SMART ACTIONS
The normal system for a game like Star Chase is that you write orders that are very
precise: you say exactly what you want, and if you get your orders right then that's
what will happen. With smart actions the idea is that you choose the action to say
what overall effect you want, and the when the game is running the details are
filled out for you (according to a strict set of rules).
An important feature of these actions is that they're converted into real actions
at the time they're processed. They can react to things that have happened earlier
in the turn. They can't do anything you couldn't have ordered for yourself, but if
you're clever with them they might sometime do things you wouldn't order because
you couldn't be sure whether they'd be possible.
There's nothing to stop you mixing normal actions and smart actions in the same
turn, except you'd better be careful they don't interfere with each other (usually
you'll want to do normal actions first and then smart actions later - the smart
actions might do something that prevent the other things you ordered from working)
ALPHABETICAL LIST OF ACTIONS
The actions available are listed below in alphabetical order.
The format for all these actions is that you just enter the action name.
You shouldn't enter anything in the "Where From", "Where To" or "Number" columns.
Example: [ SETTLE ] [ blank ] [ blank] [ blank ]
to plant a new colony
BORDER
The BORDER action uses one of the NEWCRS, NEWFTR, BUILD or COLONISE actions to
build up the defences on the borders of your empire. It builds whichever of
cruisers or fighters that allows the most ships in a system on the border (if the
number is the same either way then it builds cruisers). If there's nowhere suitable
to build ships then it builds industry somewhere on the border (so as to be able to
build ships another time) and if there's nowhere to build industry (because there's
no population) then it tries to plant a colony (so as to be able to build industry
another time).
This is the most complicated of the smart actions. You're probably not going to use
it except in some very rare situations, and not when the BUILD or COLONISE options
are needed.
CRUISERS
The CRUISERS action builds new cruisers using the NEWCRS action wherever you can
build the most (between systems where you can build the same number the preference
is first for border stars and then for where there are the most cruisers already).
This is an action that can easily use up all your BPs, especially early in the
game when it's probably more important to build individual cruisers in the
locations where they're needed (according to where you're going to be
exploring next).
EXPLORE
The EXPLORE action searches for unowned systems that can be captured by your
cruisers with a MOVE action. Normally a single cruiser will be sent, but if
there are more cruisers together and no other unowned systems adjacent then
more might be sent. The order of preference for where to explore is dwarf
stars first, then giant stars, then planets, then asteroid belts (the different
stars in order of their population limits).
An advantage (or disadvantage, depending on your inclination) of using EXPLORE
actions rather MOVE actions is that EXPLORE won't try to grab stars that were
unowned at the start of the turn but which someone else has captured earlier
in the turn before your action is processed.
FIGHTERS
The FIGHTERS action builds new fighters using the NEWFTR action wherever you
can build the most (between systems where you can build the same number the
preference is for where there are the most fighters already).
It's more likely that you'll want to make your own choice for where you want
to build fighters. A better idea might be to build them in locations where they
can easily be picked up by colony ships.
GATHER
The GATHER action uses the MOVE action to try to concentrate fleets in the
interior of your empire. The first preference is to move the largest fleet that
isn't at a border star to either a border star or your fleet base.
The second choice is to combine the largest pair of adjacent forces that
aren't at border stars (ie. whatever pairing produces the largest combined fleet).
If neither of these are possible then some fleet not at a border will move at random.
Cruisers in border areas won't be moved.
This is almost certainly an action you'll use only when you're too busy to work
out your turn properly, and it's certainly not going to be useful early in the game.
For sure you're going to be able to work out a better move for yourself.
INCREASE
The INCREASE action builds industry by using a BUILD action. This will be wherever
you have room for industry that provides the best rate of return (ie. the biggest
increase in income divided by the cost of the action, and the biggest affordable
build where the rate of return is the same). Your Industry Tech is taken into account.
Be careful with this action, as it's easy to blow all your BPs at once at leave
yourself with nothing to spend in the rest of the turn. It's better to use this
for a high-numbered action late in the turn.
LIFT
The LIFT action searches for the largest group of cruisers that it can find at a
planet or an asteroid belt where you own the parent star and uses a SEND action
to lift them back into space.
In Star Chase you often come through the early stages with single cruisers
scattered all over the place, parked in the planets and asteroids they discovered.
Later in the game the same thing happens with the remnants of assault fleets when
you capture similar systems from other empires. There's usually something more
important to do than collect all the strays together again.
POP
The POP action expands your population by using a GROW action. This will be
wherever you have population that provides the best rate of rate of return (ie.
the biggest increase income divided by the cost of the action). Your Agri Tech
and Birth Labs tech levels are taken into account.
Unless you want more population in a specific location (when you intend to build
some industry in the same place in another action, for example) then POP is probably
a better action than GROW.
SCREEN
The SCREEN action builds fighters wherever it can build the most that add to the
fighter screens of your colony ships (within the limit of your Fighter Tech, so that
the fighters can continue to accompany their colony ships). If there's nowhere
suitable to build fighters then it will attempt to move some for the same purpose
instead. If it can't do that then it will simply build fighters in your base system.
This is probably a useful action if you're in a hurry, that saves searching
through your game report to find the colony ships that need protection. It might also
be useful when you don't know where your colony ships will be or whether their
fighter screens will be up to strength.
SETTLE
The SETTLE action uses the COLONISE action to plant a colony somewhere you own that
could have population but doesn't (ie. not black dwarf stars). Given a choice of
where to colonise the preference is for wherever has the highest pop limit, except
that the system already occupied by the colony ship is normally the last choice
(because it can still be colonised later in the same turn). If a colony ship only
has one un-colonised system adjacent then a SETTLE action may use a MOVECOL action
instead (again another SETTLE action later in the same turn - or another turn - can
plant the colony and the move may open up new areas to colonise, while if the colony
ship stayed where it was then it'd probably never be able to find anywhere with a
SETTLE action again).
This could be a useful action early in the game. Many players struggle to use their
colony ships effectively, in which case this action should help most of the time.
Later in the game when colony ships are used mostly for holding defensive positions,
blockading planets, as fighter carriers and for delivering buster bombs you'll find
this action is no use at all.
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