planets in the beginning, they have no population growth. This
and efficient research are the keys for your superiority in the
virtual galaxy.
- When you found in the beginning of your game a green planet with a high
wealth & population then start with building buildings and later with a wharf in
the orbit to build fast transporters for more colonisation.
- Research in mid-game: try to skip useless things like the tactical drives
with defense bonus (takes too long to research). I don't research any warpdrives
for more than 2 jump range, because I never needed them. But: to get the
biggest ship fast you need to research the neutronium (in the field of
shields) and some other warp-engines & fundamental research. Try fast to
develop the biggest ships. While waiting for research (Speed = 5) don't forget to
look from time to time after your colonies that they always buld what you want.
- Computer-research: very stupid. Never stressed on a special field like ("How do I
get the best shield in the galaxy?"), it just goes through all topics with 750 points, then
all with 3750 and so on. The Elarians are much more effective.
- Computer-constructing: again stupid. You should be more clever & specialize
planets for research, finance-centers (many of them in the mid-game to finance
your future fleets!) or planets with fast contructing. Don't build some constructing
buildings at the beginning, time is too short, just start directly with science or
finace. Don't ever build a spionage-building (in this partuculary strategy).
- Weapons-research: don't waste any time on rockets and do not research at the
beginning too much in planetary bombs (firestorm is quite enough). But get fast
some good long-range weapons (Durg-Cannon) and then some nice mid-range weapons.
- Research in Space: don't waste many points here at the beginning. A c-class
colonizer is important and a level-3 wharf is good, but here are not too many
important things. But in the mid-game you will encounter intelligent mines.
To get rid of them research the mines & then the anti-mine-ship and build it in
your bigger ships. Later, you might encounter mines this ship can`t see & so
you must research better mines & the better anti-mine-ship.
- The Elarians conquer other worlds & protect these with their fleets which
guard their systems (the guarding-symbol). They don't ever need a planetary
defense system, because parts their fleets (two ships) always protect their
systems at the border to other territory. They are smart enough not to fight
at too many places of the galaxy at once, they first finish a branch off &
then go to another. Because of their superior technology theyr ships
win nearly every battle.
- And the computer can play very stupid, he has only three little spaceships,
notices my big fleet & declares war. Talking about stupidity: the computer is not bad
at automatic fighting, but has difficulties with good moving big fleets. Sometimes
you have to move your ships to the right position & click again on automatic
fight.
- Cracking the planetary defense system: can be difficult with even very modern
ships, so take at least four big ones (4000) and some medium ships (2000) to
attack a system with mines, rockets and battlestation.
- In the later mid-game you should start to research good fighters. The Elarians
don`t have any problems fighting their opponent fleets, but have to be careful
about fighter pods & battlestations on other planets. Now you should fast research
all fighters & develop a carrier-ship with some weapons, but mostly eagles & co.
- Talking about weapons: the Elarians never use weapons on the left or right side
on their ships, they attack always from the front, for they never flee. Weapons for
the front are: long-range like gauss cannon and mid-range weapons like the quantum
torpedoes. Important especially for attacking mined systems are the point-weapons
for the around-defense of the ship. Here you should place mostly mid-range or
short-range heavy weapons, but many different ones. Don't let the computer automatically
equip your ship!
- The computer places two fighting fleets in far-weapon-range. But it is better
to move your ships very near to the enemy fleet & then switch back to automatic
fight. Then the heavy short-range weapon can be used. With this tactics, the Elarians
destroy ever four times bigger fleets.
- Attacking heavily guarded systems: the others launch their fighters and
they come near, your fleet starts. Then press the stop-automatic-button and
wait for your fleet destroying the fighters. Then start to attack the mines
and the battlestation. With this easy tactics you save a lot of ships.
- In the mid-game you`ve got many nice planets (I hope for you), so you should
look from time to time to find the best administrator for the fields like ship
construction or research. This brings much more points, often 10%,
- Damage: in Pax Imperia II, the ships don`t just have hitpoints going to zero
when being attacked, the enemy attacks can damage important systems as
tactical engines (no moving), weapons or warp-engines. If your fleet doesn`t
move or go through the wormhole, try to find out which ship is damaged and
scrap it.
- Moving your damaged ships back to a construction bay repairs them faster. You
should research fast the repairing-drone. For fast Hit Recovery (reminds me on
Diablo...), put two reairing drones in one ship.
- You will see that having a good fleet will be expensive: after the first research
& colonizing phase start with building specialized finance worlds. When having
the class-C colonizer, you should also colonize on red worlds if they are rich
(at least x4). This is a good trick to get many money, because you have five
million colonists at once on this planet.
- In the end-game (I think you came so far ;-) your empire should attack the
strongest opponent & build many tranceporters and move the front of your systems
through the galaxy. With the InfiniShield(tm) and the Corona (great weapon)
you can easily destroy any planetary defense system. But in the rush of building
a big fleet look from time to time if you have enough money to finace it.
If not, scrap the oldest and most damaged ships in the fleet menu. During the
end-game, the Elarians have enough research points, so they only build
finance worlds (change switch to "finance").
- When playing against 15 computer opponents, you will see they mostly work
all together against you, even do research together! But no problem - the superior
Quantum Empire of the Elarians win all battles.
Now start your empire and colonize the galaxy. Good luck.
