Bored at work, random question

Hull size and miniturization.

If you are 1 weapons tech behind, but have 1 larger hullsize and some miniturization, you will often win (obviously dependant on racial&custom bonuses). Bein the first race to get medium and large hulls affords me a large amount of power. Logistics is important if you find that 1-2sips fleeted need more strength.

This is my playing style, and I find that I do win if gameplay is calm, and it is not 7v1.


So to sum it up....
1)hull size
2)miniturization
3)logistics.


I usually play on Painful (1 step above "tough") incase that helps put anything into perspective.

Also I need my diet/pepsi and chips

Ive got 4 words for you: Eyes. Of. The. Universe.

One of the single best wonders/trade goods/whatever. Even if, for some reason, you cant get the eyes or just feel like its cheating (I dont but some people do) I tend to build observer ships which are basically cargo hulls with as many engines/sensors you can squeeze on to them, add life support to taste . with the eyes/oberver ships you are almost NEVER caught with your pants down and you ALWAYS know whats going on on your borders, and like GI Joe says "knowing is half the battle". the other half is violence .

I agree, I also always get that, just to save on space needed for sensors. Howeve the AI neve builds this in my games, so I just take it for granted.

Hehe, nice you can do something at work when you're bored. In any case, my number 1 priority in the game is military rating. Makes diplomacy just a piece of cake and keeps me in control of who's fighting who. Doesn't have to come from actual warships. I often use "paper tigers", in other words, some cargo hulls sitting in orbit loaded with nothing but weapons.

Early game : Money, Trade, Xeno Ethics (evil = free starbase modules), all needed to fund colony rush.
Midgame : Eyes of the universe - you gotta know what's out there (what weapons they use). Medium hulls with defanses and some weapons
Endgame : As xNaquada said hull size, miniturization, logistics, engines

If using Krynn, make and use spies early can steal techs and slow your nearest enemies.

"paper tigers"? I'd call that an AI bug then, cos that wouldn;t fool a human player.

Time to pluck the strings on my one tune note!

I think jumping another race before they are ready right at the start of the game. It's a windfall in terms of both planets and tech. For suicidal games, this is the big equalizer for me, since the AI can pretty much out do me in all categories.

Diplomacy is always imortant for me. Keeps me out of scrapes when I can't afford one and helps me to sell my techs for more money, which I always seem to be running out of. Besides, they never see the backstab coming... heheheh

Something else I thought of that no one has mentioned yet: the spin control center.

I love this thing because I hate having to have a huge sprawling military before the AI decides im not a helpless squalling fat baby. I cant count the number of times the AI has declared war on me desptie me having one of if not the best industral capabilites and economies (and sometimes research). Nope all they see is my 2-3 medium hulled cruisers *headdesk*

So after eyes of the universe I generally tend to climb the diplo tree after my economy stabilizes (reads: finally dips into the black) then i build/buy the spin control center on a planet that is NOT one of my main production planets (dont want the "paper tigers" cluttering up a useful starport) and then set 2-3 of my best production centers producing the aforementioned paper tigers (IE cargo hulls with as many of my meanest weapon bolted on as I can manage) and putting them in orbit around the planet with the SCC. heh I often rename the SCC planet something like "propaganda" or "blatant lies" .

Also, two trade goods that you want to get simply to deny them to the AI players: diplomatic translators (that 25% increase to diplomacy is a pain when its the other guy that has it) and X-chamawhatsit hull plating (you do NOT want to let the AI have a free 15% increase in HP).

If your evil the mind control center is a no brainer (100% econ boost to ALL my planets? in the words of Dr. Zoidberg "Ill take 8!!"), and the artificial slave center (50% military boost AFTER everything else is applied, thats just mean). And people wonder why 8 of the top 10 metaverse players are evil? *insert wry grin here*

Influence ratios based on number of still standing opponents and on galaxy size while continually updating it to maintain THE edge towards "instantaneous" victory without having to go through too many conquering steps (read: fleets after fleets, invasions, slowly grinding my way to eliminate any superior majors threats if any... etc).

This in fact is a quick workaround when i find that "most" aspects are already covered and i'm in such a situation that all it would take is a number of warrying turns to win.

Most details of the Highest Influence victory are directly tied with everything else; Research, Colonized pool, Range, Starbases, Defenses, Idled fleets - name it.

One key to this tactic is to have either...
1) one weak(ened) major race within fast reach (Which holds the 5/10%+/- remaining points necessary) or
2) a few strategic spots where some minors grab the areas in question or
3) the willingness to wait it out a bit more while keeping tight inside strongly defended territory.

Although, some may say i'm missing much without the giga-scale of battles during real conquest, i find it to be usually and/or ALWAYS the same process; Strike-Hit-Invade-Defeat-Planet flipped... repeat as often as necessary.
The fun lies in the tiny percentage gaps and how fast these can be achieved.

So, for me - Influence stuff & anything that helps it.

- Zyxpsilon.

Yea, I'd say influence is right up there for me as well. Influence really does the job when playing neutral so that's why I still play it quite a bit. Evil gets by far the best stuff and if it weren't for the negative affect of the MCC, I wouldn't play otherwise. I'll be looking to see if anything changes in that area for TA.


Not really a bug, just a bluff. Looking at military rating and nothing else would fool a human player as well.