Culture Bombing too Powerful?

from GalCiv2 Forums
Hey folks, GalCiv 1 junkie, first time poster...

To the point: I've found that I can quickly win a game by following this formula...

Create a construction ship with two warp drives and a construction module on a cargo hull, crank 'em out as fast as possible. While building and fortifying starbases in enemy territory I research the culture tree, and then install the culture modules in appropriately-fortified bases. The AI declares war and tries to pop the influence stations (way points to each station are, of course, named "culture bomb 1," "culture bomb 2," etc). AI backs off after the solar system flips. Rinse, repeat. Just make sure you got the dough to pay for the uber culture modules, and you're set.

Too easy? How should the AI adapt?
7,497 views 11 replies
Reply #1 from Stardock Forums Top
Well, if you can defend those starbases, they deserve to be flipped.
Reply #2 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
not to mention after you build so many they start to cost a Ton, so if you can afford all those bases, and, like dracil said, defend them then you're doing something right
Offworld Trading Company
Reply #3 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Generally I've found that the AI tries to compensate with its own Influence Starbases and by building Embassies on their own worlds. If the player has access to an Influence Resource, though, nothing short of a fleet of Dreadnoughts is going to stop you.

Maybe Influence could be balanced by getting rid of Influence Resources. If the player could choose what types of resources spawn in the galaxy that could alleviate the problem.
Reply #4 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
While effective, that requires a significant lead in technology to pull off, I think.
Reply #5 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
As always, what AI level? I suspect what works on one level might not be so easy to achieve on others. Step it up a notch, then tell us if this works so easily.
Reply #6 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
ya, 2 maxed mining bases on influence resources and you dont even need separate influence starbases. just watch the map getting flooded with your influence/color.

Id love an option to say how many (or none) resources of each kind should be placed on the map when generating it. influence and military resources are way too powerful imo.
Reply #7 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Hehe Just wanted to chime in and point out that there is another thread in the forum talking about how Culture Flipping is "too difficult" I'd be curious to see the difference picking different races has when specificially trying to win using this meathod.
Reply #8 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I think its a factor of what level the person is playing on. Easy game = easy flip, Tough game = tough to flip.
No data to back that assertion up, other than a couple of observations playing once on easy and another on tough.
Reply #9 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Actually culture bombing is used by the ai as well. I'm in a game with a large map and all races. The thalans are currently the most powerful civ. They have massive influence. They are building influence bases and are going for an influence victory. of course I will have to end that.
Reply #10 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I agree, There should be a way to edit how many resources there are. Adding or removing them should't affect the overall total score, but just increase and decrease the amount of playing time in any given game.
Reply #11 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Thanks for the replies, folks.

As noted, a mature influence resource mining station makes it almost impossible for the AI to fight back when you're culture bombing.

I just upped the AI intelligence to "painful" and won again last night. The AI really has a hard time with SB fortifications II.

I am playing a custom civ that is focused on econ, as these culture bombs get pretty pricey. My custom-civ's first tech is basically planetary improvement so I can get all those lovely +10's right from the first turn.