Isn't Planetary Invasion pretty difficult to research? There are many techs to research at the beginning, are you sure that diverting resources is a good idea?

Try it on Intelligent (Tough) and watch the AI spank you.

while I haven't tried it, it's kind of a hard thing to imagine being successful, except maybe in a tiny map against only one or two enemies...
I think they put Planetary Invasion a few steps down the tech tree in order to prevent this kind of exploit. But, I guess until I try the strategy, i won't know for sure whether or not it makes for an easy win.

either way, though, I'm thinking the devs probably should have renamed the "Normal" AI setting to something else. That seems to be the difficulty setting everyone is using the decide whether or not the AI is smart, even though on "Normal," it still has its intelligence turned down AND its economy is only running at 75% of normal.

The game is as hard as you want it to be. I can create a game where no matter what my starting position is I will dominate the entire game or I can make one that is extremely challenging.

Yes it is very feasible. Massive R&D, which you can sell for good $$ to minors, which in turn funds your mini-invasion fleet. This will only work on tiny/small maps and against opponents with or less than bright setting. Like someone else noted, on intelligent+ setting they will be ready

GalCiv1 had this same problem. People just aren't used to difficulty levels adjusting what the AI actually does, rather than just giving it more or less money.

They see the AI on "normal" do something stupid, and think stupid AI; not realizing that yes, it is a stupid AI. At "normal" it's supposed to be!

Not that the AI is perfect or anything even on Intelligent, just saying.

It would also be cool if there were a distance to Homeworld morale/loyalty penalty, so that your ourter rim planets would frequently rebel (not necessary defect, just become Pirates). This would also force researchign up the entertainment tree (which is quite expensive) to keep border worlds in-line. Currently the only possible difficulty of border worlds is influence, which can easily be amended by plunking down an influence base (which is jst too easy).

I think something like this is needed as a check/balance against rapid explansion as well as a check/balance against the largest civ in the galaxy.

MG

Early rush works to about challenging level, after that be prepared to be conquered by those that watched you rush another civ and while your down.

Personnally I always spread my colony ships and often manage to get pretty close to other homeworld.

I always make the GOOD choice and I honey talk the Altarians and if I have a technology, no matter what, I sell it to the altarians.

This nearly invariably lead the more evil races to menace me PRIOR they even get planetary invasion. I take a complete unegociable position.

They declare WAR over me. The Altarians declare WAR over them.

I give the planet which is the closest to the Drengin Homeworld to the Altarian and I enjoy the show! Backing the Altarians of course...I load my transports close to the Drengin Homeworld and eventually, I rip the homeworld before the Altarians do.

Just honey talk the Altarians a LOT!

Anyway, that work pretty well for me.

By then, the Arcean and the Torian usually like me enough (like the Altarians) to secure me against anything, I can go anyway, been the most spreaded empire time play in my favor. Diplomacy matters a LOT. My main fear at this stage is to see the Altarians goes to war against the Torian (unlikely) or the Arcean (happen more). However, I usually accept peace with the Drengins (who have nearly nothing worth fighting for by now) while the Altarians are not, this refusal may delay them a LOT. Of course I say Drengin, it can be any evil empire...the Yor are possible...but let's say, the Drengin are usually the faster to declare war over an undefended GOOD empire.

I don't know how many times the devs have to say this.. If your not playing on Intellegent, don't complain.