Make Money FAST with Aphrodisiacs!
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The AIs just *love* the Aphrodisiac trade good...
In two games (using the latest April 7 version) against all Intelligent AIs on large maps (12x12), Aphrodisiacs have been a major part of my early-game strategy. I start by putting spending at 100% and putting 100% into military production producing colony ships, scouts, and a couple constructors until my savings go negative. Then I cut spending and put all of it into researching the Universal Translators and Basic Environmental Control.
Once I have Basic Environmental Control, I then immediately purchase Aphrodisiacs for 630bc + 12bc for 777 turns. (Sometimes I have to drop spending to 0% for a couple turns to get out of debt before the purchase.) Then the trading fun begins...
After all the trades are done I usually get about 300/month in tribute for the next 20 months, most of the techs that the AIs have researched, and a few defenders to make my empire less of a target. The minor civs will often pay 80-90bc x 20, and the major ones either pay 50-60bc x 20 or in techs and ships (if they are broke).
Then I spend the next 20 months giving all my planets the basic improvements (soil and hab, fusion and research lab as soon as I get the techs), and creating lots of constructors to claim a large share of the resources. (The game gets much easier once you have 3 or 4 of the military resources fully improved.)
The only downside is that the major civs will grow much faster, so it might be a good idea not to sell Aphrodisiacs to the Drengin. That is, unless you want the Drengin to help "manage" the worrying growth of the Altarians...
At first I thought this tactic was an exploit that should be removed, but now I think it should stay (although it could be toned down a little). The major AIs are getting a reasonable deal (30% pop growth for 1000-1200 bc), and the minor civs are *supposed* to be exploited.
Has anyone else tried this tactic? Should it be nerfed (at least a little)?
In two games (using the latest April 7 version) against all Intelligent AIs on large maps (12x12), Aphrodisiacs have been a major part of my early-game strategy. I start by putting spending at 100% and putting 100% into military production producing colony ships, scouts, and a couple constructors until my savings go negative. Then I cut spending and put all of it into researching the Universal Translators and Basic Environmental Control.
Once I have Basic Environmental Control, I then immediately purchase Aphrodisiacs for 630bc + 12bc for 777 turns. (Sometimes I have to drop spending to 0% for a couple turns to get out of debt before the purchase.) Then the trading fun begins...
After all the trades are done I usually get about 300/month in tribute for the next 20 months, most of the techs that the AIs have researched, and a few defenders to make my empire less of a target. The minor civs will often pay 80-90bc x 20, and the major ones either pay 50-60bc x 20 or in techs and ships (if they are broke).
Then I spend the next 20 months giving all my planets the basic improvements (soil and hab, fusion and research lab as soon as I get the techs), and creating lots of constructors to claim a large share of the resources. (The game gets much easier once you have 3 or 4 of the military resources fully improved.)
The only downside is that the major civs will grow much faster, so it might be a good idea not to sell Aphrodisiacs to the Drengin. That is, unless you want the Drengin to help "manage" the worrying growth of the Altarians...
At first I thought this tactic was an exploit that should be removed, but now I think it should stay (although it could be toned down a little). The major AIs are getting a reasonable deal (30% pop growth for 1000-1200 bc), and the minor civs are *supposed* to be exploited.
Has anyone else tried this tactic? Should it be nerfed (at least a little)?
