Influence Victory - Too easy?

I had a few games where i focused only on building influence starbases. I play at the "tough" level. I think there is something wrong with the way it is done. I tried following the same playing scheme everytime, and it worked every time.

First of all, i played on large galaxy with all the other things randomized (6 opponents set at intelligents). What i did : expand (not very much cause in my last games the habitable planets were uncommon), then rush my closest neighbor with medium ships and a few transports. I conquer my closest neighbor. After this, i only develop yellow techs : trade, influence techs, etc... Then i watch the biggest civillization out there : the most powerful. Often, it is the Arceans. I ONLY trade with them : i send all my freighters to them. They love me. Finally i conclude an alliance with them.

The strange thing is that while im really behind military speaking, the other civs don't declare war. I have a few ships on each of my planets, but nothing really impressive. When i have researched most of the yellow techs, i only build constructors. I pick a civilization, place a rally point near its homeworld, construct influence base, and spam constructors. I build every influence module i can. The planets flip one by one. Of course, i get the "Hey, you are building an influence starbases near my worlds : go away or i will crush you" sentence ; but they don't have the time to do anything about it. They just watch as their planets flip.
They SHOULD declare war ; if only for one turn, it would allow them to destroy my influence starbases and then, maybe, beg for peace... But no : they just watch. And they die slowly, one by one. I conquer the whole galaxy this way, and, being allied with the major civilization out there, i soon win a diplomatic victory.

What is strange is that all the civs are at least "neutral" with me, even while im spamming 3 or 4 influence starbases near their homeworld ! (btw - do their effect stack?)! They all like me, but im killing them !
If i was facing a human player, he would instantly declare war, destroy my unprotected starbases, and then ask for peace ; at least he would do something. But the AIs are only watching it happen without doing anything.

Maybe this needs tweaking? What are your experiences with influence victories?

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Am i the only one to find this situation strange?

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If i was facing a human player, he would instantly declare war, destroy my unprotected starbases, and then ask for peace ; at least he would do something. But the AIs are only watching it happen without doing anything.

What and miss the latest episode of that great show u r broadcasting at there homeworld? If the military did that u would have a revolution!

They all like me, but im killing them !

Thats cause u r giving them exactly what they want and no u r not killing them, u r taking control of there governments due to overwhealming popular acclaim.

I had a few games where i focused only on building influence starbases. I play at the "tough" level.

Try the tactic on suicidal level and see if u can succeed then, my friend!

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I just finished my first game and won with an Influence victory as well. In my case, the AI was set to easy -- whatever the default first-game intelligence is -- and I set up a single influence base in the home systems of all the other races. I then built constructor ships like mad and chased down yellow tech. Every turn I could afford, I'd outright buy constructor ships and race them back to the Influence bases and upgrade the bases as fast as I could afford. Won the game in under 2 hours on a small map.

I was very surprised the AI didn't send a couple defenders or fighters or whatever to smoke my Influencers. Also, it seemed that once I had secured an alliance with a race there's no WAY they'd fight my Influence base. No complaints, nothing. The guys who complained the most ended up being the first to hand planets over to me once I installed the +100 Influence modules.

Anyway, kind of easy but a good first learning game. I'm looking forward to taking another crack at it on a harder level and a bigger map.

p

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Maybe this needs tweaking? What are your experiences with influence victories?

Never had one. Turn that option off. Crank up your difficulty a few notches and try doing that. You will get all the war you want.

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Influence only works at all because the A.I. is meant to be manipulated by diplomacy. Its part of the this single player game. An influence strategy would *never* work in multiplayer. Its working as intended.

That being said, if the a.i. has a decent military lead on you, and when you haven't rushed the yellow techs, it will see those influence bases as a provocation and attack them first.

The higher the level of the go, the greater the a.i. resource advantage, the greater their influence and military, the more difficult this is to pull up.

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Oh, and you are playing 1.31, correct? Something doesn't sound right about the ease with which you allied with the most powerful neighbor if you were really as militarily behind as you say.

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Are you guys playing 1.3? Only reason I ask is because everytime I use Influence starbases and start taking planets. The AI goes beserk and declares war. Just wondering.

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I was playing a 1.31 Metaverse (my first and still technically not done) and the Terrans were being threatening about me having Influence Starbases near their territory- particularly one that allowed me the range to have trade routes with them.

I intend to conquer the Terrans by Influence, then, perhaps with their resources, I'll manage to be able to leap ahead of the other races in every area, and thus have the power to crush them all under my foot... eventually. Everyone's allied with everyone, currently, so it's very tricky for me to try and stir up trouble.

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Yup, I'm playing 1.31 -- but, again, not on a particularly rugged AI setting. I kept expecting my influence bases to come under fire, but nope! I wonder if this is also a function of the very small map? I only "needed" one central star base to give me enough range to set up trade routes with everyone.

p.

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