ArkhanTheBlack

Join Date 04/2006

More action for second expansion?

I'd be interested if the second expansion will offer some more action oriented content like space pirates, rich planets protected by weird space hydras, invading super space monsters and the good old Antarian attacks (or something like that).

The starting phase of the game is very long and there's almost nothing happening in that time. I played the game one year ago, and although it looked quite good at the beginning I got bored because after 3 days of playing I had not a single combat. Sure, the difficulty was probably to low and I was acting very passive because I was a beginner, but after I got bored I simply had no motivation to play the game again.

But actually, the game mechanics were not that bad, especially the building on the planets, star bases, space mining and the anomalies. Therefore, I now picked the dark avatar expansion and gave the game another chance. A lot of games unleash their full potential in the expansions.
This time I started with normal difficulty, tiny galaxy size and five opponents to get some more 'action'. But at the moment I see the same pattern again. The only interaction with the other races was a dry "Hello!" so far.
Since I'm not an expert in the game, I might be playing a bit too passive and react more to the actions of the other races.

The AI is supposed to be very good and I won't deny that. The last report showed that the other races succeeded me in total power. What I predict is that they will soon reach a point of enough superiority to start a major asssault and annihilate me very quick.
The problem is that it's a bit of an all or nothing thing. No combat at all or total annihilation. But of course, the AIs are probably doing the right thing. They don't risk something until they are powerfull enough. After all, if one race attacks me too early they might suffer too heavy losses and get attacked by the other races. Therefore it's a bit of a stalement situation. That's good for the AI side, but not so good for the entertainment factor. Every race seems to play their own individual game without any interaction at all between them. Nobody asks me for a treaty, threatens me or trys to abuse me in some way. Orion II was a bit more active in this way, at least at the start, though I wouldn't say that diplomacy was a particular strength of Orion II.

The current AI's are probably better for good end game entertainment, but what I'm missing is some early to mid game distraction from the daily building routine. Orion II was quite good in this segment since it had frequent galaxy news, Antarian attacks and lots of space monsters. Therefore you could have some combat fun even without being in total war with another race. I think the economic gameplay is very good, and it will be even better in the second expansion with the individual tech trees. But what I miss is some more distraction. At the moment I feel somehow 'lonely' in the universe. What about some neutral 'barbarian' races which bring some early fun...

Of course I'd be also happy about some tips how to get more action and interaction with the other races without starting a suicide trip. After all I'm not an expert in the game.

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Mystikmind

Join Date 06/2004

+20

You need to pick a fight with a distant race, and then wait for their fleets to arrive so you can annihilate them 1 by 1.

This prevents boredom as well as adding experience to your ships so that upgrading them later on will be very benificial

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Dark Avatar does have mega events that do offer things to fight, Pirates, the Jagged Knife, and most importantly the Dread Lords. Also theres smaller scale ones, like a pirate outbreak relating to the united planets jail vote. Also you do know that AI at normal is passive, if you ramp up to challenging it will start making threats, and somewhat bolder moves earlier.

Though i do concur, this game needs space monsters! I loved those things in Galactic Civilizations I, and i feel they should make a return. They made a nice little distraction when things were running all too smooth.

And if you want to the fight, why not declare war yourself? Why do you wait for the alien to come to your door step, when you can start fighting him before he has the strength to annihilate you? It's better to take the fight to them, than wait for them to take the fight to you.

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I will admit the beginning of the game is boring.

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Mystikmind

Join Date 06/2004

+20

My current game just became booring and I am wondering what to do?

Ok it is huge galaxy with abundant everything, the drengin are set to ‘obscene’ level all other races included but one level less than drengin.

The only races left are the Drath, Drengin, Arcean, Alterian, and Torians.

I have alliance with Alterian and they have alliance with Torians and Torians are aligned with the Drath.

Everyone loves me except the drengin but I do not want to attack then because I am trying to groom them to be very strong.

I dislike the Torians, they are in my face and are the most powerful race, but since they are allied with the alterians who are my ally, I do not know what to do? Also they are using mass drivers but my fleets are mostly atuned to missiles.

I have maximum technology in lasers, missiles, missile defence and mass drivers defence. My super dreadnaughts now have 100 missile defence and 20 mass driver defence with about 200 laser attack.

I wan’t to attack the Torians but I am trying to keep ships for a final big war with the Drengin! I don’t know what to do??

Oh i forgot one thing, i nailed a 60% starship bonus planet which is producing all my ships!

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Dark Avatar does have mega events that do offer things to fight, Pirates, the Jagged Knife, and most importantly the Dread Lords.

I didn't get those yet. Do I have to play the campaign for those events?

Also you do know that AI at normal is passive, if you ramp up to challenging it will start making threats, and somewhat bolder moves earlier.

Makes sense. It's a bit tricky to find the right difficulty level to get some action without being wiped out immediately.

And if you want to the fight, why not declare war yourself? Why do you wait for the alien to come to your door step, when you can start fighting him before he has the strength to annihilate you? It's better to take the fight to them, than wait for them to take the fight to you.

Well, I usually don't start too aggressive if I'm still in the learning phase, but actually... I've done exactly that now! I attacked the Arcaeans after they demanded tribute from me. But it happened almost what I expected. Since I never had a combat before I made a teching mistake and they've much better ships than me. I lost all my ships, and they are going to shred me to pieces now. That's also another reason why I like some neutral combat encounters in the early game stages. They are excellent training scenarios. But well, at least I know my mistake now. They won't get me so easy again...

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I wan’t to attack the Torians but I am trying to keep ships for a final big war with the Drengin! I don’t know what to do??

Get the Drengins to attack the Torians(or vice versa). Then while the Torians are busy with the Drengin, rush in and take as many of the Torian planets that you can. Then finish both of them off.....and then turn on the Altarians!

PS: Is there a free for all mode? I want everyone against everyone from the start. No peace. No alliances. No trade. Just WAR!

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Mystikmind

Join Date 06/2004

+20

Yea that sounds like a plan. Although the torians are already at war with the drengin, but not much is happening as far as i can tell.

It is quite strange really, i mean when i was at war with the drengin just previously, and the drengin were still at war with the torians at that time... the drengin rushed a couple of fleets down to attack my starbases. The drengin fleets flew rite past a torian maxed out influence recource starbase on their way to attacking my starbases??

Then when i kicked the drengin ass, they sued for peace and havn't sent any more fleets to attack the torian starbase? What the hell gives with that??

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Mystikmind

Join Date 06/2004

+20

Oh i forgot to mention, at the beggining of the game, i did actually own that influence recource, and it was the very first thing the drengin took out when they declared war on me very early in the game. Seems as though now that an AI race owns it, it is no longer an important target?

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There are specific game scenarios you can start that have a constant war (Drengin-human wars, I believe, is one of them).

As for the game not being warlike enough... well, playing on Normal is going to cut that down a bit. The AIs have significant economic penalties at that level and aren't running their best algorithms. However, I find that up to a certain point in the game, everyone's attention is mostly focused inwards. Colonization, infrastructure, having enough people for a healthy economy, and keeping up in research goes on until some sort of critical mass is hit. Usually, when one player starts eclipsing another in power, or one civ becomes weak, the whole "balance of power" disappears and the galaxy all goes to war at once.

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Also, if there aren't any races with a deep grudge toward eachother (Drengin and Torian, Drath and Altarian, Yor and Iconians) you often end up with a galaxy of hippies, all loving and friendly.

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Hi!

I dislike the Torians, they are in my face and are the most powerful race,

For a change you can try the influence SB spam. Buid 100 cheap constructors, send them to torians' space and build in the same turn 10 fully upgraded influence SBs over their best planets. In 5 to 10 turns most of them will flip (if you don't have the MCC

). Thereafter it's easy picking...
Or you can bite the bullet and go straight into Torians, or anbody who has missiles for the main weapon.

BR, Iztok

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Dark Avatar does have mega events that do offer things to fight, Pirates, the Jagged Knife, and most importantly the Dread Lords.

I didn't get those yet. Do I have to play the campaign for those events?

They happen randomly during a sandbox/metaverse game if you have not unchecked the mega events option when you start your game. Some events happen only after your populace is unhappy, and some require you to lean evil or to be of evil alignment for them to happen to you. It all depends on your playing style however, i for example never encountered the peacekeepers thus far.

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What about some neutral 'barbarian' races which bring some early fun

They are in the game as Minor Races. You can fight them if you're bored or learning the game.

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I generally say, if you're finding the game boring, and cruising around with maxed out weap tech, youre playing on too easy a difficulty. Ideally, you should be crapping yourself early game, and thanking your stars for uneventful "boredom". If youre finding yourself ahead of most of your opponents technologically by midgame, you're definitely on too easy a setting. The game isnt very exciting if youre not *afraid* of invasion.

Secondly, try playing on a larger map with more abundant planets.( dont go *too many* planets, or things will slow to a snails pace with logistical management). The game can become much more "tactical" when things are spaced out, and your enemies are an even match for you...or worse...faster than you. I'm more afraid of civs with superior speed than superior weapons. Larger maps make things like ship range, speed, and tactical planning really come into play. You have to commit to actions and can't be everywhere.

It's really fun when you're playing a cat and mouse game with vastly superior drengin fleets, and actually counting spaces to stay one step ahead of them while you make tactical strikes and loot planets out from under them to break them economically.

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Mystikmind

Join Date 06/2004

+20

Well i am on 'obscene' level and yes i often am 'crapping myself' early game, but then by mid game i am either dominating to the point of boredom or have lost already.

You only get 2 choices by mid game;
1) loose
2) boredom

Ergo i have never bothered completing a galciv game to victory due to above choices.

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Hi!

2) boredom

Welcome to the club.

My last game dragged through 6 evenings and the conquest of those 150 planets AIs had was so tedious I allmost felt asleep several times, while waiting 5-10 minutes each turn for my 100+ troop transports to move to their rally points. Obviously the old trick to move my "window" into galaxy to an empty space to made my ships move instantly doesn't work anymore.

BR, Iztok

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