It might be worth the constructor to deny the recource to the AI. Only problem is, how do you claim the recource in the first place when there will be an AI starbase already there?

sometimes I used to send constructors out and park near recources to wait for the AI starbase to get killed by somone else in galciv1. However in galciv2 the AI at war with you will ruthlessly track down and kill any unprotected constructors so that dousnt work anymore.

one strategy I read about which I want to try is build ships that can wipe out the offending SBs and place them next to them. Then find an AI willing to except the gift ships in exchange for declaring war. It sounded fun when I read it so I got to try it ...

Another good one is if an AI you know you will be getting in a fight with gets in a war with a minor race, especially a minor race living inside your borders, you can strategically place small fleets of ships along your borders where the AI's ships are clustered up. You don't have to worry about them doing anything since they will almost certainly just drag the ships back to their homeworld and park them after the fighting is done.

Yes the terrans are at war with the scotlingas deep inside my little cluster of worlds, however I don't like how the terrans are positioning ships next to 2/3 of my worlds. Move some ships around, write down their names, give them to the scotlingas in exchange for some spiffy techs. A half dozen or so turns later the terran military is decimated and I've built up a dozen troop ships to invade their poorly defended worlds . Later on, bribe for declaring war and repeat with the next AI when it's all strung out across your territory.

Buy their bases from them.

They want ridiculous prices for them. Drath wouldn't accept 50,000 bc for an unupgraded Econ Starbase.

works well in galciv1... You could surround the sold ships with constructors and this would force them to attack the starbase(since it was the only way out). dousn't work so well in galciv2, the ships you sell mostly refuse to kill the starbase, even if you surround them with constructors.

I created a test scenario for SB removal and found some fairly good results against minor races. A major race will do the honors if its against a minor like the Akillians. Major races, however drew mixed results. I set a tight cluster, rare everthing map with random everything at tough. In one cluster I put the Praxians, the Scottlingas, and the Torians. I found that allied as the Terrans with the Torians that the Torians put a military SB in the quadrant, while the Praxians put up 3 influence SBs. I set up a trade route with the Scottlingas from my capital, which I eqipped with an econo capital and then trade the tech to the Scotties. Within a few turns the Praxians and the Scottlingas were at war with each other. Interesting side note - the trade route generated ~150bc my way and around ~300bc the Scotty way(it was established at 74bc my way so I suspect the econ cap effects the amount since pop was steady with no other improvements). Shortly after the Praxians began pounding the Scottlingas both came to me for aid ... so I bought the Praxians 3 influence SBs and gave the Scotts 10bc. I then bought the Torian's military SB and parked a troop transport fleeted with a medium escort there. I then paid the Torians to attack the Praxians - who had about 16 frigates, heavy fighters, and escorts. The Torians eventually brought their whole fleet across the map to attack the Praxians who began destroying everybody's SBs except mine. The Torian's world in that cluster had an influence ratio that went to 3.88 after the Praxians destroyed their SBs. Since the Torians didn't have troop transports, I waited until the Torian fleets wipe out all the Praxian ships and then offered to attack the Praxians if the Torians made peacewith the Praxians and attacked the Scottlingas(with a little tech incentive ... wand a bit of cash the Torians agreed and I invaded the Praxian home world and captured it). The Torians captured the Scottlingas world and the lost their world to my influence, with the Scotties world soon to follow ... however, it didn't work with Torian influence SBs around my planets. I'm still researching that...

Nobody has mentioned that resource starbases serve a secondary function of extending your range. Not everyone plays on abundant everything maps , ya know.

dreamrider

Regarding the original thread, i wouldnt worry at all about an AI economy starbase near you, it doesnt hurt you. And if the UP vote for shared starbase benifits or even a tribute for starbases in someone else's territory as mentioned before, you might get something nive out of them.

Now i agree about the influence and military starbases. but i really havent seen too many for myself.

AI influence starbases are brilliant! Gives them a false sense of security against your influence until some other Race goes to war with them, kills the starbases and you influence overwhealms them. mmwwwaaaahhhhh