First of all, if you don't like map position, ctrl+n will generate a new map with the same galaxy setting, so you don't need to restart. It's a lot faster. Granted, it's also a bit abusable, but until a better placement system is put in place, it can't be avoided.


Second, the reason why they are out tech-ing you is because they are trading technologies with one another. If you have money to spy on them, you would see that their research spending is abysmal when compared to yours, however, if one develope a technology they will trade it to other people for other technologies or cash. So if you don't do the same (trade with them), you will have to compete technologically with not just one AI, but all of the AI at once. You're not alone in this, most new players run into this problem and has no idea what's going on and will start screaming that the AI is cheating (I'm glad you're not one of them BTW), when they are just using diplomacy to their advantage.

To keep up in technologies, you have several options:

1) Tech trade like they do, simply go talk to everyone you meet, buy/trade for all their technologies, and then turn around and trade/sell it to everyone else before they can (I call this strategy tech whoring). In fact, in the official 1.0x, tech whoring can be used to the extreme to beat the AI silly. This has been addressed and won't be so powerful in later versions.

2) Focus heavily into research. I believe this is the strategy you are trying from your description, however you have to understand that this method won't pay off until the mid-late games when the technology costs a lot more than the beginning. When that happens, the AI takes dozens of weeks to research anything, so even if they trade with one another, you will still come out on top.

3) Steal technologies. There are two methods to stealling techs, the first is to put lots of money into spying, and when you get to "advance" espionage, you will have a change to steal technologies from the AI, this method is a little random though. The second method is through military conquest, because everytime you successfully invade a world, you have a high chance to steal technologies as well.

4) All of the above. Essentially, this is what a good player uses. Heavy tech trading at the beginning to balance out the tech advantage, then switch to a research mode, or a military mode to take the rest by force, or both, and spying on the side because you want the knowledge anyways.



As for playing tips...

1) Military Rating: To inflate your Military Ratings, build a spin control center and omega defense system on the same planet, then put all your strongest ship in there. It should make it look like you have 2-3 times your best ships. Great if you're doing the diplomacy/culture route.

2) Economy: One of the most important aspect of the game is not how many research worl or manufacturing world you have, but how many you can afford to run. That is to say, it doesn't matter if your planets are full of research center if you can only spend 50%. In this case, it would be more beneficial to have 3/4 the amount of research center, and put that 1/4 into money production so that you can spend 100%, and thus research 150% of what you did before. To do this, it would be wise to set aside your larger worlds for economic production only. These worlds will probably have 2 farms, enough morale centers to keep them happy, and the rest stock exchanges.

3) World build up: Instead of your current, factory, econ center, farm, try: factory, factory, econ, econ, farm. One factory takes forever to build anything, and there's no point in putting that farm up early, so only do it when your population is about to reach maximum. Don't bother with planetary defense installations, they are pretty much useless (except for the Omega Defense System, which is used in conjuction with the Spin Control Center to jack up your military ratings). Just build a military starbase that covers your planet, and then put up a fleet outside the planet if you're desperate, although one small defender in orbit with full military starbase support will probably be more than enough.


If you can master these aspects, I guarantee you will be able to beat the intelligent AI in a fair start.

In 1.0X I have no problem out researching the AI on level Tough. I think you are buying to much; the AI makes this mistake too. When you buy something instead of building it, you pay 10 times the cost. At the start of the game you have a cash reserve. I use this to buy the first factory (if I can afford to) on each planet I colonize to get things going. Next I build a second factory followed by a stargate (unless I won't be building ships here). At this point I build planetary improvements based on the role this planet will play. Take notice of the bonus squares and be smart about where you place your capitals (also your capitals should specialize). By limiting my buying I can run my industry at 100% and cover the shortfall with my cash reserve. Doing so I out research the AI and can trade tech or sell tech to the friendly AIs to keep up my cash reserve. Researching the diplomatic techs will get you better deals in your trades but don't trade/sell them to the AIs. The minor races will give you the best deals. Also, the minor races have good planets (PQ 15) and have weak militaries so capture them (unless they are aligned with a major you don't want to go to war with).

Some basic tenets of strategy games also apply to this one. A good start means everything in the world, and from there you must capitalize on all your opportunities.

Some things to consider also, making PQ 7-8 worlds either farm worlds for money reserves or research centers to boos t your tech beaker output. Unless of course you find the precursor artifact 700% production on one and then its 5 x factory, entertainment, and starport to crank out ships.

I do a bit of specialization and generalization. General worlds ranging from pq 9 to 12, which have a mix of factory farm and entertain and labs. my build order is usally factory factory factory starport entertain farm entertain lab lab. On larger worlds I put my capitals on. A pq 26 if I can get one or the largest available. Tech Capital, I build 3 factory to make all the labs first, then entertain, no starport, all labs save for last tile which is tech capital. Manufacturing capital world is 90% factory save for the starport, 2 entertains and 1 farm and the manufacturing capital of course. Econ farm world builds are factory factory factory farm on a bonus tile or two farms w/o bonus, entertain x 4, and a lab or two.
Generally I build my econ capital early on my homeworld since its already going to have at least 10 billion peoples add a farm and more entertains later on (in the early game homeworld is the best manufacturer world till I setup the manufacturing capital/hq ) .

Protect yourself. Every world you own should have at least a couple fighters. Even if they're defenders. After that station a fleet or two between star systems you control. Build up some starbases for defense and potential offense.