first turns

[joshgreeno]

how do the ai players expand so quicklt, and how do i max out my empire growth?

[Longspur]

Sorry, double post,

[Longspur]

Well, Josh, I think you've asked a couple of very good questions here.

Until someone comes along who knows what they are talking about, let me take a crack at the first, countering AI rapid colonization.

On the history screen, as a human player you should be able to hold your own and then jump out in front of the strongest AI player in the number of planets.

When your scouting/intelligence gets going, you'll notice that the AI ends up colonizing every single planet in every single system they occupy.

I think you should be a lot more selective at what you mark for colonization at the beginning. There is time with terraforming techs and so forth to backfill and pick up yellow and red planets, although I'll take a yellow if it offers high pop/rich and is the best planet in a system. Also, yellow and red are a lot more appealing if they seem to offer a tactical advantage. But for the most part stick with greens, at least at first.


Then, when you've got your first planet in a system, if you can squeeze out a tiny system ship (helps with piracy a little too), or, of course, park a star ship there, it will keep other races from also claiming a colony in the system.

Keep your scouts, or whatever kind of ship you are using for scouting, always on the move. (Scouting is something the AI does very well.) Check every system and mark the best planets "Send Colony." And, of course, keep cranking out colony ships. I let the Viceroy send out the colony ships, and find it works just fine for me.

If you like magnant races (I do) you'll find this system nets you a lot of magnants too.

What you'll discover is that even when some AI empires seem to be running neck and neck with you in number of planets, is that you control a lot more systems and a lot more space. You'll find you have little three and four system colonial empires springing up all over the galaxy. The AI empires will always seem to have borders that are a lot more contiguous.

Perhaps later in the game all these borders and the vast space you control can turn into a real defensive nightmare, but that's another problem for a later day, and there are answers to this too, when you get there.

Even when it appears you have no place else to expand, you're still not out of business. Go back to all the systems you've settled and start considering the other planets in the system. Some of them may be pretty good, and some decidedly second or third rate.

But hey, what looks just plain awful to you might be a sweet spot for your magnants. You can use system colony ships here.

Your MOBs will trail behind your expansion -- takes awhile to research these and get 'em built -- so sometimes you'll find a late arriving colony ship plopping down on the outpost of another Empire. Bang ! You've gained some Tachidi or Silicoid or whatever as new citizens.

My attitude is, "Welcome to my empire." Hey, they pay their taxes and end up building ships, along with providing another source of migration.

I've gone back and forth on using outposts. I used to use lots of them, and even used outposts as my scout ships. Now I build nothing but colony ships. Lots of 'em.

In fact, when I achieve the tech, I build a Battle Cruiser colony ship with two colony pods and use that. This really jump starts yellows and reds, along with magnants.

But, however you do it, I think you'll find that is you are aggressive in both scouting and in colonizing, you'll be able to hold your own or easily surpass those AI empires. -- Longspur

[joshgreeno]

thanx for the info :)

[Longspur]

Gosh, Joshgreeno,

I figured a lot of folks would respond to this post quickly.

I think your starting/colonization strategy is a matter of taste, and the way you choose to play.

For instance, whether to use outposts or not. And, I'm new too, so every game I play is an experiment in progress. You know, you read something, think, hey, that's really neat, I'll try that.

I find that very aggressive colonization works for me; others may disagree. And I may be quicker than others to settle yellow and even red planets if it seems to suit my agenda.

However you choose to do it, the one thing I will stand firmly behind is -- if that's your objective -- you CAN out-colonize AI empires.

Of course, you may not like the scattered hither and yon results. It's a matter of taste and play style.

And, I'll defend agressive scouting against anyone. I figure the more you know about the galaxy you live in, the better off you are. Keep whatever ships you use for scouting moving. If you can get intelligence agreements with other Empires, after trade and research agreements which are easier, do so.

As for the second, and perhaps more important part of your question, you won't be surprised that I have strong opinions about this too. But I'll shut up about it and leave it to my betters to answer. -- Longspur

[DavidByron]

Yeah on "impossible" colonisation and aggression is where you can most easily beat the the AI--- they'll probably be beating you on tech.

Hard to give specifics because so much depends on whether you go for an Insectoid race (easy to find green worlds, high population, low minerals => use a migration strategy) or an Etherean race (hard to find green worlds, high minerals => use multiple colony pods per planet) Or something in between.

Also do you like to assault the AI or build?

Some very generally applicable comments:

If you are finding yourself fighting the AI in protracted wars at your level of play, then remember that the amount of space you grab is basically going to determine who wins the fight. You need to grab land as fast as possible.

Migrants won't cross a system that contains an enemy outpost unless it has one of yours too. They _will_ cross a Guardian system. Don't get blocked by Guardians. Send 11 outpost TFs and the 11th will be able to slip past as the others retreat. You have to expand like mad.

For the very first few turns remember that building up your home system is cheaper than others.

It's hard to give specific advice without it being specific to a particular racial strategy (in my case I play Insectoid).

[joshgreeno]

i like to be human dint know why

i defend agressively i will not attack anyone unless attacked ecept the ithuku i hate them