Getting the best odds in planetary attacks

I do pretty much the same thing Mumblefratz... although I like to keep a few troop transports handy just in case the odds aren't in my favor  but overall it seems that the "eyes wide shut" method yields more positive results than actually trying to time my mouse click.

Anyone have any ideas on the best way to optimize your attack odds?

Mass drivers. I don't have a lot of faith in luck, I'd rather drop some large rocks on the planet just to be safe.

In huge galaxies... I started to use mass drivers on low quality planets to reduce the amount of habitable planets in the game.

The AI takes ahuge hit from that. If I want the planet, I use mini-soldiers, and if I want to cripple their economy, I use the tidal wave attack to cleanse the planet.

Mass drivers. I don't have a lot of faith in luck, I'd rather drop some large rocks on the planet just to be safe.

I'm trying to find out if anyone has developed the knack for timing the attack (independent of invasion tactic) or whether random is the best way to go.

As far as which invasion tactic to use I prefer mini-soldiers because it doesn't damage the planet.

On my computer the numbers on the planet invasion advantage spin by so fast there is NO way to try and click on the best ratio...maybe a slower computer would be better ??

I'm trying to find out if anyone has developed the knack for timing the attack (independent of invasion tactic) or whether random is the best way to go.

If we were to post something that gives us the best attack odds in grund attack, somebody from Stardock will disable our spacebar while blowing raspberry at our hard work on the exploit.

On my computer the numbers on the planet invasion advantage spin by so fast there is NO way to try and click on the best ratio...maybe a slower computer would be better ??

Actually my computer is probably as slow as they get, it's a 900Mhz Celeron and you can see the numbers go by fairly easily. However, I think the frames per second you get out of your video card may have more to do with this than computer speed (my GeForce 5500 video card is also probably one of the slowest capable of supporting the game).

With that said perhaps the setup that I have would probably be the best to attempt this on.

If we were to post something that gives us the best attack odds in ground attack, somebody from Stardock will disable our spacebar while blowing raspberry at our hard work on the exploit.

There is a large element of truth in what you say. But it did seem to me that it was set up so that anyone actually trying to time it ends up getting worse odds then just trying to make it random. What I was looking for by asking the question was basically confirmation that random was the best way to go.

Get a soldier bonus in the beginning and stop worrying about it. I hit 40:5 regularly with the soldier bonus. This game is really about building ships and killing your opponents which is why I wish ship building wasn't so expensive.

Randomly hitting it probably as good as anything, and there's a decent chance you are getting slightly better odds, averaged out. Those numbers move fast, and if you're waiting for one you like, you're actually going to get one or two numbers after that one, 'coz you just ain't that fast.

Now if we assume the odds are somewhat evenly spread out (with some variations, of course), we can expect the pattern to be some sort of high-low-high-low wave. If you consistantly miss the high number, you're then (slightly) more likely to hit a low one. If you're just closing your eyes and hitting the button, you've got a pretty even chance one way or the other. Now, I'm sure the odds generator isn't quite that cleanly predictable, but I'm guessing it at least leans that way (remember, the point of most computerized randomizers is to convey the appearance of randomization, rather than to be truly random).

But I'm with Wheeloffire -- I just research all the soldiering techs, so I can hit that button any time I please.

Get a soldier bonus in the beginning and stop worrying about it. I hit 40:5 regularly with the soldier bonus. This game is really about building ships and killing your opponents which is why I wish ship building wasn't so expensive.

I'm not worrying about it, I'm just wondering if folks are seeing the same effect that I am.

I also always max out my soldiering techs and get Tir-Quan training as well. Yes, 40:5 is not unusual but then again with the same number of troops, same soldiering level and same invasion tactics it's not unusual to get 20:5 or even 10:5 if you're particularily unlucky, you can also get 80:5 if particularily lucky. It's not the absolute value of odds that I'm talking about, it's the range of variation in those odds.

Randomly hitting it probably as good as anything, and there's a decent chance you are getting slightly better odds, averaged out. Those numbers move fast, and if you're waiting for one you like, you're actually going to get one or two numbers after that one, 'coz you just ain't that fast.

This is essentially the conclusion that I came to myself that I was looking for other folks opinion to confirm. At this point I consider it confirmed. Thanks.

Odd as this may sound...Since you can't really control anything with the button, I wish it would just go away. I know it conveys the appearance of you having a part in the ground invasion, but your only real choice is the invasion tactics. The button is fluff. Let the computer pick a number with it’s eyes closed. Especially since I sometimes get an odd pause as the computer switches gears after I push the button.

If you're trying to time it to hit the high ones, and you constantly hit the low ones, it stands to reason that if you reverse the process you're much better off.

So my suggestion would be to try and get as low an advantage as possible and you'll end up with a high advantage.... makes sense doesn't it??

If we were to post something that gives us the best attack odds in grund attack, somebody from Stardock will disable our spacebar while blowing raspberry at our hard work on the exploit.

LOL

I generally do pretty good by watching the cycle a bit and then triggering just before I think a good number or series is coming - when I just hit the bar without looking (after getting a feel for the ranges) it doesn't seem to be as good. Doesn't work all the time, of course....

So my suggestion would be to try and get as low an advantage as possible and you'll end up with a high advantage.... makes sense doesn't it??

It seems like a reasonable assumption but I have tried this and it doesn't seem to help. The best I've come up with is close my eyes and hope for random.

I also watch the cycle then try to time a bit ahead of where I really want it stopped. Usually I get pretty good odds, rarely if ever do I get the really crappy ones I see rolling by. I need to try the blind method though, to see which works better. I

Hehe, the results sometimes cause colorful expletives on my part. I try to nail the high numbers, but it's pretty impossible to do it with any regularity. Although, I seem to do better if I try than if I don't.

It's just annoying when you take a 2B transport against a 5B planet so you need odds of 3:1 to be on the safe side and you end up getting 8:1. Then the next planet you have a 2B transport against a 10B planet and you need 5:1 and get 4:1 and fail. You'd like to save your 8:1 rolls for when you really need them. However, this is what luck's all about.

if you get your soldiering all the way up, there's very little chance you'll lose with 4 advanced troop modules

I always look at the numbers changing for a while and try to recognise the lowest being displayed and then the highest. Then I wait for the lowest again and click 'attack'. Because the numbers scroll so fast, by the time I click, the lowest number is long gone and replaced by something higher.

Now I dont always get a really high number doing this but I never get the lowest and this is the reason I do it.

Another thing I tried that didnt last long was to look at the other guys odds and try clicking it to get it really low. The idea being that since mine went between (for example) 20 and 45 and the comp went between 3 and 13, it is way better to get odds of 20:3 than 45:13 (heck even 75:13 is worse!). This method led to disaster too many times...

And whats all this 10:5, 40:5 and 20:5 talk? The comp only gets that low a number in my games when I use mini-soldiers or the like. Otherwise the bad guy usually gets between 5 and 15(-ish).

And whats all this 10:5, 40:5 and 20:5 talk? The comp only gets that low a number in my games when I use mini-soldiers or the like. Otherwise the bad guy usually gets between 5 and 15(-ish).

Actually I almost always use mini-soldiers. It gives me better odds which allows me to invade using less troops without the possibility of damaging the planets PQ. However, I won't use them if the planet has a trade good or wonder that could be destroyed.

If I'm evil and get the wonder that allows free invasion tactics, then I will use it almost every time even if I don't need the better odds so that I preserve my troops and have a higher starting pop once I do capture the planet. If I actually have to pay 500 bc to use the tactic, then I only use it to ensure that I get sufficient odds to capture the planet using a single 2B troop transport, but this is still more often than not.

if you get your soldiering all the way up, there's very little chance you'll lose with 4 advanced troop modules

I use a troop transport with 2 advanced troop modules. It gives me enough troops to take out the AI's 5B planets with a single ship without too much wastage. It also leaves room for a lot of engines, my mid-game transports usually have a speed of 29 and my end-game transports will have a speed of 59. I will sometimes use two transports at a planet and if the troops from the 2nd transport aren't needed you don't lose the ship. But, I usually try to take at least 5 and generally closer to 10 planets (or more) per turn. Even though I start most wars with 100 transports on hand (I play gigantic abundant all galaxies), I often don't have enough transports to dedicate two per planet.

I manage to get decent or good odds most of the time. I try to get the computer number as low as possible but that does not mean clicking when it is displaying a low number. Rather it's a learned thing. Somehow my brain just adjusts and clciks and I can't really tell you how. I do know once in awhile I'll get misserable odds but hey ......

It seems there's a mix of methods in use here. I think there is some opportunity to do better than random by trying to time when you hit the button, but you can as easily get a bit out of sync and do more damage than the possible benefit is worth. For me it’s just too much pressure knowing the lives of your troops are dependent on the outcome.   

"Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown" W. Shakespeare

I have trouble understanding just what the bard is trying to say sometimes... like I can see that a crown would "lay" on the kings head, but the head lies ??? Oh, maybe he means the king is a liar ???

That was a little OT, sorry about that...