Strategy thread - some basic tips

from Stardock Forums
I use Corvettes (because they are only 1bc maintenance) to surround star systems that I don't want another civilization to conquer or disrupt my trade routes with. In my present game, the Arcean and I switch the #1 spot every few turns, so I don't want him to get any bigger. He's at war with all the minor races and the Drengin. I have surrounded the minor race star systems with Corvettes, so he can't attack them without attacking me (he's friendly with me!). One of the minor races has even been destabilizing the Arcean and he can't do anything about it!
Another strategy I've used is to put 6 or 8 anti-matter missles that I've built around an Arcean starbase that I want (I'll put one of my constructors nearby too). When all is ready, I give those anti-missles to the Drengin (who are at war with Arcean). In two turns, they will use the missles to destroy the starbase and my constructor swoops in to lay claim to the resource. I get the resource and still remain friendly with the Arcean. This is being played on the normal level with one bright AI on a large galaxy, version 1.03A.057. This is my first full game, lasting about 4 weeks now.

Post more strategies in this thread!
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Reply #1 from Stardock Forums Top
pavemint: From what I understand of version 1.04, your first strategy is about to be nerfed. That's an exploit in the game.
Depending upon your relative military strength, the AI on higher levels will respond to the second tactic.

My tip is related to trade. Trade is a very strategic resource in this game. It does the obvious (gives you money), but more importantly it give the civ you are trading with an equivalent amount of money. Trade with civs who you don't want to attack you (and you don't plan to attack). Trade will often be the difference between having the Dregnin bullying you every other turn or being your best friend.
Reply #2 from Stardock Forums Top
I only played 4 games so far. The 2 I won, I won with by Culture Victory.

My race was: Pacifst,+40% Culture, +1 Traderoute, +10% Trade.
I specialized on getting the yellow Techs.
Siege of Centauri
Reply #3 from Stardock Forums Top
Mind your sliders, especially early. You don't need high social production while you don't have much to build, and when you're racing hard to finish the early trade goods before some wealthy minor buys 'em from the alien Mitrosoft equivalent, you don't want too much diverted to military.
Reply #4 from Stardock Forums Top
I concentrate on trade as it allows you to lower taxes and have a bigger military to keep the AI afraid. Then culture bomb them to death.
Reply #5 from Stardock Forums Top
-Trade with the strongest AI

-Get all the trade goods you can

-Focus on economics All the AIs (good and evil) like cash

-stay out of war pay them, if you need to its cheaper in the long run. Unless of course you plan to take them out!

-And most importantly keep them all broke!
Pay tribute to them, Then sell them tech and trade goods!

Sell the minors Antimatter missles on long leases, for sure if they reside in an AI's space.
Pay the Major races tribute with half the proceeds,
Then sell tech to the majors.

-Works on normal
Reply #6 from Stardock Forums Top
These are strategies I follow right now (they may not be for everyone, but they work for me ;))

1) Speed is the new game unbalancer for me. Get a +1 or +2 speed, set your military slider and spending slider to 100% and crank out colony ships like there is no tomorrow (try to put at least 100 mil colonists on each ship). Keep moving till there's nothing left. Take as much landscape as you can early. You will dip heavily into your starting 1000, but you'll be an enourmous empire when all is said and done.

2) Use your Survey ship to find habitable planets before collecting anomalies UNLESS it's convenient to get too (i.e. "along the way") Detour for those scrap metal pieces though because often they will give you an extra fast ship like a corvette or scout to explore with. If the AI is about to take a planet and you have a ship that can attack it (even your survey ship) consider destroying his colony ship NOW while everyone is still weak. You can easily make peace with him soon enough and it's better for you to get planets them him!

3) Screw universal translators! Research Propulsion -> Artificial Gravity -> Controlled Gravity. Why???
Because you want the Gravity Accellerators trade good (and more importantly you don't want anyone else getting it!) This will add TWO (+2) to all of your ships speeds. Lease this (and any trade good) immediatly before somebody else gets it.

4) Lease, lease, and lease to get trade goods. Always go for the cheapest monthly cost. Turn around and sell the trade goods to the other minor races for cash spread over as many turns as they will allow. If your shrewd in your business dealings the minor races will fund all of your trade goods for you (and who cares if the minor races have the bonuses?!? Eventually you or somebody else will be able to toast them... well not always, but it's a helluva lot less risky then giving the Yor or Drengin any extra advantages!)

5) When you get trade send your freighters to the race you think is the biggest threat to you that way he will be inclined not to mess with you early on. The Drengin want your fuzzy inflatible love dolls (no really!) Don't deny them ;)
Reply #7 from Stardock Forums Top
Trade is life. Choosing who to spend your precious few trade routes on is vital. Basically, unless you are lucky enough to get five routes to all the major civs without any of them getting mad in the process, you have to pick your enemy. Alliances are trouble unless it is one necessary for a win or for your survival. Minor civs should get toward the end of the line when choosing trade routes. The majors you want to be nice with are first.

The focus being that you, the human, pick who you need to fight with eventually because of what that alien holds, and not the aliens forcing your hand early. Get fully prepared and have the full load of ships and transports hovering near the target planet sector and wage relatively quick, controlled wars. Blitzkriegs where you take what you need to equalize the situation and gain ground. Then make the victim pay for that peace after losing some of his ground, then decide whether to trade with them to mend the fence or prepare during the peace for the next sortie.

Remember to take what you need relatively early. Once the aliens start making alliances with each other, then it takes only one mistake to get into a multi-party war and a seat for each alien ally at the peace table to get the war to end. And beware of any losers who surrender to you in order to drag you into a multi-front war. Been there, done that.