Captain Jack Sparrow Captain Jack Sparrow

G.R.O.S.S. communication thread.

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G.R.O.S.S. communication thread.

from Stardock Forums
Cringe in fear do gooders. The G.R.O.S.S. (Get Rid Of Slimy alienS) empire is now formed. In less than an hour we have jumped 95 other Pacifist Doo Gooder victim empires and lept into 40th out of 135 ranked.

We are an evil empire bent on controlling everything and showing all the other empires out there who's boss. US. Are you listening Euro-"Oh lets let everyone be a senator and give em a vote doo gooder democracy alliance?" We come for you.

For a limited time, (untill I decide otherwise) 5 Pure Evil games, (or just impressing me with your game evilness) submitted will get you a Senatorship. Later, being the evil empire pyramid scheme we are, it will take 10. Of course, being the evil empire we are, that gives you no benefits, no pay, but all the alien carnage you crave most.

Now we do realize that sometimes, you just have to fake being good. You sometimes just have to infiltrate that pacifist party. We understand. But we aren't a kinder gentler empire and don't let their pacifism go to your head. And just sometimes, you gotta let the Aliens live (where else would you find slaves for the heavy metal lava mines?)

In the future, we shall update each other in the empire via this thread, brag of our conquests, drink blood wine, and generally just poke fun (creatively and humorously) at those players whom we find to be too goody goodyish.

Our mottos.

G.R.O.S.S. Where being good is merely a temporary strategy.

Just win baby.

Here's your ration of skin you do gooder wimp Drengin slime. Now get back to work

EBZeroMatrix you have been made a senator.

I repeat. Cringe in fear, we come for you.





74,586 views 3,706 replies
Reply #1101 from Stardock Forums Top

Well time to set up some G.R.O.S.S. 4th of July games for the relatives.

Pin the Pipe Bomb on the Arcean.
Their fave is the one where you stand on the ladder and drop the rock salt into the container of Torians. Oh the joy of fizz.
Oh and Tie the Altarian to the skyrocket always draws ooooos and Ahhhhs.
And the kids just love to show off who can reprogram a Yor to be a toaster the quickest.
Ahhhhhhh wholesome entertainment.


And who could forget. It just wouldn't be a picnic without Kentucky fried Drengin. Gonna split awhile and see if I can get this game in today.
Reply #1102 from Stardock Forums Top
Pontius, thanks for the heads up on making sure my tech spending is above 0 if I bankrupt everyone else. Hopefully they will get this fixed in future updates.

~D
Curtains - Customize Windows with additional styles
Reply #1103 from Stardock Forums Top
I disagree with the Technician Theory of the Metaverse: deliberately playing way below your skill all the time to have faster, easier games. If tough is my best skill level, I had better be playing nothing less than challenging unless some new patch makes me relearn some rules. But that is more like a personal honor code of mine.
Reply #1104 from Stardock Forums Top
Unfortunately, I still suck at this game. Royally. I've yet to win a game with everything at normal, and the game i'm on right now isn't looking to promising. I knocked out every alien except the Dredgin, and now i'm getting my a** handed to me. Oh well, I'll keep trying at this difficulty until I get it mastered, which may take a while. I'm still in awe of those of you able to win at Maso levels. I keep wondering what the hell i'm doing wrong, but I still look to a few months ago when I couldn't even win at the simplest settings, so at least i've progressed a little.

~D
Reply #1105 from Stardock Forums Top
Here's my starategy for those interested:

Settings:
-Small galaxy
-Univeralist Party
-Abundant habitable planets
- +2 speed, +2 sensors
-All victory conditions off
-All AI's on sub-normal, overall difficulty, beginner
-Ctrl+n till I get a map where my home planet is within, or right next to a bunch of clusters of stars

I colony rush at the beginning. I take my available colony ship and colonize the nearest star and build a colony ship there. Back on my home planet I build one scout, and then switch it back to a colony ship.

-Spending 100%
-Tax 50%
-Military 99%, social 0%, tech 1% (I have to keep tech at least at 1% or my game crashes, I'll explain later)

After the colony rush, my scout was already off on scouring the edge of the map to find resources. At this time after the colony rush I swap out all colony ships for constructors. During this time I will hit the -500 BC's. I then lower spending to compensate and press onto buildding constructors to get resources as my scout is out finishing up its exploration.

-Spending 100%-30%
-Tax 50%
-Military 99%, social 0%, tech 1%

After all available resources have been taken, I disband my scout and drop my military production to 0% and have tech. to 100%, I also set my tech. tree to months left (lowest to highest). I start researching techs until I get about 7-10 techs.

-Spending 20%-40%
-Tax 50%
-Military 0%, social 0%, tech 100%

After I have accumulated the techs. I then talk to every race, major and minor, and sell all of my techs. 100 BCs/the maximum allowable amount of months. I do this for every major and minor. After that I then have enough money to increase spending.

-Spending 100%
-Tax 50%
-Military 0%, social 0%, tech 100%

Now that spending is at 100%, I can easily fly through many techs. in less than 1 month. I just jam the turn button till I come up on a tech. that takes 1 month to research. Then I go back and sell my techs again to all alien races at 100 BC's/the maximum allowable amount of months. Afterwards, I go back to researching till I reach manufacturing capital. After I researched manufacturing capital I then switch all tech. to social production. I queue my social govenor list as follows:

Soil Enhancment
Habitat Improvement
Manufacturing Center
Fusion Powerplant
Anti-matter power plant (if available at the time)
Banking Center
Entertainment Network
Embassy
News Network
Research Lab
Shipyard
Multimedia Center
Etc...

-Spending 100%
-Tax 50%
-Military 0%, social 99%, tech 1%

I take my highest PQ planet and only build the first 4 (5), thats on my social govenor list. After that I will build a Economic Capital and then a Manufacturing Capital. Then on that same planet, I will then build all the trade goods and wonders, while the rest of the planets are build the govenor's queue.

-Spending 100%
-Tax 50%
-Military 0%, social 99%, tech 1%

After all planets have completed the social queue (including my highest PQ planet) I then switch social with tech. and research more techs.

-Spending 100%
-Tax 50%
-Military 0%, social 0%, tech 100%

I research more techs. then sell them again for 100 BC's/the maximum allowable amount of months.

Lather, rinse, repeat.

Later on in the strategy you can play with the 100 BC's to see if you can increase it, considering that you can get the maximum allowable amount of months to 50. This strategy will force every AI, major and minor, to go broke, and in fact to the point where none of them can research, build, or even make any ships. This way you can get every wonder and trade good and no one else can build them.

Under this strategy I can finish a game less than 1 hour.

During late game I have found that planets will defect to me, on a massvie galactic scale, and that I cannot research the full tech. tree because the majors defect too quickly (but I do get close).

Elaborating on why I keep research at least to 1% is because my game will crash if there are no civs (including mine) not spending any BC's on research. This is a bug and it will help to keep research at 1% so that at least one civ. is spending money on research. The only problem I have found is that if I research all techs. then well, I'm kinda screwed, so I save often and re-load as necessary. Cari has explained to me that she has fixed the problem and that hopefully it will be updated when the first beta expansion pack comes out (which is next week for all of you drengin.net subscribers).
[Message Edited]
Reply #1107 from Stardock Forums Top
Dragoon 1293: To join GROSS go to the top empires page of the metaverse and click on GROSS. This will take you to the empire page. From here you need only press the 'join empire' button at the bottom of the page.
Reply #1108 from Stardock Forums Top
I disagree with the Technician Theory of the Metaverse: deliberately playing way below your skill all the time to have faster, easier games. If tough is my best skill level, I had better be playing nothing less than challenging unless some new patch makes me relearn some rules. But that is more like a personal honor code of mine.
End of quote


I play at painful That's about where I should be. But if easy or normal is where one should be, then by all means they should maximize their efforts how ever they can. I don't think anyone is sandbaggin.
Reply #1109 from Stardock Forums Top
Also, It seems so easy for us to say "Well do what I do. Why are you still down on that level? Sandbagger." But I, and most of us, still cannot duplicate Staffa's 22k bomb on maso even though he gave the exact steps.

Reply #1110 from Stardock Forums Top
Also, It seems so easy for us to say "Well do what I do. Why are you still down on that level? Sandbagger."
End of quote


True, but I was stating a personal opinion and not making any declaration that one has to play at a harder level. Stating what my standards are and imposing them on others are entirely two separate things. Whatever gets results, that is the GROSS way, afterall.
Reply #1112 from Stardock Forums Top
I disagree with the Technician Theory of the Metaverse: deliberately playing way below your skill all the time to have faster, easier games
End of quote


I ws just driving by quickly to check out the state of play when I came across this issue. Are people really doing this? Is EB sitting down for days at a time just pushing through beginner/small map after map, even though he is doubtless capable of playing at a much higher level? And does Technician (who I don't know) do the same?

Also, It seems so easy for us to say "Well do what I do. Why are you still down on that level? Sandbagger." But I, and most of us, still cannot duplicate Staffa's 22k bomb on maso even though he gave the exact steps.
End of quote


Not being able to win at maso (I can't either) is surely not the same thing? If this is the tactic employed, GROSS will forever be at the top of the table, although it seems to make a complete mockery of the system. You might also hire a couple of school kids to spend a week of their holidays doing nothing but submitting cakewalk/gigantics. I agree with Ray when he concluded the current system rewards commitment above skill, but this process does not even seem....sporting.

Whatever gets results, that is the GROSS way, afterall
End of quote


Yeah...and I'm happy to join in the Jolly Roger fun, stirring, banter, whatever and all....but some part of me finds this a bit too far. The ANZAC Empire will never be up in first place - we're too laid back, in the end - but I'll be paying even less attention to the Metaverse ladder from now on. I'm afraid I won't acknowledge being OWNED by anyone any more, either - these tactics don't support the notion of OWNAGE in my book.

I'm sorry if this comes over a bit heavy, maybe I'm tired (it's late here in Oz)...but had to get it off my chest.
Reply #1113 from Stardock Forums Top
OK Wombat Several points here.

1. The assumption that EB "Can" play at higher levels is not in evidence.

I had to completely change several strategies as I moved up. I had to adopt new and drop others b/c they just didn't work any more. I'm giving him strategies that at his level will help him score a bit better (indeed it is he that figured out he could still play fast) As he gets his strategies down, he'll move up a skill level. But that decision is up to him. It's his game. His fun.

Only EB knows for sure whether he "Can" play at a higher level. So lets not be so presumptuous as to eb's skill level for him. Lets not dictate what eb should think is honorable and fun. THIS IS A GAME. AS LONG AS HE ISN'T MODDING THE SCORE MODULE IN THE GAME, OR MODDING THE FEATURES SUCH THAT SCORES ARE INCREASED HE IS WITHIN THE RULES AND THEREFORE, "HONORABLE"

2. I think all of us, EB included, tend to play at a level that is comfortable and fun for us. And like it or not, this game is about fun. So I absolutely have no problem with that even though it looks like I will be eb's next victim on the score charts.

3. Eb has the new beta now which is quite a bit harder. Monsters are baaaaak with a vengeance

4. When... Oh when will we get it out of our heads that this metaverse is about skill (skill being always defined as the level and way the person making the argument chooses to play, And by corrolary that anyone playing below my skill level is sandbaggina and by definition should score tons worse than me even with twice or 3 times the # of games in.

5. There is no "G.R.O.S.S." way to play the game. I try to give people pointers not that work for me, but what I think will work for them. So the implication that we make a mockery of things as a group due to a "G.R.O.S.S." method is ludicrous.

6. I will not apologize for being the leader of the finest, fun loving group of players in the metaverse. I didn't apologize for it when we started out as two people in 41st place, I won't apologize for it now that we have 30+ and are in 1st.
[Message Edited]
Reply #1114 from Stardock Forums Top


Only EB knows for sure whether he "Can" play at a higher level. So lets not be so presumptuous as to eb's skill level for him. Lets not dictate what eb should think is honorable and fun. THIS IS A GAME. AS LONG AS HE ISN'T MODDING THE SCORE MODULE IN THE GAME, OR MODDING THE FEATURES SUCH THAT SCORES ARE INCREASED HE IS WITHIN THE RULES AND THEREFORE, "HONORABLE"
End of quote



Sorry, this should read "lets not be so presumptuous as to define eb's skill level for him."

Reply #1115 from Stardock Forums Top
Thanks Pontius. Yes, I probably could play at a higher difficulty, and if you look at my scores I have a couple of normal difficulties there.

I play at a level that FUN for me. I'm not playing to see how many masochistic games, or even to see how many games I can pump out in one day. I love the game, entirely, in fact I rarley ever play anything else. So think about it Wombat, yes, I am going to be playing a lot of GalCiv...

...get used to it.
Reply #1118 from Stardock Forums Top
I'm working on that with Brad at the moment, hopefully it'll be fixed soon. There's that, and then the last 3 games I submitted hasn't shown up. Today I'll try again to see if I can get some more games in.
Reply #1120 from Stardock Forums Top
Arrrrrgghhh!!!

Okay, so I'm thinkin' to myself yesterday - "Self, start a Gigantic-Normal game and go for Beyond Human... should get you a TON of points for G.R.O.S.S. over the 4th of July."

So, being ever so wise in listening to myself, I did just that. And finished it moments ago. Only to find that, despite my absolute and total dominance over the Gigantic galaxy, my Metaverse score was lower than a typical Medium-Normal galaxy where I win by Military Conquest.

{tears hair out - what's left, that is}

Ah well, I guess it's back to my 'usual' games... they're more fun anyway. I found the last hour or so of the Beyond Human victory to be dull and pointless.
Reply #1122 from Stardock Forums Top
In Triplicate, I tell you!

(For those of you wondering, my original post got stuck up here two more times thanks to an internal error on the website. The feeding of Threadzilla was completely coincidental.)
[Message Edited]
Reply #1123 from Stardock Forums Top
Considering that a lot of people are going to be overeating today, sixtoes, I think Theadzilla can handle a few extra calories.

Besides, the ANZAC and White Council threads are getting to be of respectable size in their own rights.
Reply #1124 from Stardock Forums Top
Alright, I'm back in the metaverse, along with those two games I submitted that didn't go through. I guess I had to re-register under the metaverse, and then register in the metaverse again under my new Drengin.net ID number.