Strategic Observations
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I have now completed two entire games on beginner level (though you wouldn't know it as my scores are not downloading to the metaverse). In all honesty I have started far more, but quit due to what I felt was a hopeless position. I have learned quite a bit from these failed games however. Both of my victories came via Cultural Conquest.
In my first game I played the Federalist party with a boost to my economic abilities, some bonuses in trade and morale. This is the game where I discovered the value of Trade Goods that can be built on your world for trade in the diplomatic screen. With these items it is possible to get the other Empires to almost completely fund your government. In the late stages of the game I had taxes set to 0%! and I was still making nearly 300bc a turn! I also used my techs as a commodity. I was neutral for the most part but by carefully giving the Altarians and Torians my good military and economic techs, and the Drengin and Yor my industry and medical techs I was able to maintain balance in the universe and turn a profit.
Most of my income was used to build and improve my Starbases which I had begun to spread generously around the galaxy, and my military served soley to defend these and my homeworlds. Without firing a shot in anger I managed to win the game through my cultural influence.
The second game was very interesting, as this time I decided to try for a military victory. I naturally affiliated myself with the war party and took bonuses in morale, military production, research, and soldiering. My plan was to get the military techs first in an effort to get the first offensive ships and take advantage of the poorly defended AI worlds. As luck would have it, I found myself next door to two minor races and the Altarians. This would prove to be challenging as I didn't want to tick off the Altarians, so I geared up to conquer the Minor races. This would prove to be an expensive lesson. The Minors possesing only one world most of the time spend their efforts on defending it with everything and the kitchen sink! Fortunately a previous UP vote resolved to allow Transports to carry weapons giving them an AT value of 20! This would be the edge I needed to take out the Carnoids, but not before I realised that Transports are still fragile, and my first wave failed when my stacked fleet was attacked by the Carnoids, and I realised they had targeted my transports! Thats right I had a stack of Battle Axes, Battle Cruisers, and Transports and they eliminated my two transports first! That taught me to bring in a wave of Warships first to clear the defenses and then bring in a wave of ESCORTED Transports next to make the invasion. I also learned that you can never bring enough Transports, its better to have too many than not enough.
The rest of the AI fell easily as I made a system jumping campaign that left only the Torians in my way. Just before I launched an attack on one of their two remaining worlds the game ended in a cultural victory for me. I had expanded so much that the Torians were drowning in my influence. Which is a good thing, because my economy had begun to drop severly as there was no one else to trade with and this in turn effected morale and had the game not ended I am sure several of my world would have revolted. This taught me another lesson. As I stated I attacked one world at a time, when instead I believe I should have gathered several fleets and deployed them to several worlds so that I could simultaneously attack in one turn. This way I can more efficiently conquer more targets and possibly end the game faster through a Military victory.
I am interested to hear your thoughts on this approach. What have you tried? What worked and what didn't? Thanks
In my first game I played the Federalist party with a boost to my economic abilities, some bonuses in trade and morale. This is the game where I discovered the value of Trade Goods that can be built on your world for trade in the diplomatic screen. With these items it is possible to get the other Empires to almost completely fund your government. In the late stages of the game I had taxes set to 0%! and I was still making nearly 300bc a turn! I also used my techs as a commodity. I was neutral for the most part but by carefully giving the Altarians and Torians my good military and economic techs, and the Drengin and Yor my industry and medical techs I was able to maintain balance in the universe and turn a profit.
Most of my income was used to build and improve my Starbases which I had begun to spread generously around the galaxy, and my military served soley to defend these and my homeworlds. Without firing a shot in anger I managed to win the game through my cultural influence.
The second game was very interesting, as this time I decided to try for a military victory. I naturally affiliated myself with the war party and took bonuses in morale, military production, research, and soldiering. My plan was to get the military techs first in an effort to get the first offensive ships and take advantage of the poorly defended AI worlds. As luck would have it, I found myself next door to two minor races and the Altarians. This would prove to be challenging as I didn't want to tick off the Altarians, so I geared up to conquer the Minor races. This would prove to be an expensive lesson. The Minors possesing only one world most of the time spend their efforts on defending it with everything and the kitchen sink! Fortunately a previous UP vote resolved to allow Transports to carry weapons giving them an AT value of 20! This would be the edge I needed to take out the Carnoids, but not before I realised that Transports are still fragile, and my first wave failed when my stacked fleet was attacked by the Carnoids, and I realised they had targeted my transports! Thats right I had a stack of Battle Axes, Battle Cruisers, and Transports and they eliminated my two transports first! That taught me to bring in a wave of Warships first to clear the defenses and then bring in a wave of ESCORTED Transports next to make the invasion. I also learned that you can never bring enough Transports, its better to have too many than not enough.
The rest of the AI fell easily as I made a system jumping campaign that left only the Torians in my way. Just before I launched an attack on one of their two remaining worlds the game ended in a cultural victory for me. I had expanded so much that the Torians were drowning in my influence. Which is a good thing, because my economy had begun to drop severly as there was no one else to trade with and this in turn effected morale and had the game not ended I am sure several of my world would have revolted. This taught me another lesson. As I stated I attacked one world at a time, when instead I believe I should have gathered several fleets and deployed them to several worlds so that I could simultaneously attack in one turn. This way I can more efficiently conquer more targets and possibly end the game faster through a Military victory.
I am interested to hear your thoughts on this approach. What have you tried? What worked and what didn't? Thanks
