rezaf rezaf

How does the AI manage to skyrocket it's research so fast?

▼

How does the AI manage to skyrocket it's research so fast?

from GalCiv2 Forums
I'm still pretty new to the game, so please bear with me.
But how the heck does the AI manage to get so far ahead in tech so quickly?
In my last game, I encountered the first AI player when I had just finished my 2nd colony ship (3rd if you count the starting one), and I had built nothing in between. Had built a factory, 2 research labs, another factory and then two other structures on the homeworld in this time.
The AI player had about fifteen techs I didn't have, including Lasers IV and one other "far out" tech, and I didn't have ANYTHING to trade.
None of my colonies did even finish it's first building by then.
So, how does the AI do that? I remember reading they do not cheat, so .... how?
Thanks in advance
_____
rezaf
research
25,434 views 30 replies
Reply #26 from Stardock Forums Top
Are you building your initial colony ships instead of buying them? If so, you could be giving the rival civs an advantage in that you're allowing them to colonize faster.


I would encourage you not to spew this garbage of an advice to new players. Buying colony ships only works on small maps. On any thing medium up you need to make that initial 5k BC last a long time. I build colony ships, and have done so for a long time now. I play Huge moving on to gigantic. Wasting all your money on buying ships is nonsense that will run you to the poorhouse when your colony maintenece hits you for -50~70 bcs per turn and you have no reserves.

Don't buy ships, buy factories, make the ships.
Reply #27 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I would encourage you not to spew this garbage of an advice to new players. Buying colony ships only works on small maps. On any thing medium up you need to make that initial 5k BC last a long time. I build colony ships, and have done so for a long time now. I play Huge moving on to gigantic. Wasting all your money on buying ships is nonsense that will run you to the poorhouse when your colony maintenance hits you for -50~70 bcs per turn and you have no reserves.


Buying the ships is really the only way on small maps or you're beaten to the punch. But yeah, I agree with you on large maps, better off in the long run buying the factories instead and you'll get a decent number of planets to stay competitive and have an infrastructure built to support construction of markets, constructors, and trade ships.
Elemental: Reforged
Reply #28 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Actually, I played a few games only for a limited number of turns and I found while I always fall behind technologically, there is usually some point where my much stronger economy begins to make an impact and propels me to heights never dreamed of. Since the AI (talking normal difficulty here) isn't too eager to start a war against the player until the game has progressed a fair bit, I simply ignore tech and wait for that point.
The reason I came up with that playstyle was the ridiculous planet grabbing that occurs in all early GC2 games. I hated it in Civ3 and I hate it again. I also strongly dislike the starbase clutter in the later stages of the game.

To counter, I made myself some modifications. Colony and Construction modules now have a huge supply malus (-18/-10), so the range of Colony and Construction ships is extremely limited. That slows down the whole process quite a bit. I've just had a planet first colonized in late 2230 (more than 250 weeks into the game) on a large map by an AI player. That's much more fun than seeing it all being grabbed within the first few months, IMO.
Additionally, I raised the price of colony modules to 250 and the price of construction modules to 200.

Back on topic, the tip that basically helped me much and that I use now extensively is excessive tech trading. Especially with minors, I do that to the death now.
_____
rezaf
Reply #29 from GalCiv2 Forums Top


I would encourage you not to spew this garbage of an advice to new players. Buying colony ships only works on small maps. On any thing medium up you need to make that initial 5k BC last a long time. I build colony ships, and have done so for a long time now. I play Huge moving on to gigantic. Wasting all your money on buying ships is nonsense that will run you to the poorhouse when your colony maintenece hits you for -50~70 bcs per turn and you have no reserves.

Don't buy ships, buy factories, make the ships.


Thats funny. I always play on gigantic maps and I certainly buy as many fast colony ships as possible. Not that it had anything to do with the initial posters question anyway.
Reply #30 from Stardock Forums Top
I seem to have found something interesting, its an observation ive made in my last 4-5 games. Each one was 5 players large galaxy with tech set on very slow. This seems to impact the AI more then me since they dont seem to amass tons of techs like they do on normal tech speed. In every game so far played at very slow ive been able to keep up or out tech the AI easily. Just an observation for those who havent given the tech speeds a try. Ive gotta try very fast now and see how bad i get burned.