Workshops and Labs

[PhoenixD]

ORIGINAL: The Gnome

The frustrating thing about those mechs is when you are pelting them with shots and they just turn and one shot kill a team member.

Sometimes I have the perfect ambush setup: I'm defilade, all my troopers have sufficient AP and LOS, the mech walks in and takes numerous hits and he just turns and one shots someone dead. Sigh.

A perfect ambush is not perfect if it involves insufficient firepower.

[The Gnome]

LOL true enough, problem is I do not have sufficient firepower to completely take something out before it gets a shot or two off. Not consistently anyway.

I generally forgo the AFV and land a 10 man platoon down. Just about everyone is wearing Bee Keeper Armor. I try break it into 2 man fire teams, loosely grouped into squads:

*Force HQ - I like to use this somewhere between, First and Second Squads. I like to keep it in good position to back up either squad.
Senior NCO: Plasma Rifle, Ammo, Nerve Gas Grenade, Stun Grenade, Plasma Grenades, Extra Rockets, Stim Pack
Junior NCO: Rocket Launcher, extra rockets (mix of stun and explosive), plasma pistol, extra ammo, stun grenades, nerve gas grenade, defensive grenade, Stim pack

*First Squad
NCO - Plasma Rifle, Ammo, Nerve Gas Grenade, Stun Grenade, Plasma/defensive Grenades, Medikit, Stim pack
Pvt - Laser Rifle, Ammo, Nerve Gas Grenade, Stun Grenade, defensive Grenades, Medikit, Stim pack

NCO - Laser Rifle, Ammo, Nerve Gas Grenade, Stun Grenade, Plasma/defensive Grenades, Medikit, Stim pack
Pvt - Assault Rifle, Ammo, Nerve Gas Grenade, Stun Grenade, defensive Grenades, Medikit, Stim pack

*Second Squad
NCO - Plasma Rifle, Ammo, Nerve Gas Grenade, Stun Grenade, Plasma/defensive Grenades, Medikit, Stim pack
Pvt - Laser Rifle, Ammo, Nerve Gas Grenade, Stun Grenade, defensive Grenades, Medikit, Stim pack

NCO - Combat Shotgun, Ammo, Nerve Gas Grenade, Stun Grenade, Plasma/defensive Grenades, Medikit, Stim pack
Pvt - Assault Rifle, Ammo, Nerve Gas Grenade, Stun Grenade, defensive Grenades, Medikit, Stim pack

[dbt1949_slith]

Still using projectile weapons? You've got more guts than me.
Plasmas and lasers don't seem to do much damage to the mechs and I haven't even thought about going back to rifles and shotguns. I have progressed to the (what I think are) the ultimate weapons.
I'm finally able to shoot down battlecruisers instead of waiting for them to land and then assaulting.
I need to capture more commanders to advance now. So far I've only captured three and now I'm making a top priority of capturing commanders.
I still don't have an advanced workshop. I don't think. Maybe I should go and check again.

[The Gnome]

I have often one shot killed the snakes with combat shotguns, and it very well be my imagination but the snakes also seem resistant to energy weapons.

The assault rifles remain as an artifact from when I had a shortage of laser rifles. The only folks who got them had the better accuracies.

Now though, I'm thinking the projectile weapons to a better job against certain types of critters.

[LitFuel]

Actually I would find that to be a cool feature if it wasn't so linear with regard to weapons. It would be nice if certain weapons were only effective against certain aliens...and you had to learn what was what as you went through the game. It would make you have to think about what to bring and have an unknown factor. Also, if at first aliens were vulnerable to certain weapons but would adapt so you had to change as well. Basically, It would be nice if your older weapons retained some use even in late game.

I'm not sure how many have watched Stargate SG1, but I remember that the goa'uld had force fields that blocked high tech weapons but then O'Neil could throw a knife through them

[dbt1949_slith]

Oddly, I just watch that episode a couple of days ago.
All the aliens seem to be vulnerable to a certain or more than one if your lucky. But as you pointed out rifles and shotguns don't do well against the mechs.

[Wiz33]

You'll need multiple lab and workshop through the game. The key is to get them without wrecking your income. You need a second lab ASAP as there are a lot of thing to research. and start a second workshop when you are close to getting laser. Make sure you get one of the mods that correct the Laser ammo price back to $600 instead of $3600 (which is totally wrong). I stay at 2 lap 2 workshop till I got advanced lab, I build one advance lab and I sold one of the regular and then later on I build another advanced lab and sold the other regular lab. As I sell the regular lab I replace them with workshops (as it take longer to get to advanced workshop, at least in my case) as you now need increased building capacity to build the new interceptors and armours at a good rate. I did the same when advanced workshop becomes available and I eventually ended with 2 of each around mid 2109.
 
 

[GalacticOrigins]

Actually, I take it slow. I stick with 1 regular Lab most of the first year. The program KNOWS when you have run out of stuff to research and thus it gets harder. I am still fighting early aliens and it is now 1 DEC. With an AD Lab the costs go WAY UP, and on Hard Difficulty I am clearing 40k after expenses. I have 1 Lab and 2 Workshops. On Normal difficulty I had money to burn, but not on Hard. Sure, I can sell off artefacts, but that is not a viable long-term financial desire.
 
I remember the previous game, I tech-jumped fast. Certain aliens stopped showing up and the game was a little harder a little faster. I had Type 3 enemy ships in April that time. This time, they have just started showing up in numbers as of November (had about 1 a month for last few months). Also, I stopped running into Hallies when I had a few defenses against them. Currently they show up a lot, which is fun ('cause later they won't show much!) This game is well-designed in that if a player is struggling it gives the player a chance. Not that I am struggling, but just taking things slow.

[myron]

Is there any way to rotate advance labs and workshops in order to get them to fit in two slots that are up an down?

[GalacticOrigins]

ORIGINAL: myron

Is there any way to rotate advance labs and workshops in order to get them to fit in two slots that are up an down?

Not that I know of. Maybe someone else knows, tho.

[PDiFolco]

Hello,
What's a good strategy regarding Labs & Workshops in early game ? I've quickly built another Lab in Jan, then a 2nd workshop in Feb as soon as I had Medkits & Lasers to produce, but it seems it hurts my finances big time (Labs particularly). Maybe I could have waited some more ...

[dbt1949_slith]

I build a lab and another workshop right away. The next month I build another workshop and by this time an advanced workshop.(after building the advanced lab I close the other two down) I don't have more than 30 lab workers but can never have enough workshop workers.
This game I didn't go with lasers except for making one heavy support laser and ammo. And I don't think it's hurt me one bit. Especially as I'm researching plasma now.
Remember, grenades are your friends.