War and Peace. Comments welcomed.

from Stardock Forums
I have not had a war since beta3. I still enjoy the game greatly, but it is quite worrying that I can get away (as a technologist-pacifict) with playing my own game and not get impacted on upon by other races all that much.

However, and this is important -

a) This is not a winning strategy - so perhaps I shoud start a war? I doubt I would win however as war parties ships are always irresistably stronger (however i have not tested this beta 4b).

b) I always play at the default AI levels of each beta and the same map size (huge) so I can consistently test the changes, however map sizes and default AI's have changed a bit recently.

My point is this situation is arguably not historicaly realistic. In Earth politics occassional 'diplomatic glitches', rampant expansionism or prejudice by other races causes wars no one (except possibly one race) wants. Shouldn't occasionally the pacifictic non-war starter like myself be forced into embroilment in a galactic conflict?

Secondly (perhaps related to the above?)
I just suffered a Culture defeat by my 'Friends' the Antarians. They did have most fo the galaxy painted light blue but I was suprised and baffled when it happended all the same.

In short I couldn't understand why I had lost, and didn't expect it. I am not the sharpest knife in the drawer but shouldn't I understand why I lost and shouldn't I have seen it coming?

Looking at the post-game analysis screens, they didn't all seem to be working and dicplaying data (Stardock?) and from my interpretation they seemed to show me with much more culture and influence than my alleged cultural conquerors. I am confused.

comments on my cultural loss -

1. imediate post-losing save game file available if anyone can explain why I lost.

2. what warning signs should I look out for in a cultural defeat and when I am trailing culturally in-game? (militarily this is obvious) other than sector colouring - or is that it?.

3. is it possible to gain a cultural victory focusing on technology first and foremost? if not, what combination of tech and x,y,z, is needed to win?

s

390 views 16 replies
Reply #1 from Stardock Forums Top
Cultral Loss can be averted (and a cultrual win
Don't let anyone get more then 40% of the UP votes, take a look at the influence graph.

acchieved) by increasing your influence.. go after the business related techs and blue resources for starbases.. and there increas the your industral branch of the tree for upgrades on the starbases. And get thos all imporant galactic wonders built. Build embassy, reserach center's anything that increases star prestige.

The Dumb AI's (deafult of Beta 4b) are just that, dumb, they won't attack you as mostlikely your military and economy is much higher then theirs. Since they are dumb they don't increase either of those quick enough.
Reply #2 from Stardock Forums Top
ack, that came out wierd first few line of last post should be:

Don't let anyone get more then 40% of the UP votes, take a look at the influence graph.


Cultral Loss can be averted (and a cultrual win acchieved) by increasing your influence.. go after the business related techs and blue resources for
Galactic Civilizations IV
Reply #3 from Stardock Forums Top
Xenoarch,

Thanks. To be honest I am aware of those tactics, strange thing was I had the majority of the UP votes - at least I thought, but I will keep an eye on your suggestions more closely.

I probably need to upgrade my opponent AI as dumb used to be a bit tougher a few betas' ago I think.

I guess two comments boil out of this -

1. I think we could be better informed and warned about the onset of a cultural defeat or victory for ir by the player or AI - there were no clues in my game, no messages, hints etc. The game seemed to be going my way and then just - ended.

2. I would be very interested to here from people who have won with tactics other than warfare or a pure influence production focus.
Reply #4 from Stardock Forums Top
The following is an extract from Brad's GalCiv manual regarding the 4 ways to win. Has anyone won with options 2 or 3? If so I would be most interested in your tactics and comments.

With regard to a cultural victory (4), a way of knowing what proportion of the galaxy was occupied (other than counting the squares)would be useful or a clue or warning. I note that the amount of culture is not the threshold but the proportion of cultural space you dominate - hope thats a correct interpretation.

1. Conquest. If you conquer all of the alien civilizations, you win.

2. Political Victory. If you and your alien allies are able to conquer all opposition you win.

3. Technology Victory. If humanity can research enough technology that it transcends to the next level of existence, you win.

4. Cultural Victory. If you dominate 7/8th’s of the sectors culturally, you win the game via cultural domination.
Reply #5 from Stardock Forums Top
I have won with all four victory conditions. A tech win is pretty straight-forward, it just takes a while.

A Political win is the same as a conquest win but any race you are allied is one less you have to conquer.

Since the cultural win condition was introduced I've often found myself getting an inadvertant cultural win when I was aiming for another win condition.
Reply #6 from Stardock Forums Top
I've won both Political and Influence. Though on a big map the thought of building, filling, transporting, defending all those transports will stop me from trying a millitry victory. Plus when you do take a planet you kill all the tax payers. Much better if you can to get a defecting planet.

I have noticed that combat transports are the best ships in the game for defending star systems. 3 will stop all most anything.
Reply #7 from Stardock Forums Top
Magus, you're a better man than I if you can get a Tech win. I can't seem to do that without getting a Cultural win first.

There used to be a discussion of a Trade win. Does that even still exist, or is it just impossible to get without winning some other way first.
Reply #8 from Stardock Forums Top
Economic victory was supposed to be 75% of total galactic trade, IIRC, and I can't recall seeing it happen (and there are no lines in the English.str corrisponding to them), so I would have to assume that it has not been implimented.
Reply #9 from Stardock Forums Top
about wars, tbh in my experience the war party sucks, well for me it does.

im a fairly militaristic style player who's usually evilbut I normally go for either economic bonus or population/moral.

the reason for this is that they have a more profound impact on the race as a whole rather than just double the hit points which can be researched by a more wealthy race easily.

+ a federalist who's getting 20% more in economics can build ships faster and more of them along with being able to maintain them.

ive been war once and i got smashed very quickly because my economy sucked. altho it would be nice if the war party gained you +20% speed as that would be more of an incentive to me than just double the hit points.
Reply #10 from Stardock Forums Top
I find the war party works well, but only if you play as a war mongerer. That means you attack, attack, and atack from the start, when your +100% makes a huge difference. Don't let your enemies expand and spread out. If you just sit back expanding peacefully until the galaxy is full then other races will eventually out tech you.

Paul.
Reply #11 from Stardock Forums Top
Magus-

"I have won with all four victory conditions. A tech win is pretty straight-forward, it just takes a while."

I wonder if I need to try this again? Perhaps I don't understand. I played at least one game where I did not have any more techs to develop. Is this not a win?
Reply #12 from Stardock Forums Top
Only if you get the win screen and subsequent summary screens. :)

For a long while the only route to getting the tech win was to research the...I think it was "Trans-human" technology...which was the final "Neutral" morality technology. All the other tech win routes didn't work.

This was in Beta 3. I haven't been able to research the entire tech tree in Beta 4 without winning some other way before I can complete the tech win.
Reply #13 from Stardock Forums Top
that could be it - I did the above in one of teh beta3's. Thanks

s
Reply #14 from Stardock Forums Top
yep me too

the last time i continue playing so i can see tech victory when i reach the last tech before winning gc crash!!!

:(
Reply #15 from Stardock Forums Top
In terms of war i find that the AIs attack each other with great gusto .. early in the game one may declare war on me but not normally. So unless init agressive behavior normally left alone (4b version). What i don't understand is why some of the AIs never init a request for alliance or such especially when getting beat by another AI with the human player .. no idea if they do it amongst themselves. So i've found war as a player rare for me common amongst the AIs.
Reply #16 from Stardock Forums Top
I am playing my current game with the technical party with max research bonuses and I am good after all the research bonuses I can get.

I hope for a technical win "being a technician" but I think the major races are going to surrender to me.