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  11I. The Cyborg  
  11J. The Crystal Confederation  
THE CYBORG (RACE 6) STRATEGY GUIDE(S):  
 
  The Borg   
  by Derek J. Kalweit  
  ________________________________________  
  Contents:   
  1.0 Introduction   
  2.0 Pros and Cons of playing the Borg   
  3.0 Ships   
  4.0 Colonizing  
  5.0 Planet Management   
  5.1 Planets near homeworld/starbase   
  5.2 Planets on hostile borders   
  5.3 Planets in enemy territory   
  6.0 Chunneling   
  7.0 Battles   
  7.1 Basics   
  7.2 What ships should I use?   
  7.21 How should I arm my ships?   
  7.22 What engines should I use?   
  7.23 What should I carry in my ships?  
  7.24 How should I fly my ships?   
  7.3 How should I strike?   
  8.0 What allies should I make?   
  9.0 How should I deal with my enemies?   
  9.1 Dealing with the Feds   
  9.2 Dealing with the Lizards   
  9.3 Dealing with the Bird Men   
  9.4 Dealing with the Fascists   
  9.5 Dealing with the Privateers   
  9.6 Dealing with the Crystal People   
  9.7 Dealing with the Evil Empire   
  9.8 Dealing with the Robots   
  9.9 Dealing with the Rebels   
  9.10 Dealing with the Colonies   
  10.0 Minefields  
  ====================================================================   
  1.0 Introduction   
  The Borg are one of the most challenging races in VGA Planets to play. Many newbies make the mistake of trying to play t  
  hem to early, and fail horribly, and never play the race again. Boy, are they missing out! As long as you go into playing the   
  race with the tactical knowledge and experience required, they are one of the most rewarding races in the game to play! The   
  only down-side, is in most games, they can take a VERY long time to play a turn-- at turn #30 in a game I was hosting with 3   
  other humans(the rest computer-controlled), my turns were taking over 2 HOURS EACH!!! And at a minimum of 1 turn   
  per day, it was eating my time up! So first of all, if you'd like to master the Borg-- or even just play them respectfully, be sure   
  you have plenty of time to play your turns! Second, be sure to play another race first-- the Borg is NOT a newbie race by   
  ANY stretch of the imagination. And lastly, have a calculator nearby-- it greatly decreases the time you spend with your   
  turn. I normally use VGA Planets Assistant, so some tactics require, or work best with this program(available on my web   
  site, listed at the bottom).  
  With this guide, I will expect you to have a decent understanding of VGA Planets in general-- if you haven't read other   
  generic guides-- or even the documentation--go find some, and then come back to this one when you're done.. I'm writing   
  this guide, because there is such a lack of Borg information out there. And not because there's a lack of Borg players, either--   
  they simply don't want to give away their well-kept secrets. I'm a little more willing to share my knowledge of this   
  wonderful race, as I enjoy playing ALL races(except maybe the Colonies, but I haven't really given them much of a chance),   
  and not just the Borg. Not to mention VGA Planets 4.0 will be out this year, and this information will be almost useless,   
  most likely. <G> Most of the information in this guide is self-taught through experience in local(against Dominate), and   
  self-hosted games(with buddies of mine). Some tactics I have not actually done, but there's absolutely no way they can be   
  wrong. <G> Of course this is all just my rambling-take it or leave it. :)  
  ====================================================================   
  2.0 Pros and Cons of playing the Borg   
  The Borg are VERY week early on in the game. They can easily be exterminated, but if they are, they must be FULLY   
  exterminated, or they will grow just as large again with their assimilation-I know of a case, where a Borg player escaped with   
  nothing but a probe, and he ended up winning the game! Their cubes are some of the best ships in the game, but are VERY   
  expensive-- in Moly especially. They are NOT an easy race to play, and will take much of your time each day(or however   
  often you play your turns). They are, however, one of the most rewarding races to play, when played right.  
  ====================================================================   
  3.0 Ships  
  SDSF: Actually this ship is probably more useful to the Borg than to ANY other race! You don't need to take lots of   
  colonists with you to colonize worlds, so just send off a few SDSFs and drop a few clans and supplies(except on Bovinoid   
  planets) here and there(I use 40 supplies and 30 colonists on each SDSF), and go on to the next planet, and before you know   
  it, those planets will have LOTS of colonists on them. And as with most Borg colonizing freighters, they rarely must return   
  home-- just pick more colonists/supplies up at an assimilated world. <G>  
  B200 Probe: You should build a lot of these to hyperjump to nearby planets for scouting, and to build outposts-these   
  outposts can grow huge in no time with your assimilation. I put 8 supplies and 7 colonists on these, and drop all on any   
  native world, and 1 colonist only on a planet with no natives, beam up fuel(mission-- there's usually enough), and HYP to   
  another at exactly 350LYs away(340-360LYs using recent hosts).  
  Watcher Scout: I rarely build these ships. Pretty useful-- possibly escorts for MDSFs if a cloaker is picking them off.  
  B41 Explorer: This is a decent armed transport, however it has a very low mass and won't hold up against any torp ships.  
  Iron Slave: This is a completely useless ship-- not only useless to the Borg, but useless to ALL races. It has only two fighter   
  bays which can't launch enough fighters to take out most medium ships, and a small cargo capacity which is useless for most   
  purposes. Don't build these!  
  MDSF: This is just the size when freighters start to become useful to other races, and even MORE useful for the Borg. Use   
  these for colonizing mostly(why waste a LDSF for colonizing when you can use these?). This is at about the size that an   
  enemy(especially a cloaker in your space) would struggle with the decision-- "should I leave it alone, or is it worth showing   
  him I'm here." Most of the time, at least for me, when I'm playing a cloaking race, they'll decide to leave it alone-- however   
  with an LDSF, they'll usually choose to go for it.  
  B222 Destroyer: These are quite useful for base defense-- 7 beams are GREAT for burning fighters off carriers. Not useful for much else, though.  
  Quietus Cruiser: This is a useful ship as well. Can be used as both armored transport and fuel carrier. Will stand up fairly   
  well against most scouts, due to it's torpedo tube-- use mark4 or mark7.  
  LDSF: This is the PERFECT ship for mineral trucks. Truck your minerals from nearby planets in the early game, and then   
  later, once you have decent planets elsewhere, build some LDSFs with low engines(tech 4-6 or so), and chunnel them around--   
  you can move GREAT amounts of minerals in almost no time using only 50KTs of fuel(each way)! Great for stripping   
  planets of minerals AND fuel(600 KT of fuel each!).   
  Firecloud: This is your most useful ship, PERIOD. It allows your ships to move farther, faster, and better than ANY   
  OTHER SHIP IN THE GAME! With this ship you can chunnel minerals and money around for a better economy, chunnel   
  battle fleets to any other firecloud on the map, etc. Definitely your most useful ship don't sell this ship, or let it be captured   
  if you can help it. Offer services only, if you need the money(you shouldn't need money you should have plenty).   
  ONLY give/trade these to trusted FULL allies.  
  Biocide: One of the most feared ships in the game. This is your cube ship that launches fighters. Not very economical to use,   
  however, unless you have an ally where you can get free fighters, or you've met the ship limit, and your ships have to survive   
  longer, or you won't be able to build another. Great for stripping fuel off planets when your enemy is advancing(retreat   
  with the fuel-- burn up as much as you can of it, as then your enemy can't use it).  
  Refinery: This is the fuel refinery-- load half supplies, and half minerals onto the ship, and you have that much fuel the next   
  turn. I find I rarely have a fuel problem when fireclouds move my huge fleets most of the way, and my economy is in full   
  swing(early if you're lucky to have nearby natives).  
  STSF: Super Transport Freighter-- too big for most purposes. You could use these instead of LDSFs for chunnel harvesting,   
  but it's not recommended, as you must build them on tech 10 hull star bases(most of your starbases only need to be tech 6 hull).  
  Annihilations: These are your cubes with torpedo tubes. These are DEFINITLY your best ships, but require massive   
  minerals to build(especially Molybdenum). Outfit these with high-tech beams, and decent tubes-- preferably mark 4 in the   
  early game, and mark 7 or 8 later on. Build your torpedoes on mineral-rich planets with the mkt friendly code-- NOT your   
  homeworld-- you need those minerals for more ships.  
  Alchemy: I find this ship useful in mineral-poor games, as you need a lot of Moly. Don't build one until you absolutely NEED one.  
  ====================================================================   
  4.0 Colonizing  
  The first rule of colonizing with the Borg, is don't bring to many colonists! Filling your freighters up with mostly colonists   
  is something that the other races must do, but you don't need to do. Instead, fill it roughly evenly with supplies. This will   
  allow your colonies to start out faster than other race's colonies. On worlds with no natives, drop 1 clan, and head on to   
  You should rarely, if ever, need to return to your homeworld with a colonizer. If you run out of colonists, just back-track a  another. This gives you a higher score, so it's easier to bluff that you're better off than your neighbors.  
  little, until you come upon one of your assimilated worlds, and grab more colonists/supplies. Then take another route of un-  
  colonized planets, colonizing them along the way. In this manner, you can colonize MUCH faster than most other races.  
  Once you colonize a planet, tax the natives to the maximum that you can for that amount of colonists. There comes to be a   
  point, where you must use a calculator(or spend hours doing this for each planet with natives!). Multiply your colonists by 2,   
  and continue doing so, until you get to the number of natives currently on the planets(or just over)-- then subtract 1, and you   
  know the amount of turns it will take before the world is completely colonized. Now look at the happiness rating. By the   
  last turn you have natives on the planet, you should be down to 40 happiness points(on the virge of rioting). Therefore, look   
  at the current happiness points(say, 94), then subtract 40(54), and then divide the number of turns into the number of   
  happiness points you just came up with(difference from current and 40). Then set the tax rate so that it subtracts that many   
  happiness points from the natives each turn. By the time you get to 40, you'll have so few natives, they will be completely   
  gone the next turn, and therefore won't riot no matter what the tax rate is(but you won't get the $$$ either).  
  With all these colonists, you don't have to worry about them growing on top of that, so go ahead and tax your colonists. On   
  worlds they will die(arctic and desert), tax them so their happiness points will go down as well never down lower than 50 or   
  so though, as the slightest military presence, battle, or such at the planet will throw them into rioting. On your HW,   
  however, you can leave your tax rate at 0%. This will allow you to build the maximum amount of mines and factories(don't   
  worry about defense-- your HW is quite useless past turn 20 or so, other than building ships). Be sure to chunnel/HYP in   
  money from assimilated worlds that won't make good candidates for starbases themselves. You should always have TONS of   
  money on your HW-- 10-20 thousand MC's minimum.  
  On outposts in enemy territory(or within scanning distance of such), try not to build any factories until you can cover them   
  with defense posts as well. Hard to do except on Bovinoid planets, but it'll make your outpost very hard to detect, and by   
  the time they find it, it will be able to defend itself pretty well.  
  ====================================================================   
  5.0 Planet Management  
  This is where the loads of time comes in(as well as with happiness point calculations mentioned in the last section). You must   
  manage your planets well. You must have enough defense posts to keep from getting detected, enough factories to produce   
  loads of supplies(especially in mineral poor games, so you can use your Merlins), and mines to mine out the planet quickly,   
  making it absolutely useless to any other race(once it's harvested). This stuff is pretty standard for every race, however you   
  get to build every turn due to assimilation(doubling of colonists, and therefore maximum structures).   
  Knowing what to build, and when NOT to build are the key factors.  
  5.1 Planets near homeworld/starbases   
  These planets can be quite useful throughout the game-- you can tax the assimilated colonists and get about 500 MC per turn   
  usually. After these are harvested of minerals, you might be lucky and get hit by a large meteor (the Borg are the only ones   
  ASKING for large meteor hits! <G>). Then you can mine it really quickly(you still usually have millions of colonists to   
  build mines if they were destroyed), and bring it back to a starbase to use. At the very least, these planets are useful to all but   
  the Fascists, as they'll be stripped of minerals, and most money. The Fascists, however, can pillage you, getting LOADS of money.  
  5.2 Planets on hostile borders   
  These planets are the gray area. They're not safe from being attacked, but they're not in constant danger, either, as outposts   
  in enemy territory are. Usually, if the planet is quite useless, I lower the happiness ratings(usually just colonists) to the virge   
  of rioting, so if the enemy takes the planet, they'll be rioting(the battle put them there), and be of little use to him for a   
  while. Also, build as many defense posts as possible at the very least, it will soften up an attacking fleet for your main defenses farther in your territory.
  5.3 Planets in enemy territory   
  These are the planets that you do your best to BURN TO THE GROUND! If there's natives, you do your best to   
  assimilate them(ESPECIALLY if they're of a good government). Try to put the happiness ratings of both natives AND   
  colonists WAY into the gutter-- negatives are really good. That way, unless your enemy is the Lizards, they'll have to wait a   
  good dozen turns or so to get them to stop rioting! <G> This is very satisfactory, and I even do this on my home planets if   
  I'm being run over by another race, and I stand no chance.  
  ====================================================================   
  6.0 Chunneling   
  Chunneling is your main means of transportation over distances. It is one of the STRONGEST race advantages in the game,   
  but unlike many other race advantages, it is one that someone else can acquire, as it's ship-specific. You must do your best to   
  NEVER let a Firecloud get into enemy hands-- they're DEADLY. You must use your Fireclouds for harvesting planets far   
  from bases of minerals/money and bringing huge fleets into enemy territory(or even just to the border, usually saves   
  THOUSANDS of KT's of fuel).  
  One trick that I've heard used, but never actually used myself(I was going to, but the game ended first), is to bring a   
  Firecloud outside the map about 20-40 LYs farther than the visible setting(check with Host or note first messages of game),   
  and then travel there, to the other side of your enemy. Then, when he least expects it, chunnel in some cubes, and take him   
  by beside his BACK side! <G> The only problem with this, is that he'll see it in plenty of time to defend, usually, and you   
  can't planet hop outside the map.  
  As mentioned in the original docs, chunneled ships have their shields down when they come out of a chunnel. Therefore, try   
  to make sure that the enemy doesn't know where your receiving Firecloud is when you chunnel to it he could more easily   
  take out your fleet if he did.  
  ====================================================================   
  7.0 Battles  
  7.1 Basics   
  The first rule of war, is to NEVER under-estimate your enemy. When running simulations, unless you're SURE of   
  otherwise, figure for a maxed-out ship.   
  Always OVER-estimate what you'll need to take out a battle-fleet or empire, and don't strike until all your forces are in   
  position-- striking to early with one, and not being able to follow through with the second blow fast enough, will give your   
  enemy too much time to prepare.  
  Secondly, NEVER leave your bases un-guarded. A well-planned attack can easily knock out a starbase-- even cloakers. Before   
  I was ready to play the Borg, I did so, and had my HW taken by Lizard Cruisers very early in the game. If I had a cube or   
  two there, I could have saved it, or better yet, I could have counter-attacked, as I knew where his, much more important,   
  homeworld was.  
  Thirdly, and this might seem contradictory, don't be afraid to take risks. You'll never win by "playing it safe." Weigh the   
  odds, the benefits, and the consequences of what you do, and make a decision based on that. If there's a lot to gain from   
  making an attack, DO SO! Even if there's much to lose if you don't win, someone else will probably attack you anyway, and   
  you'll lose anyway.  
  7.2 What ships should I use?   
  Many Borg novices, run simulations of their ships against other ships, and find that the Biocide fairs very well against most   
  ships in the game. This is true, however, a Biocide with enough fighters costs MUCH more than a few good Annihilations,   
  unless, of course, you have a nice ally that can supply you with free fighters. <G> An Annihilation also has 100KT more   
  mass(960 than the Biocide(860). Both are gas guzzlers, and should be mostly transported simply with Fireclouds, unless   
  you're purposely trying to burn up gas to keep enemies from using it. These ships are the backbone of your fleet, and most   
  players know it. You must have a good economy going before you can build these(minerals mostly, but also money), so   
  make economy your #1 priority at the start of the game.   
  HYP probes are useless in battle-- they will only burn off 4 fighters before being destroyed, and don't cause a lic of damage   
  against any torp ships. Use these ships only for colonizing, money transporting, and spying.  
  Fireclouds do pretty bad in battle. They'll burn of some fighters, and maybe be able to throw a few torps if you have them,   
  but not much else. Also, the chance of them getting captured isn't worth the risk of sending these into battle.  
  7.21 How should I arm my ships?   
  Beams on cube ships should be Heavy Blasters at the minimum. The chances that a race will try to use minefields to defend   
  themselves is high, so you must be able to sweep them. Mark 4 torpedoes are good early in the game, but mark 7 or 8 is   
  required past turn 20 or so, to do respectable damage, and last through many fights-- especially against fighter carriers. Don't   
  carry more than 100-175 torps unless you're specifically trying to use up resources on an outpost world-- better that the torps   
  are wasted, than for the enemy to build them, right? Same goes for fighters-- don't put more than 100-130 or so on a Biocide-  
  - any more will simply be wasted, and at 100MC a piece, these are quite pricey to lose!!  
  HYP probes should be minimally armed. 2 Xrays is usually plenty-- better than putting lasers, as lasers will do more to bring   
  down someone's shields(kill 3 versus Xray's kill 1). Be sure to put 2 Xrays, as you want to be able to capture freighters if you   
  can-- 2 Xrays will nicely capture a LDSF-- 1 Xray will not.  
  I usually have Disrupters or Heavy Disrupters on my Fireclouds. This way, I can capture freighters and small ships for my   
  own use. I usually put on Mark 4 tubes if I can help it, so I can lay minefields or similar if necessary.  
  7.22 What engines should I use?   
  On cubes, you should have a minimum of warp 6 or 7. Using Transwarps ESPECIALLY if you're chunneling them in, is   
  wasteful at 6 engines a ship! That's 1800 MCs per ship!!! Some people use Transwarps on one, and then tow another one-- this   
  should work fairly well, but don't put less than warp 6 engines on the one being towed, because if the tower is destroyed,   
  you don't want the other ship to be COMPLETELY abandoned. Also, if necessary, OVERDRIVE your engines. Sometimes   
  it's better for your enemy to think you have more than you have-- especially if the ES bonus is on, as they'll figure for tech   
  10 ships if they see you traveling at warp 9! <G>  
  HYP ships should have a maximum of warp8 engines, and an average of warp 6-7, depending on their specific purpose. If the   
  ES Bonus is on, I recommend going lower, as you want these babies destroyed, NOT captured!  
  Fireclouds should definitely have Transwarps, unless they are simply a receiver at a starbase or such. Don't worry about   
  making it easier for enemies who capture your Fireclouds(knock on wood!), as most competent enemies would be   
  escorting/towing such a prize anyway, even after they cloned it.  
  7.23 What should I carry in my ships?   
  You should always have free room on your cubes, as when you destroy a ship, you get the minerals/fuel from it. However,   
  don't take this to an extreme, as usually those minerals aren't to useful-- especially on the front lines. It's always a good idea   
  to carry supplies-- maybe 100-200 per cube, as then if you're hit by a mine or Glory Device, you can repair yourself(1% for   
  ever 5 supplies), without having to stop, and perform the repair self mission. This is ESPECIALLY important when playing   
  against the Fascists, as they will do their best to throw as many GDs as possible at you, to soften up your fleet before they   
  confront you with their warships. You should also carry torps/fighters of course, mention in 6.21, and maybe some   
  colonists, and even money for making more torpedoes.  
  HYP ships shouldn't carry anything, except when colonizing or transferring money. If you have multiple probes, try   
  splitting the money among numerous ships, going different routes back home, so that if one gets destroyed/captured, all of   
  your money won't be gone. Of course this is only very useful when you're transferring large sums(20,000+). It's not worth   
  the effort for a measly 5,000 or less.  
  Fireclouds should carry colonists and supplies, so they can colonize on their way to where they are going. The supplies will   
  also help against GD hits, mine hits, etc. You might want to carry a small amount of torps as well, so you can defend better   
  against some of the larger medium warships.  
  7.24 How should I fly my ships?   
  Planet hop whenever possible-- give your position and identity away only when it benefits you. NEVER show your heading--   
  make it seem like you're heading to one planet when you are indeed heading to another, etc. Fly in erratic zig-zag patterns   
  when flying out in the open. Once in a while, travel just short of your destination in a straight line to simply frustrate a   
  cloaker trying to intercept you! And always set your primary enemy to privateer! They are the only enemy that can do you   
  great harm without attacking-- you DO want to pick a fight with them you do NOT want to find your ships and their   
  ship(s) in the same place in space. Do your best to travel in ion storms to discourage cloakers from trying to intercept   
  you(especially Privateers)-- so many cloakers forget to figure for ion storms uncloaking their ships! <G>   
  7.3 How should I strike?   
  Striking is all dependent on your style of play. I prefer to attack from multiple directions, splitting my enemies defending   
  forces. The best way, is to send in 3 forces visibly, and then when he sends his ships to intercept, send in a 4th and possibly   
  5th strike from behind to attack his planets with weaker defenses. This way you win either way if he leaves his ships on his   
  planets, you can have 5 strike forces to take care of them, and then the planet, and if he leaves with his ships, you can take the   
  planets with your sneaking strike force(s).   
  Gorilla striking is very effective-- especially along the borders. Send a few ships in, capture a planet, riot it to death-- maybe   
  assimilate some natives, and pop back out. Strike in random patterns, at random times.  
  Whatever you do, do not split your forces, and attack two people at once-- it will severely hinder your chances of winning   
  each. Try to exterminate ONE enemy at a time. Fighting on two fronts is just to confusing, and risky.  
  When striking, be sure to set the battle order properly, so that your ships fight in the correct order. Set the friendly codes to   
  ??1 for the first ship, ??2 for the second, etc. ?? can be any letter-- numbers will act as numbers. The lower the number, the   
  earlier they will fight-- ships with friendly codes of complete letters will strike last.  
  ====================================================================   
  8.0 What allies should I make?   
  The Feds are a fairly good ally, as they can give you LOKIs to protect you from cloaking races-- the Privateers most   
  specifically. They can also super-refit your ships with all their money-- they'll probably want you to provide the minerals   
  though. If you give them a Biocide, they will have effectively 13 bays instead of the default 10-- making the Biocide even more   
  deadly. Terraformers are very useful to you, as many of your colonists die from the climate being too hot or too cold. The   
  Fed's bioscanner can also help you find more natives to assimilate.  
  The Lizards are another fairly good ally, as they can also give you LOKIs, give you tons of minerals(200% mining rate!), hiss   
  your planets if necessary to get more money, give you cloakers for spying and colonizing far into enemy territory. They can   
  also give you a terraformer to cool down your desert planets. A good tactic to use with the Lizards, is to have an assimilated   
  world with a LDSF in orbit. Fill the LDSF with colonists, and a Lizard can send ships there, and you can load colonists on   
  them for them to use in Ground Attacks-- VERY useful for a supply of colonists deep in enemy territory.  
  The Bird Men are good to ally with for cloakers, but other than that, and information, they're not that useful to you-- but   
  they'll want to ally for your cubes, HYP ship, and Fireclouds. Beware of sneaky Bird Men players it's very easy for them to   
  stab you in the back HARD!!!  
  The Fascist can do you good with their cloakers, Glory Devices, Pillaging (what else are you going to do with 200,000,000   
  colonists?!?!?!?-- isn't turning that into 200,000 supplies better?!? <G>), and of course the ground attack like the Lizards,   
  but to a smaller extent. They also can't be attacked using ATT/NUK friendly codes, so they're dangerous enemies!  
  The Privateers are your worst enemy, so they'd be a GREAT ally. They grab the ships from other races, and you clone them   
  for him, and keep some for yourself. He gives you Gravitronic Accelerated ships to tow your fleet around with, and you   
  help him with your Fireclouds and HYP ships. They'll also give you cloakers. Basically, you don't want them on your bad   
  side, so it's better to ally with them! <G>   
  The Crystal People those web mines are sure comforting to have around your empire. That's for sure. Plus he can grab ships,   
  and you can clone them for him like with the Privateers keeping a copy for yourself, of course. They can't offer you much   
  else, except a terraformer that heats to 100.  
  The Empire would be a nice ally, but not a great one. They get 5 free fighters per base, which barely covers their ships, so   
  they can't really give you many. They have the Imperial Super Star Destroyer, however, which is VERY useful! Get a planet   
  deep in enemy territory, assimilate it, and then get some SSDs there-- you can use that planet as a loading base for colonists,   
  and capture plenty of enemy planets/bases! Also, why would you want to fight a Gorbie!?!? <G> They can also give you   
  nearly COMPLETE information on enemy worlds, with their dark sense.   
  The Robots are a free fighter race, so they're a good ally. They can give you free fighters for your Biocide, and even give you   
  Instrumentalities for a lighter carrier to guard your planets with. They can also give you 4x minefields to protect your space   
  with! They can also give you a FULL bioscanner to find more natives with.  
  The Rebels are also a free fighter race, so they're also a good ally. They can give you the Patriot Carrier which is REALLY   
  cheap to build/clone, and is really effective when it has a decent amount of fighters. They can also RGA your worlds to   
  make natives happier, and also can't be attacked by ATT/NUK.  
  The Colonies are a nice ally due to the free fighters of course, and can also sweep mines with fighters-- even from 100 LYs   
  away, making them VERY good allies if you have the Robots as an enemy! They can also give you a bioscanner/RAM scoop   
  ship(Cobol) for finding natives. Their Aries transport makes fuel more efficiently than your normal refinery, and their Lady   
  Royalle allows you to get 160MC per turn from it if you have colonists aboard-- which you'll have PLENTY of!  
  ====================================================================   
  9.0 How do I deal with my enemies?  
  9.1 Dealing with the Feds   
  The Feds are fairly straightforward to deal with. They don't have much anti-Borg equipment. Just exterminate them with   
  your cubes, and watch out for possible allies.  
  9.2 Dealing with the Lizards   
  The Lizards fear you very much. They can't use their ground attack ratio very effectively, due to your assimilation. Their   
  cloakers are VERY useful against you, as they can scout out your worlds, but they can't do too much about it, unless they   
  have enough cloakers, or bring in their T-Rex's and Madonzilla carriers. They also are immune to LOKI's, so getting a LOKI   
  won't help you. With their excellent and fast-starting economy they will make quick work of you if they find you early in   
  the game-- try to stay hidden, and don't pick any fights with them early-- you don't stand a chance if they're played   
  competently. Later in the game, however, they aren't too much of a threat. Just attack them like you would other races.  
  9.3 Dealing with the Bird Men   
  The Bird Men are the sneaky, cowardly snakes of the echo cluster. <G> These guys will probe your territory finding   
  LOTS of info, and selling it to your enemies. Lay minefields if you can to try to capture some of these pests, and exterminate   
  their HW if you can. They will also try to change your friendly codes on your planets to bum this will beam your money   
  up to all enemy ships in orbit(cloaked or not). They will then try to run. This can be helped, if you change your friendly   
  codes every turn use a random generator such as is built into VPA.  
  9.4 Dealing with the Fascists   
  These guys, to tell you the truth, are scary-- those Glory Devices can hurt you, but carry those supplies to protect yourself.   
  Their ships don't stand a chance against a fully-functional cube of any type. They can also pillage your planets, however,   
  which can be VERY scary-- getting a good 1000-2000 MC from each pillage! One good reason not to keep colonists on your   
  planets needlessly-- kill them off if the Fascists might come and pillage you! They'll also be cloaking throughout your empire,   
  spying on you, taking your freighters, pillaging where you least expect it, etc. I'd prefer to ally with them! <G>  
  9.5 Dealing with the Privateers   
  Run like hell! <G> These guys are even worse than the Fascists. They will steal your ships, and use them against you! The   
  tactics for robbing ships are very easily figured out, and used VERY easily. Try using the beam-up-fuel method, and never   
  move your ships in a straight line they will cloak-intercept you, and steal your fuel, and then your ship! Also, when   
  launching attacks against these filthy barbarians, be sure to send your ships separately, as they will easily intercept your ships,   
  and drag them away-- REMEMBER-- NEVER EVER EVER send them in a straight line! The good part about these guys, is   
  their planets are very easily defeated-- they're power is in stolen ships.  
  9.6 Dealing with the Crystal People   
  These are a HARD race to attack. Those web mines-- once you get stuck in them, it's VERY hard to get out. Especially if   
  you didn't listen to my advice above, and put high-tech beams on your ships! This race's ships aren't particularly powerful,   
  so they're fairly easy to destroy, but getting there is the hardest part. many Crystalline players will even use web mines as an   
  offensive measure, making movement VERY hard. However, with chunneling and HYP probes, it effects you less than most   
  other races, so be happy! <G> Try towing a Firecloud into the web field-put just the fuel you need on your towing ship,   
  so that it can't lose much. Then next turn, transfer that much more onto it from the ship being towed(which can't be hit by   
  the mines), so that it can go another turn. If you're towing a warship, set it to mine sweep, so you at least can destroy SOME   
  of the mines.   
  9.7 Dealing with the Evil Empire   
  The Evil Empire is a formidable opponent. Unlike you(when you have a good economy), they suffer greatly from lack of   
  fuel. As well as lack of colonists for use in their SSDs. Take advantage of this. If they are advancing, strip all planet of fuel,   
  and retreat. Then, when they come forward, and are, hopefully, stranded on a planet without fuel, move in for the kill! An   
  Annihilation with merely Mark4 tubes, and Heavy Disrupters can take out 3 loaded SSDs with only 75-90 torps, and   
  without taking ANY damage. Better torps, means fewer torps, and even less damage to the shields. Their Gorbies, however, are terrifying!  
  9.8 Dealing with the Robots   
  The Robots suffer from a sever lack of Duranium-- they require an EXCESSIVE amount of it in all of their ships. Therefore,   
  when fighting with the Robots, be sure to deprive them of as much Duranium as possible. Not to mention Moly and   
  Tritanium, as they need that for their fighters. The Robots have many decent carriers, however, and stand a good chance of   
  wiping you out. I still can't understand why this is Tim Wisseman's favorite race, though. <G>  
  9.9 Dealing with the Rebels   
  Like the Fascists, the Rebels can not have their ships attacked by planets with the NUK/ATT friendly codes. They have the   
  Rebel Ground Assault which is even more dangerous than pillaging, but at least it doesn't help the Rebels any(except the   
  destruction of us, of course). They also have HYP ships to HYP into your space, and RGA a planet or two, and HYP back   
  out. They excel at gorilla warfare, so beware. Their carriers are formidable opponents as well.  
  9.10 Dealing with the Colonies   
  The Colonies have good carriers like the Robots and the Rebels, as well as Lady Royale ships to make money with. They can   
  be VERY dangerous when played right sweeping your minefields from 100 LYs away, attacking with Virgos, etc. Not a fun   
  race to deal with, but definitely not your worst enemy.  
  ====================================================================   
  10.0 Minefields  
  Many expert Borg players use minefields extensively. The use of minefields depends greatly on your neighbors, however. A   
  Robot neighbor will easily exterminate your minefields by placing his own to destroy them, at 1/4 the price or your's. A   
  Fascist has many beams on their ships, and will easily clear the minefields. The trick with minefields is knowing where to   
  place them, when to place them, and when to scoop them back up! In a recent game, I had an Annihilation come out of a   
  wormhole, and by chance, it was in Empire territory, right next to a SSD heading for one of my outpost planets. I laid a   
  minefield right there, and ended up hitting the SSD twice! It was crippled to over 80% damage! I then struck a couple planets,   
  and scooped up the minefield. I meant to lay it again, but instead was destroyed when I attempted to strike a planet that was   
  to heavily defended(quite probably, the former Fed HW). You MUST scoop up your mines using the msc friendly code   
  once your enemy knows about them-- otherwise, he'll simply sweep them unless he's a newbie, he won't fall for getting hit   
  by a mine in the same minefield twice.  
  And remember this:   
  He who knows the enemy and himself   
  Will never in a hundred battles be at risk;   
  He who does not know the enemy but knows himself   
  Will sometimes win and sometimes lose;   
  He who knows neither the enemy nor himself   
  Will be at risk in every battle.   
   Sun Tzu, the Art of Warfare  
  Note: Sorry for the "lack of humor" that my friend who test-read this mentioned, but I just can't come up with jokes for a   
  lot of these things! <G> I hope you at least learned something-after all, that's what all this fun is about, right? Learning? <G>   
  Derek J. Kalweit   
  dkalweit@eznet.net (Email me anytime--especially if you want to play a plain-vanilla VGAP game!)  
 
 
 
 
  Collective Consciousness: Autarch?s Guide to the Cyborg   
  Contents:  
  Chapter 0: Intro.  
  Chapter 1: The Cyborg  
  1a.) Race description  
  1b.) Player mindset  
  1c.) Settings  
  Chapter 2: Advantages  
  2a.) Assimilation  
  2b.) HYP Probes  
  2c.) Chunneling  
  2d.) Cube ships  
  2e.) Debris Beam-in  
  2f.) Cloning  
  2g.) Repair Self  
  Chapter 3: Disadvantages  
  3a.) No Medium Warships  
  3b.) Early Game Strength  
  3c.) Ship Costs  
  Chapter 4: Ship List  
  4a.) Ship Armament/Engines for:   
  4a1.) HYP Probes  
  4a2.) Fireclouds  
  4a3.) Cubes  
  4b.) Freighters  
  4b1.) Small Deep Space Freighter  
  4b2.) Medium Deep Space Freighter  
  4b3.) Large Deep Space Freighter  
  4b4.) Super Transport  
  Chapter 5: HYP Probes  
  5a.) What they are  
  5b.) Strategies for HYP Probes  
  5b1.) Money carrier  
  5b2.) Spy  
  5b3.) Freighter Hunter   
  5b4.) Escape Pod  
  Chapter 6: Chunneling   
  6a.) The Firecloud  
  6b.) What Chunneling is  
  6b1.) How it works  
  6c.) Chunnel Points  
  Chapter 7: Your planets/Bases  
  7a.) Planets  
  7a1.) How to colonize them  
  7a2.) How to manage them  
  7a3.) Planetary Strategies  
  7b.) Bases  
  7b1.) Where to build them  
  7b2.) Defenses  
  7b3.) Upgrading your tech levels  
  Chapter 8: Other Races as Allies and Enemies  
  8a.) The Feds  
  8b.) Lizards  
  8c.) Bird Men  
  8d.) Fascists  
  8e.) Privateers  
  8f.) Crystals  
  8g.) Empire  
  8h.) Robots  
  8I.) Rebels  
  8j.) Colonies  
  Chapter 9: Summary and Information  
 
  Chapter 0: Introduction  
  Greetings once more. My name is Autarch, author of (by now) two  
  guides, concerning the Crystals and Robots. I have an Empire one coming  
  soon.   
  I noticed that there was not a whole lot of stuff out there, and  
  decided to make my mark in the VGAP community. So I sat down, and wrote  
  the Guides for the ?Forgotten Races.? And the Cyborg seem to be an almost  
  forgotten race as well. There isn?t a whole lot of info out there on  
  them, and so I figured I could write ?just one more? Guide.   
  I personally use VGA Planets Assistant (VPA), and this Guide is  
  based on Host 3.22.023. I don?t think that there have been significant  
  changes, especially concerning the Cyborg. If you like the Cyborg, you  
  are not alone. However, I do not claim to be an expert at VGAP, and your  
  using anything I say is, of course, at your own risk.   
  Chapter 1: The Cyborg  
  1a.) Race Description  
  ==================================  
  Let?s see what the docs have to say about the Cyborg (Borg from  
  now on), and some abilities they have.   
  The  Cyborg are a half humanoid and half machine race. The  
  Cyborgs have many small scout ships and probes. These come in very handy  
  in finding their enemy's home world. The Cyborg battleship is the size of  
  two Birdmen battleships.   
  All damaged Cyborg ships can stop and repair themselves at a rate  
  of 10% per turn. The Cyborg are able to assimilate natives into  
  colonists. The assimilation rate can be configured by the host from 0% to  
  a 100%  
  The own one of the most feared weapons ever seen in the echo  
  cluster, the Firecloud Class Warp Chunneler, a ship that can deliver a  
  fleet of combat vessels to any point in space.  
  The Cyborgs have some of the most powerful starships, the Cyborg  
  Cube ships.  
  The Cyborg ships are able to repair in space at a rate of 10% per  
  month. A Cyborg ship that is repairing  
  cannot move.  
  When a Cyborg ship destroys an enemy ship the hull debris and  
  fuel is beam aboard in the form of minerals.  
  Cyborg colonists that are placed on a planet that has native  
  population will be assimilated into Cyborg  
  colonists. The natives are converted to Cyborg at a rate of one native  
  for every Cyborg on the planet.  
  ==================================   
  1b.) Player Mindset  
  The Borg are a race that is perhaps one of the most difficult to  
  play. They lack medium warships. They assimilate natives, and you have to  
  capitalize on the natives if you want to build a base with good tech  
  levels. Their economy, in the beginning, is one of the worst. You are  
  easily destroyable in the first 10-18 turn of the game. You must have  
  time to coordinate your forces, and manage your planets. If you don?t  
  have time to do your turns, don?t play the Borg.   
  Once you survive, though, you have some of the most powerful  
  ships in the game. You can move anywhere in the Cluster. You can  
  exterminate anybody you please. So the Borg have some good pros, and  
  really bad cons.   
  1c.) Settings  
  Here are some settings you should pay attention to:  
  Hyper Drive Ships: YES  
  I wouldn?t play the Borg without this. you need your HYP ship  
  to explore and grow like mad.   
  Firecloud Warp Chunnel: YES  
  I wouldn?t play the Borg without this either. you need this ship  
  to link your vast empire, and to move cubes,  
  freighters, and other things around.   
  Cyborg Assimilation Rate: 100%  
  this means that for every Borg on the planet, one native is  
  turned into Borg.  
  Ships with one engine can tow: YES  
  this lets your probe, upon discovering a freighter in orbit, to  
  tow it out and capture it. Handy to have, but not  
  life threatening.   
  Climate Limits Population: ???  
  Depends on what you want. this means that if you get a desert or  
  Arctic planet, you assimilate, and the your people die off from  
  the climate. It would be nice not to have this, and anyone could survive  
  anywhere, but you can live with it turned on.   
  Ship Cloning: YES  
  this is helpful if you have allies who will give you decent  
  medium warships (something you lack.)   
  Chapter 2: Advantages  
  2a.) Assimilation  
  Stated simply- you find the natives, you turn them into Borg.  
  This is where your assimilation rate kicks in. So you get a Siliconoid  
  Representative planet, with 8 million natives, you turn them into 8  
  million Borg. You have 200 clans, next turn, you have 400 clans, provided  
  that there is enough natives. If the number of Borg outnumber the  
  natives, next turn you will have no natives. You cannot assimilate  
  Amorphous Planets.   
  2b.) HYP Probes  
  This lets you, with your assimilation, to spread all over the  
  Echo Cluster. More on HYP probes in Chapter 5.   
  2c.) Chunneling  
  Chunneling lets you move massive fleets and unlimited amounts of  
  stuff anywhere in the Echo Cluster. I?ll explain the benefits of  
  Chunneling in Chapter 6.   
  *One thing to point out- you cannot chunnel if anyone (even  
  yourself) has a tow lock on your Firecloud.*   
  2d.) Cube Ships  
  You have two of the most powerful ships in the Game- the Biocide  
  and Annihilation Cube Ships.   
  The Biocide is your fighter carrier. It has a mass of 860, but  
  the fighter cost is expensive, even for you.   
  The Annihilation is your torpedo boat. It has a mass of 960, and  
  is more efficient than the Biocide, unless you have allies who can  
  provide free fighters.   
  All in all, you have two big, tough, and heavy ships.   
  2e.) Debris Beam-In  
  When you fight, and win, you usually blow up a ship. Most races  
  go ?Huzzah!?, and get a PBP or two. You get a PBP, and all the minerals  
  that made the ship up. Even if it?s fuel. Nice to have deep in enemy  
  territory, or on the borders of your space.   
  2f.) Cloning  
  You can clone those medium warships and cloakers that you get  
  from allies or from the plunder of war. Handy to have, to fill the gaps  
  in your fleet.   
  2g.) Repair Self mission  
  The Borg can regenerate their ships (not crew members though) at  
  10% per turn. You don?t move when you do this though, so you can be a  
  sitting duck too.   
  Chapter 3: Disadvantages  
  3a.) No Medium Warships  
  You have your Cubes, and your Firecloud. Fireclouds won?t hold  
  their own in a battle, and Cubes are expensive in the beginning. The  
  closest thing you have is the Quietus Cruiser, with 1 torp tube. But  
  that?s it.   
  3b.) Early Game strength  
  For the first part of the game, you are relatively weak because  
  of what was stated above. Here is where diplomacy kicks in- making sure  
  you survive the first 10-18 turns or so.   
  3c.) Ship Costs  
  Your ships are pretty balanced mineral and cash wise. It?s just  
  that this balance is HUGE. You could easily build starbases for the costs  
  of your cubes. Steep, eh? And with no medium ships, well... you get the  
  point.   
  Chapter 4: Ship List  
  Here I am going to lay down the basics of your ships, and what to  
  put on them in regards to engines/weapons afterwards. These are the  
  default ship designs, as I know that there are more out there. Freighters  
  I will discuss next, but onto the warships:   
  B200 Probe (Beams: 2 Cargo: 15)  
  This is your HYP ship. Useful booger. More on these guys in the  
  next chapter.   
  Watcher Scout: (Beams: 2 Cargo: 50 Fuel: 270)  
  Not a bad ship, with a good fuel tank. Lack of beams hampers it?s  
  effectiveness. I don?t build ?em.   
  Iron Slave: (Beams: 1 Bays: 2 Mass: 60)   
  Do NOT build this ship. It is too light, and has no offensive  
  capabilities. Waste of a shipslot.   
  B41 Explorer (Beams: 4)  
  No use to build this either. Eat gets eaten easily by anything  
  with torps.   
  B222 Destroyer (Beams: 7)   
  Use this to burn fighters off the big carriers or starbases. It  
  is light, but the beams come in handy.   
  Quietus (Beams: 4 Tubes: 1)  
  This isn?t a bad ship. A local patrol boat, interceptor,  
  minelayer-it can be used to fulfill many roles. Arm it well.   
  Firecloud Class Cruiser (Beams: 6 Tubes: 2)  
  The key to the Borg?s success. I will get into the specific  
  functions/uses/strategies of the FC later on. Let?s just say,  
  this ship lets you go anywhere it is, in one turn, with only **50** kts  
  of fuel burned. And remember- ANYWHERE. Your enemy is going to  
  pick them off, and these cannot fight. Guard them.   
  Biocide Class Carrier (Beams:10 Bays: 10)  
  Nasty ship. It?s your fighter carrier, can fight a Gorbie and  
  occasionally limp away. Very useful against the Torp races, and  
  fighters shouldn?t be a problem with the ton of mines/colonists  
  (read:cash) you have *later* in the game.  
  Annihilation Class Dreadnought: (Beams:10 Tubes: 10)  
  The Baddest Torp ship around. Only Fed Nova comes close. A fully  
  stocked Annie can be devastating, and way cheaper than a fully  
  stocked Biocide.   
  4a.) Ship Armament/Engines  
  4a1.) HYP Probes  
  Your HYP probes are mainly for exploration. They can be used to  
  zap enemy freighters, so put x-rays on them. Put crappy engines on them,  
  so you don?t waste money.   
  Especially if the E/S Bonus is on, you don?t want non-HYP races  
  getting a HYP ship. Big whoop you say. Cloned, a little probe can be a  
  nuisance. Especially in the hands of the Fed- super refit that puppy with  
  big weapons and you got a planet killer.   
  4a2.) Fireclouds  
  The key to your survival/conquest. Put Transwarps on these guys,  
  and send them out. Watch them though. I usually put Disrupters and MK4s  
  on board to zap freighters, or protect it in a fight. But you don?t want  
  these guys in a fight. Run if you have to, chunnel away if absolutely  
  necessary. But don?t sacrifice the front line because a Cygnus is chasing  
  your FC.   
  4a3.) Cubes  
  Big and Bad. Gas Guzzlers too. I put HeavyDrive 6s at most on  
  them. Transwarps rarely, unless I have a ton of gas to use. You?re going  
  to be using the FCs to transports them.   
  As for weapons, the Annies should get Heavy Blasters. They are  
  going to be using them to smash ships and   
  such. The Biocides only need plasma bolts to shoot down other fighters,  
  or Heavy Blasters to kill torp ships.  Take your pick, and remember to  
  use the right Annie/Bio for the job.   
  4b.) Freighters  
  You really can use any freighter in the game.   
  4b1.) SDSF (Small Deep Space Freighter)  
  Handy to you, probably more than anyone else. Fill with half  
  colonists, half supplies. These guys are nice, but you should use MDSFs  
  instead.   
  4b2.) MDSF (Medium Deep Space Freighter)  
  The best in the early stages. Good for moving decent mineral  
  truckloads around, and most cloakers want bigger targets (LDSFs, or  
  STSF). Put Transwarps on them, and use them for colonizing too.   
  4b3.) LDSF (Large Deep Space Freighter)  
  Don?t colonize with these. You?ll assimilate to quick if you dump  
  1200 clans on a planet. Use them for mineral trucks, because you?re going  
  to need them. You can save and not put Transwarps on some, since you?ll  
  use the Fireclouds to move them. Guard them ,because they are prized by  
  cloakers.   
  4b4.) STSF (Super Transport Space Freighter (or something like  
  that))  
  Build these if you absoluely NEED to. For most cases, LDSFs  
  should suffice.   
  All in all, remember to use the small/medium for colonzie, and  
  LDSF/STSF for minerals major colonist transport. And guard them- a Swift  
  Heart or less with X-Rays and your ship is toast.   
  5.) HYP Probes  
  5a.) What they are  
  HYP probes are handy little ships that can carry a small amount  
  of clans/colonists. They can ?jump? 340-360 lys (with the newer host  
  programs). In any direction, and only burn 50 Kts of fuel. That means if  
  you do it right, you can HYP from planet to planet, unseen. Without them,  
  the Borg are doomed. But because you assimilate, if you escape, with one  
  clan, you can come back. (And win, it?s happened!) Without the HYP, you  
  can?t expand the way you need to. But anyway, here are some basics:   
  5b.) Strategies for using the HYP Probes  
  5b1.) Money Carrier  
  Think, 350lys away, you have a planet making oodles of cash. But  
  normally, it?s 4 turns away ONE WAY. Not with the HYP probe around.  
  Calculate, and ZIP, she?s there. And ready to carry up to 10,000mcs if  
  necessary (10 grand being the limit in the game for any ship). No way  
  someone can get it, unless they are attacking you at the same time your  
  probe drops out of hyperspace.   
  5b2.) Spy  
  Test your enemies defenses. Put blasters on your ships, and send  
  a fleet into the heart of his empire. You kill freighters, get planets,  
  and start assimilating. He?ll freak out, thinking of all the natives  
  being turned into Borg (read: less cash when he gets the planet back).  
  Can really screw up an economy.   
  Shoot a couple into his space, and set mission to mine sweep.  
  They sweep (scan and shoot down mines) before HYPing out. And HYPing  
  ships can?t get plastered with a mine.  Also, you make the enemy  
  uncomfortable to see enemy ships in the heart of his space.  
  Physchologically damaging.   
  5b3.) Freighter Hunter  
  Put X-rays on the boogers and send them out. To the planets. They  
  see a ship (pray a freighter) and nail it. Very nice if the ship had a  
  ton of colonists on them, because they are all Borg now. Ground attack  
  your enemy, or assimilate a planet faster (especially good government one  
  (Monarchy, Unity)) or a race (Avian, Insectoid, Bovonoid).   
  5b4.) Escape Pod  
  The Borg are weak in the early game. You are Number 1 on the  
  ?must destroy early? list. So everyone (if they are smart) will go for  
  your throat.   
  Use the HYP probe fill it with cash a lot of supplies, and a few  
  clans. Have it ready to go in case all else fails. Then RUN. Bide your  
  time, and seek revenge later on.  
  All in all, a multi-purpose ship. They help the Borg grow, and  
  without them, the Borg wouldn?t exist.  
  6.) The Chunnel   
  6a.) The Firecloud  
  In order to use the Borg?s BEST ability, you must build Firecloud  
  Class Cruisers. They aren?t armed well, but that isn?t their function.  
  They initiate a warp chunnel, allowing you to send ships anywhere.   
  6b.) Chunneling  
  Chunneling requires two Fireclouds, some gas, and a warp factor  
  of 0. The docs explain it:   
  6b1.) How chunneling works (emphasis mine):   
  Chunneling is the process where a Firecloud Class Cruiser uses a  
  temporal rift in the subspace time continuum.  This rift is a maelstrom  
  of tachyon energy formed in the shape of a tunnel.  
  To open a Warp Chunnel a Firecloud needs to have at least 50 KT  
  of fuel. It then selects its friendly code to the ID number of another  
  Firecloud. This causes a targeting subspace signal to be generated. The  
  Firecloud then projects a stream of accelerated tachyon particles that  
  cause a rift in the subspace time continuum.  The generation of this high  
  energy beam **uses up 50 KT of fuel from the projecting Firecloud.**   
  This rift is anchored to the destination Firecloud.  
  Once the Chunnel is generated the Chunneling Firecloud moves into  
  the Chunnel. This causes the Chunnel to collapse. As the Chunnel  
  collapses it pushes the Firecloud (and any other starships that were in  
  the same point in space as the Firecloud) along in front of it as it  
  collapses. This movement expends uses no fuel on the Chunneling  
  starship(s), since they are being pushed along by the collapsing Chunnel  
  (subspace temporal rift).  
  Needless to say, traveling through a high energy rift comprised  
  of tachyon particles can have an adverse effect on your starship systems.  
  **Any starship completing a Chunnel will exit subspace with its shielding  
  systems inoperative.** The Chunnel, in effect, strips the starship(s) of  
  their shields for that turn.  By the next turn the shielding systems will  
  be functioning again.   
   And now the how to:   
  How to Initiate a Chunnel  
  To start a Chunnel, as stated above, the traveling (or  
  initiating) Firecloud needs to set its friendly code to the ID number of  
  the Firecloud it wishes to travel to.  Both Fireclouds need to have their  
  warp factor set to zero (0).  
  If the warp factors are not set to zero or the ether of the Fireclouds  
  are under tow the Chunnel will not occur.  
  For ID numbers 1 to 99 place leading zeros in front of the  
  number. I.E.  001, 023, 099.  
  Chunneling happens as part of the movement phase of the host.  It  
  is the last segment of the movement phase.  So it is possible for  
  starships to move TO the Firecloud before it Chunnels and then move with  
  it, shutting down the warp systems during the Chunnel.   
  Cloaked starships moving through a Chunnel will remain cloaked.  
  A ship belonging to a race other than the race of the Firecloud  
  opening a chunnel at the same point in space as the Firecloud must have a  
  warp speed of 0, be cloaked, out of fuel or have a friendly code that  
  matches the friendly  
  code of the ship opening the chunnel to enter the chunnel (way point  
  setting does not matter). The chunnel ship's race can enter the chunnel  
  at any warp speed as can cloaked ships or ships with matching friendly  
  code belonging to all races.  
  If fleet of enemy ships that warp onto a planet that is hiding a  
  Firecloud with its chunnel engaged only the enemy ships with a warp speed  
  of 0 will enter the chunnel. The only ships that can move onto a planet  
  with a warp speed of 0 are ships that are being towed. None of the ships  
  that moved their under their own power will enter the chunnel, but any  
  ships that they are towing will.  
  A pair Fireclouds can not use a chunnel if ANYSHIP with fuel locks a  
  tow beam on it, the warp speed and waypoint setting of the ship locking  
  the beam does not matter.  
  Minimum range of chunnel:   100 LY  
  Maximum range of chunnel:   5000LY  
  (Only works with HOST Version 3.20 or Better)  
  So look at the benefits. You can go ANYWHERE, for 50kts of fuel.  
  You can chunnel as many ships as you want. Your cubes ships need this,  
  since they suck gas only a little less than a Gorbie.   
  The bad sides are that you come out with shields down. Fireclouds  
  can?t fight, so your enemy will definitely hunt your FCs down. Any ship  
  that puts a tow lock on your FC nullifies the chunnel.  But the uses and  
  benefits  in maneuvering outweigh the cons.   
  6c.) Chunnel Points  
  The easiest way to chunnel fleets, is to have chunnel points.   
  I usually have crappy FCs  in orbit around planets as catchers.  
  They don?t chunnel, they are just anchors to chunnel back to. I set up a  
  planet or waypoint in space to have all my ships meet.   
  If a planet, a crappy one, since I don?t want to chunnel my fleet  
  of Merlins away by sheer accident.   
  If in space, outside a planet?s warpwell, say 4 lys. This way, I  
  am close by, and not sticking out to much.   
  I then activate the chunnel when everyone arrives, and go. Then  
  when I am done, I use the bad FCs  as anchors, and go home.   
  Easy, simple, and that way, your key planets are linked through  
  the possibility of a chunnel. You can move cubes around effectively to  
  protect or advance.   
  7.) Planets and Bases  
  Everyone likes to have huge fleets of ship cruising around  
  beating people up. You can?t do that if your economy stinks. Planets and  
  Bases are major parts to the economy scheme.  
  7a.) Planets  
  You start off with a planet, so that means you gotta expand.   
  7a1.) Colonization  
  Most races send out LDSFs in every direction to conquer planets  
  well, and get them up and running. Not you. All you really need is the  
  SDSF. Why? Because of your assimilation, of course! One clans turns into  
  two, into four, and so on. So while most races run around dumping tons of  
  cash, supplies and colonists, you need very few colonists, some supplies  
  and some cash.   
  Take a SDSF, and fill it with 40 supplies, and 30 clans. Put some  
  money if you think you need it.   
  On no native planets, put one clan down. Just to take the planet.  
  On native planets, dump the colonists. Next turn, you have  
  double, and you pick up a full ship again.   
  Of course, you are beaming down supplies. Cash if you think you  
  need it. Not a lot of supplies or cash, but just enough to get the planet  
  up and running. The cash you?ll get from assimilating natives. Re-Read  
  how to use the kinds of frieghters you have.   
  7a2.) Managing your planets  
  This is the time consuming part for any Borg player. You have to  
  figure for max taxes. And build supplies, mines, and watch your native  
  population (if applicable). Watch your defense post numbers, and make  
  sure you don?t get scanned.   
  This usually doesn?t take long. But when you have 50-90 planets  
  to worry about, then you have time consuming stuff on your hands.   
  So, figure for max taxes. Watch your mineral count. Raise defense  
  posts. Watch the native growth, and see what you have left and are going  
  to have next turn.   
  7a3.) Planetary Strategies  
  Assimilate native planets first. Come back to the empty planets  
  later. This way, you get the key plamets (and economy) running. Build  
  your factories, mines, and Def posts. They?ll all be colonists soon  
  anyway.   
  Or:  
  Capturing enemy planets. You get them, and if they have natives,  
  you start assimilating. Right away.   
  Yank the taxes to 100%. The natives will riot, but you?ll keep  
  assimilating. So if the enemy gets the planet back, the natives (now  
  hopefully decimated by assimilating and killing each other) will be of no  
  use to either of you. Any clans you (or him) put there will be chopped up  
  in two seconds.   
  Use the HYP probes to do the same. HYP in, capture planets, yank  
  taxes, and assimilate.   
  What if the enemy is invading? Do the same, but leave the amount  
  of colonists on the planet. It?s not like you don?t have enough. Riot  
  them. Have them chop up all those beautiful mines and factories to  
  prevent their capture. If hopeless, do it to all your planets. Use your  
  escape pod (HYP probe) to run if you even want to try.   
  7b.) Bases  
  If you think you can do with one base for the whole game, good  
  luck to you.   
  7b1.) Where to build them  
  The Borg have a dilemma when it comes to bases. They assimilate  
  the natives, and if you build the base after the natives are gone, you  
  lose the race ability (if applicable). So they gotta build bases early.  
  But they lack the minerals early, and need to save them for the cubes.   
  So if you are going to build (which you have to), get those  
  minerals there before the natives are gone. I build bases if I can get  
  the race ability, or the minerals are good.   
  7b2.) Defense  
  Your HomeWorld is really useless after turn 20- you have probably  
  bigger amounts  of colonists on other planets nearby. But other planets  
  (i.e. StarBases) are useful, and are last-line protection.   
  You have the cash to buy fighters, so do so if you feel it is  
  necessary. Keep your bases in top shape. No one can ground attack you-  
  especially with 6 million colonists. So they have to beat you up. A Cube  
  nearby is always handy, too. Raise your defense posts, and increase base  
  defense as well. You can huge ground defense posts with your astronomical  
  colonist figures.   
  7b3.) Upgrading  
  You can upgrade as you feel free to do so. Adapt to the  
  situation.   
  Some ideas:  
  Build HYP probes-they never out live their usefulness.   
  Crappy FCs  are only *tech 6*.   
  Cubes I build on my HW. Sometimes other bases if I have enough  
  minerals and cash handy.   
  Be flexible- the Borg lost in Star Trek because they just came in  
  guns blazing, smashing everything. The crafty humans wiped their butts  
  all over the Sol System. Learn from that.   
  8.) Other Races- Allies and Enemies  
  Other races inhabit the Echo Cluster, and depending on their  
  leaders, they may be friendly or hostile to you. With the Borg, they are  
  NEVER indifferent.   
  8a.) The Solar Federation  
  Based upon the Federation in Star Trek, the Feds have a decent  
  fleet, made up of mostly medium warships that can do many different  
  things. However, the key word is medium. The biggest ship they have is  
  the Nova, which can spank almost any ship besides yours and the Gorbies  
  by itself.   
  As allies: They are good ones. They can super-refit your cubes,  
  which is very handy. They have the KittyHawk, a medium carrier. They also  
  collect 200% taxes from the natives they make contact with. Very helpful  
  to you in the game, when you are done assimilating and all you have are  
  colonists left to tax. The Feds have good torp ships, something you lack.  
  They have Lokis, which will decloak the Fascists, Privs and everyone else  
  (save the Birds and Lizards). They also have terraformers, which are  
  handy for those assimilated cold or hot planets.   
  As enemies: The Feds are not very powerful in the first part of  
  the game, like you. They know this, but they know you stink early too. If  
  you can get your economy rolling quick, you can run the Feds over. They  
  will have many empty hulls, for super-refit later on.   
  They will throw a combo of ships at you. Their Thor is deadly- 8  
  torp tubes. It?ll go in first, knocking your shields out, followed by a  
  KittyHawk. Then the Nova comes in and cleans your cube up. Try using cube  
  pairs, or get some cloakers (watching for Lokis) and find their key  
  planets. Try to get the Feds before they can get you. They will try to  
  outbuild everyone early on so they can sacrifice the ships they have to.   
  8b.) The Lizard Alliance  
  The Lizards are based upon the Gorn of Star Trek. Very big,  
  powerful, and nasty.   
  As allies: Very good. They can mine at 200%, which they can give  
  you the minerals you desperately need for your cubes. They can give you  
  cloakers, Lokis, and a terraformer. Their HISSS mission is nice- they can  
  HISS your planets, and squeeze that last bit of taxes out.   
  As enemies: You frighten them. They have a ground attack of 30:1,  
  but that is useless with 6 million colonists. They can cloak, so  
  interlocking minefields are the key to stopping their cloakers from  
  attacking planets. Their ships lack many beams, so sweeping for them is  
  pretty much limited. Their Madonzilla and T-Rexes are their ships of  
  choice when fighting your cubes. They?ll use a Rex-Madon-Rex combo to get  
  your cubes. They can produce these ships rapidly since their economy is  
  incredible. Put Heavy Blasters on your HYP probes, and shoot them out.  
  Chances are he?ll have a terraformer or Serpent Scout HISSSing, and you  
  toast it. The high tax rate will cause rioting all over.   
  8c.) The Empire of the Birds  
  The Bird Men are based upon the Romulans of Star Trek. Quiet,  
  invisible and sneaky.   
  As allies: OK. They have cloakers, and their Resolute is very  
  nice. They?d like your Cubes to back their fleet up, since DarkWings  
  aren?t the strongest around. They have a cloaking carrier for you, very  
  handy. They have cloaking torp ships for surprise minefields. Other than  
  that, not much.   
  As enemies: They can be devastating to you. Their economy is not  
  great, but that doesn?t mean he can?t eliminate you. Their Resolute and  
  DarkWing don?t use fuel to cloak, so they?ll wait at your chunnel points  
  with cloak on and warp 0. Move your chunnel points. Or setup a chunnel  
  point, and have the real chunneler somewhere else. Then move your fleet  
  to the real chunneler. He won?t move, because he can?t intercept cloaked  
  and he won?t know where you are going. Send in your cubes and attack  
  mercilessly. They?ll use their DarkWings since that?s all they have. And  
  that isn?t much.   
  8d.) The Fascist Empire  
  The Fascists are based upon the Klingons from Star Trek.  
  Bloodthirsty, ruthless, and suicidal.   
  As allies: Very little use to you. They have 3 cloakers, which  
  you can get from the Bird Men (or similar ship designs). They have Glory  
  Devices, ships which are like suicide runners. They can blow up when they  
  detect a cloaker, or he can send them as missles toward ships, planets,  
  etc. The Gds turn Amorphous worms into supplies when exploded. Very handy  
  to clear the planets out. They can pillage your people, and split the  
  cash with you.   
  They get more- Cubes, FCs, and HYP probes. Fascists are immune to ATT/NUK  
  codes.   
  As enemies: A hassle. They can cloak, and pillage your people.  
  They can?t be attacked by planets, so unless you have a cube there, they  
  can play cat and mouse. They?ll throw GDs at your ships. GD?s do about  
  10-11% damage to a Biocide. Carry supplies with you, to heal the damage,  
  and use your repair-self mission. They?ll use Glories with their  
  Victorious (tech 10 ship) to get you. Zig zag your ships to evade the  
  Glories, and run him over. His ships are no match for yours. (I know, I  
  played the Fascists vs. the Borg. I got clobbered. Though I gave him a  
  bloody nose. )  
  8e.) The Privateer Bands  
  The Privs are based upon the Orions from Star Trek. They are the  
  last of the cloaking races. Sneaky bandits.   
  As allies: VERY useful. They have gravitronic ships, which travel  
  at twice the speed you can do. The MBR is the best of these grav ships.  
  Nice fuel tank, so your cubes can get towed from l62 lys away. You can  
  clone for the Privs, and they could always use FCs. They lack heavy  
  ships, what they get for those, they steal. Their ships cloak on top of  
  it all, so you can have a fast surprise mine layer.   
  As enemies: The Worst for you. You lack heavy anti-cloaking  
  equipment. So they will steal your cubes blind. There are so MANY Priv  
  tactics, I recommend going on the Web and looking at some VGAP sites and  
  reading up. I won?t list any here- there is just too many.   
  So how do you combat them? Top off your fuel tanks. Use  
  minefields like crazy. Have mission to beam up fuel (he robs, you beam,  
  you have fuel, he?s uncloaked, he gets slaughtered). Again, read up on  
  Priv tactics. Use more mines, and see if you can get some anti cloaking  
  equipment (Lokis, GDs, web mines, etc). Ride in Ion storms- that goes for  
  any cloaking race (except the Birds- Resolutes and Dwings don?t decloak  
  in them (ion storms)). Watch your back.   
  8f.) The Crystal Confederation  
  The Crystals are based upon the Tholians from Star Trek. Known  
  for their webs, small ships, and rudeness.  
  As allies: OK. They can cover your butt from cloakers with their  
  web fields. Their Thunders is an okay carrier, and they?d like your  
  cubes. You?d like their Emerald or Rubies, which are very good torp  
  ships. They have a terraformer, but it heats to 100 degrees. They cannot  
  clone, so they need you for that.   
  Web mines are the best selling point. They make 10% damage as a  
  normal mine, but suck gas. When they (a ship) hits a web mine, they lose  
  50kts of gas or 1/6 of their fuel (which ever is more). Sitting in a  
  field, a ship loses 25kts of fuel. The effect is cumulative, 2 fields,  
  50kts of fuel. 3- 75kts of fuel. Colonies can?t sweep them (webs), so you  
  are protected- it?s like having a wall.   
  As enemies: A nuisance. Get them while they are small. The  
  Crystal economy is bad, and they need the money planets. Find them, and  
  knock them out. Put heavy beams on your ships, and sweep as you go. Don?t  
  go far into a field and risk the chance of hitting a mine. Once you are  
  in a web, he?ll increase the size or make an overlapping web field,  
  sucking more gas. Ouch.   
  Be patient. Sweep thoroughly, and hit his money planets. He?ll  
  use Flame/Thunder combos to take out your cubes. I use a  
  Flame/Flame/Thunder combo to toast a Gorbie. Wasn?t easy, since Crystal  
  ships are not strong. If you need Crystal knowledge, I can send you my  
  guide: ?Glistening Gems; Autarch?s Guide to the Crystals.?  
  8g.) The Evil Empire  
  The EE is based upon the Empire from Star Wars. All knowing, all  
  seeing, all bloated.   
  As allies: Not the greatest. They get 5 free fighters per base,  
  per turn. Hardly enough to sustain a fighter fleet. Their economy is, bar  
  none, the worst in the game. They have the Super Star Destroyer (SSD). It  
  has an Imperial Assault mission, which lets you beam 10 clans to any  
  planet, and it?s yours. Even Homeworlds. The ship cannot be attacked by  
  ATT/NUK codes. They have the Gorbie, the ultimate weapon in the game, but  
  you have your cubes. 5 free fighters doesn?t cut it for your Biocides.  
  They can Dark Sense everyone (save the Rebels) and find out where your  
  enemies key planets are.   
  As enemies: A nuisance. As stated, their economy stinks. Their  
  ships aren?t the best combat wise. But the Gorbie is a pain. However, you  
  both won?t be able to produce your heavy hitters until later, and you can  
  deal with a Gorbie by sending 2 Biocides at it. The first might win, but  
  have the second around just in case.   
  Their SSD is a pain, but lay surprise minefields and damage the  
  ship. Some damage, no Imp Assault. The SSD won?t have a full fighter  
  compliment of fighters, because they need the clans to perform the  
  Assault.   
  They will use their HYP probes to find your planets by Dark  
  Sensing, and will go for your throat. Lay some fun traps for the Imps,  
  since you can guess where he?ll be going. Once his Gorbies are  
  neutralized, walk on him.   
  8h.) The Robotic Imperium  
  The Robots (or Cylons) are based upon the race from BattleStar  
  Galctica. Nasty and efficient.   
  As allies: Their are pretty good. They have carriers, and one  
  torp ship. They can make 4x the number of mines as anyone else. They can  
  make fighters in space, which you can use to fill your Biocides. Their  
  Golem is nice, and their Automa is one of the wickedest ships around.  
  They?d like your FCs, and any torp ship you have. Their Pawn Baseship has  
  a full bioscanner and will scan ALL planets within 200lys (host default).  
  As enemies: A nuisance. Their ships are big and bad, but your  
  cubes can nail them. Sweep the huge fields that they have. Be patient,  
  just like you would fighting the Crystals. He?ll use his Golems and  
  Automas to attack, but having a few cubes nearby will take care of that.  
  They need Duranium like mad, so pull it from planets. Pull either  
  Tritanium or Moly (or both) to prevent their fighter building too.  
  Deprive them of their basic economic needs and assimilate the Bots. Read  
  my guide (?Dittering Diodes: Autarch?s Guide to the Robots?) to get a  
  basic grasp of the Bots. I?ll send it to you if you can find it in a web  
  site.   
  8I.) The Rebels  
  The Rebels are based upon the Rebels of Star Wars. Small, light,  
  fast , and deadly.   
  As allies: They can give you free fighters to. They have the  
  Falcon, a better HYP ship. They have decent torp ships (Cygnus,  
  Tranquillity), and they?d like your cubes. They have a Rush, which is  
  pretty good in itself. They are immune to the Dark Sense, and can use  
  their Rebel Ground attack (RGA) to destroy enemy planets. They are immune  
  to ATT/NUK codes.   
  As enemies: A pain. Their RGA is effective (-50% HP), and you?ll  
  soon find 6 million Borg rioting all over. They?ll use their Falcons to  
  do that. Have a Quietus or something sitting in orbit and get them. Send  
  in the Cubes, and hit them. Locate their fighter factories (Bovonoid  
  planets with a Gemini in orbit) and get them. Pull the minerals needed  
  (Tri and Moly) from the planets to stop fighter building. It?ll be  
  bloody, a knock down-drag out fight. But you should come out on top if  
  you hit him quick and sweep him away, before massive RGA can occur.  
  Otherwise, he is a great economy killer, and can do you in fast.   
  8j.) The Lost Colonies of Man  
  The LCOM is from BattleStar Galctica. Self-sufficient, betrayed,  
  and deadly when provoked.   
  As allies: They are good. They have the Cobol, which makes fuel  
  as it goes along. The Aires converts minerals into fuel on a 1:1 ratio.  
  They can build fighters in space. They can sweep minefields from very far  
  away. The Cobol has a bioscanner too. They, with the Rebels, have the  
  Patriot carrier, a torp nightmare. The little ship is nasty, with 6 bays.  
  Nice little carrier for you. They have their Virgo, and basically, don?t  
  need you, except for your FCs. And maybe HYP probes.   
  As enemies: And since they don?t need you, expect war. Don?t  
  waste time with mines, you?ll lose them when they sweep with their  
  fighters. They?ll be towing their Virgos into battle with their Cobols.  
  If you disable the Cobol, the Virgo becomes a forlorn gun platform.  
  They?ll send Patriots too, so beef up your defenses on your planets. Get  
  some decent torp ships and fight the Pats. Attack them with Cubes, in a  
  big push in. He?ll throw Virgos at you. Keep sending Cubes, because you  
  need him gone. Go right for the throat, his HW. If he?s smart, he?ll have  
  several huge planets with tons of colonists. Get them second.   
  The Colonies are everyone?s worst nightmare. Help the Cluster-  
  get rid of them.   
  9.) Summary and Information  
  I cannot stress enough to read up on your enemy. Look at and read  
  his tactics. Play his race. Know thy enemy.   
  Read some basic books on warfare strategy. They will help you  
  immensely. They have for me.   
  Use your minefields.   
  Know the Order of Operations and Actions.   
  Make friends and TRADE. You need decent ships, and you could wipe  
  someone out with a few cubes. Don?t beg, but don?t be a idiot either.   
  Get a cloaker and clone it. Very helpful. Never use them until  
  they are DEEP in enemy lines. So when you attack, you use them too, to  
  screw up his home economy.   
  Get yourself down into a pattern with Chunnel Points. Streamline  
  your whole operation. The Borg are efficient, and you need to be to  
  manage the number of planets you?ll get.   
  Run Simulations constantly. Experiment.   
  And some info:   
  As for this Guide, feel free to read it, and pass it on. Don?t  
  change anything, and don?t let anyone make you pay for it. It?s free.   
  I have written two other guides, one on the Crystal, and one (the  
  only Guide for the race, that I know of) for the Bots. I?ll send them to  
  you if you can?t find them. I am working with a friend on an Imperial  
  one, but college calls, so it?ll have to wait.   
  I started the Federation League Of Admirals, a little group of  
  Fed players, who talk about many interesting things. You might learn a  
  thing or two. The Head Admiral is Donovan , and he?ll  
  explain it to you.   
  I trust you enjoyed the Guide, and please let me know what you  
  thought. I welcome any questions, comments or complaints. I am more than  
  willing to assist new players.   
  My e-mail address is on the bottom. If you cannot reach me, my  
  friend Derek  will know where I am. He?ll tell you.   
  Good luck in playing, and may we meet on the field of battle. And  
  may I lose to the tactics I have taught you.   
  Autarch, League Of Admirals  
  ewesta@juno.com  
  For the enlightenment of the young, and the wisdom of the old.