I find that things get too boring if there are no wars going on in a GC II game. I would like to play more action oriented matches. I realize there are many ways to play and win at the game, but I think the military victory is the most appealing. I have nothing against the other victory conditions, I just prefer the combat aspects of the game.

I love the ship designer and that's one of the reasons why I want to play war heavier games. It gives me a lot more opportunities to create my own units and watch them against the AI. In slower, more peaceful games, there is less incentive for me to use it.

What scenarios, settings, options, difficulty levels, maps, etc. do players set up their games with to ensure that it is centered around warfare?