getting stable economics in ra3

[Zero2]

i find it much much more harder to maintain cash in ra3 compare to its predecessors. anyone can teach me how to maintain the economy?

so far, ive been experimenting on refinery placings, as i theorized the placings will somehow determined the steady cash flow (with additional miners of cz) but i still reach zero.

anyone want to share experiences? or is it just a matter of BO... ?

[Miles]

It's a matter of expanding. I don't know if several collectors for one refinery makes things go faster though. I found out that I need at least 4 ore mines to have a steady cashflow.
And later in the game Mass Production Upgrade helps.

[truefeel]

Im my eyes, economy in RA3 is far too easy. It just build a refinery accros the ore mine buildings and wall it in. In all CNC games (except generals), you could maximize your economy by miner control, while now economy is just very plain and something you should concern less.

In RA2 (or any cnc games minus generals), you constantly needed to expand your mining operations to not run dry and you could micro your miners to gain an advantage on your opponent. Also you could choose between gems and ore (gems mostly being in more difficult places). Economy in RA2 was very very important and you needed alot of skill to maximize it out, while RA3 is in that aspect far too simple.

So it depends on how many ore mine buildings you have and also your BO.

[ChopBam]

Don't worry about building your economy at the start. Go see what your opponent is up to and attack his economy as soon as you can. After you've effectively slowed him down, you can expand without worrying too much.

[dak]

Im my eyes, economy in RA3 is far too easy. It just build a refinery accros the ore mine buildings and wall it in.

What is the advantage of walling in a refinery? So far I have generally found walls to be more trouble than they are worth.

[truefeel]

Well, it protects your miner longer, giving you a chance to save it when the opponent tries to attack it.

[Derek]

Wall your refineries to keep out terror drones, or completely surround them to keep engineers out. Otherwise its not critical, if you leave them open you can just retreat your harvester to someplace to repair. Still can be helpful to wall one side though. Just be aware that Sickles and Tengus can get inside walls.

As for the economy, the game shows you the optimal refinery placement, and you only need one harvester per node, this will give you the maximum income. Two nodes + oil will about keep one factory running constantly (depends on precisely what unit you are making). In order to tech or expand you will have to slow down your unit production. Most players take a fast third expansion, the third node gives you the extra income to tech, get air, or continue expanding while you continue making units. You don't ever need a second WF, if you have a lot of extra money (4-5 nodes) invest in air or naval (or infantry).

The economy was slowed down and simplified to increase focus on unit micro and prevent the simply outrageous economies of CNC3 that did nothing but encourage unit spam. It is a huge improvement over CNC3 and RA2 (not quite as good as Generals though, Gens had slightly better harassment).

[Zero2]

so in this matter, expanding quick in early games could create more income?

[Miles]

so in this matter, expanding quick in early games could create more income?
Yes but I think you'll benefit more from ruining your opponent than expanding early game. I donno. Just try both tactics.

[truefeel]

The economy was slowed down and simplified to increase focus on unit micro and prevent the simply outrageous economies of CNC3 that did nothing but encourage unit spam. It is a huge improvement over CNC3 and RA2 (not quite as good as Generals though, Gens had slightly better harassment).I can understand that, but it was just as well possible to keep the old system and tone that down (decrease in value of ore/tiberium). Now you have a boring and too simplified economy.

I also like to stress on the point that unit spam is not necessarily a bad thing.

Yes but I think you'll benefit more from ruining your opponent than expanding early game. I donno. Just try both tactics.

You'll probably don't have the money to try both, so you'll to make the right decision on that one. Depends on the map.

[Cylon Crusader]

i find it much much more harder to maintain cash in ra3 compare to its predecessors. anyone can teach me how to maintain the economy?

so far, ive been experimenting on refinery placings, as i theorized the placings will somehow determined the steady cash flow (with additional miners of cz) but i still reach zero.

anyone want to share experiences? or is it just a matter of BO... ?

Expand, this is easier done with Empire, they can expand the fastest out of all 3 factions. AS for the Allies and the Soviets, you need to expand to one or more ore fields around early-mid game.

[Zero2]

okay...latest ive been experimenting on placing refineries on base instead of close to nodes, turns out i have stabalized income in mid game. if only i can have that in the beginning...

[apple23]

Placing the refinery away from the node is just stupid. That slows down your income flow, which slows everything. The thing I love in this game is that economy depends on expansion, not just more miners on one field.

Expand as much as possible early game. Grab all the nodes you can defend at the time. When those extra nodes give you enough cash to grab another node, go get it. Repeat until you have control of all the nodes you need.

[Zero2]

you're right, but placing refineries on every nodes would be a bit costly...but whatever, ill keep on experimenting until, ill found the right one lol

[truefeel]

Placing the refinery away from the node is just stupid. That slows down your income flow, which slows everything. The thing I love in this game is that economy depends on expansion, not just more miners on one field.


But more miners also means that the field is running dry faster --> typical example in RA2/YR for most maps, especially Heck Freezes Over. You continually had to basewalk else you would run out of credits.

Expand as much as possible early game. Grab all the nodes you can defend at the time. When those extra nodes give you enough cash to grab another node, go get it. Repeat until you have control of all the nodes you need.

I don't believe you will have both the money to defend them all and to capture then+placing a refinery. You need to play it smart, defend the onces further away from your base.

[Zero2]

but i accustomed to that, at least when i know it runs dry, ill build another one or something....

but however i do watch other players, they can still maintain economics by 1 miners 1 nodes. i guess practice3...haha

[truefeel]

I will have to play RA3 to give you a specific answer. However, you don't have many options to influence income, so my guess is that you need to work on your outcome of your money. Are you maybe buildings multiple things at the same time ? Maybe you have spended too much beging game ? Questions you should think about :).

Oh btw, may I point out that "economics" is the study of economy :p. SO your title should actually be "getting a stable economy" :P

[Zero2]

=.=""

poor 'engliss' yeah. j/k.. but on contrary, maybe i do spend much things, probably on getting additional miners, units...that pretty much tells it. lol ;p

[truefeel]

I got the "Apple-virus", so don't sue me, sue Apple :p.

[Derek]

However, you don't have many options to influence income, so my guess is that you need to work on your outcome of your money.
This. You can't just mindlessly spam units while teching and expanding all at the same time. You have to manage your economy and make strategic decisions on what to spend your money on.

Don't ever build more than two things (any two things) at once until you have at least 3 nodes, and you won't be able to constantly build two things at a time until you have 4 nodes + oil.

And you should only be building harvesters when you lose one. Having two harvesters at one node will do absolutely nothing for your economy.

[truefeel]

Yeh, I realised that. I didn't played the game but it is so simple to see what you need to do for your income. I don't know yet about outcome though.

I also like to stress on that spamming units is not necesarily a bad thing. I do agree though it should be limited. I don't know how limited it is in RA3 though. Gotta find out that myself.

[Zero2]

okay i have to admit, expanding is the fastest way to gain lots of cash throughout the game. the faster the better, i have no problems with allies since they can immediately when you finish constrct refinery, but how about sovs? it not easy to expand when you start war factory stages...


(btw, if crusher crane is like secondary build-up buildings, is there anything that can do the same for allies and empire?)

[Derek]

i have no problems with allies since they can immediately when you finish constrct refinery, but how about sovs? it not easy to expand when you start war factory stages...
Soviets have the easiest expansion in the game, just pack up your MCV, move it, then build a refinery. If you have a crane you can even immediately pack up your MCV again and move to the next spot while your crane builds the ref. Allies have the hardest expansion, you have to buy a prospector, move it to the expansion, deploy it (slowly), then place a ref. On the plus side, you can have a ref already built while the refinery deploys.

(btw, if crusher crane is like secondary build-up buildings, is there anything that can do the same for allies and empire?)
For Allies you can get an extra MCV, but there is really no use. For Empire you have cores that build in 4 second, why the hell would you need a second build queue?

[Zero2]

just trying to find an idea of expanding while teching up, but that's just really hard to do yeah?

[ChopBam]

Expanding is for nought if you're rushed early on. That's why I always have a force ready to attack before I tech up or even expand.

Some have called me a Tengu spammer. :p
There was somebody on the other team yesterday who's name was Eapoc, I wonder...

[truefeel]

Nah, it wouldn't be our dear Aaron. You have copies running everywhere of him. If I'm correct, his username is EAapoc

[Cylon Crusader]

Yeh, I realised that. I didn't played the game but it is so simple to see what you need to do for your income. I don't know yet about outcome though.

I also like to stress on that spamming units is not necesarily a bad thing. I do agree though it should be limited. I don't know how limited it is in RA3 though. Gotta find out that myself.

Try this, make a few small assault forces dependant on your faction, and keep them spread out, a person used this tactic on me online and I got to thinking, that he had a much larger militar force, but he only used a total of 5 sickles, 7 flak troopers, 5 conscripts, and 5 hammer tanks per group.

Of course the thing is map control in this scenario, if I had expanded or acouted him earlier, I would have seen this coming and countered this. So expanding is key for success in RA3, wherever you do expand, make sure its near an ore field.

Sometimes you may just get lucky, for example, this one time I was empire and this other person was allies, and for some reason he had only placed one refinery, so I popped one on his other ore field, he didnt do anything about it unitl midgame.

[Zero2]

but if you saw a 'larger' military force, wouldn't that encouraging the player to build more forces? i thought the point is for the players to underestimate us.

it seems that empire is the easiest to expand in the game, followed by allied. soviet still proven hard though.

[Bouncing Ball]

but if you saw a 'larger' military force, wouldn't that encouraging the player to build more forces? i thought the point is for the players to underestimate us.
Actually you'll never really see a larger force. When scouting you'll see soon enough when someone decides to go larger. Just try to stay one step ahead of him :p

it seems that empire is the easiest to expand in the game, followed by allied. soviet still proven hard though.

Soviets have the easiest expansion in the game, just pack up your MCV, move it, then build a refinery. If you have a crane you can even immediately pack up your MCV again and move to the next spot while your crane builds the ref.

[Derek]

Sometimes you may just get lucky, for example, this one time I was empire and this other person was allies, and for some reason he had only placed one refinery, so I popped one on his other ore field, he didnt do anything about it unitl midgame.
lol, n00bs. A common trick is to put a bear or dog where your opponent wants to put an Ore Refinery, then he has to either wait until he kills it to place the ref or put the ref in a bad position.

[ChopBam]

lol, n00bs. A common trick is to put a bear or dog where your opponent wants to put an Ore Refinery, then he has to either wait until he kills it to place the ref or put the ref in a bad position.
As Empire, I usually have refineries placed before anybody can put a dog there.