#618 by Citizen ricbayer - 11/14/2003 11:07:42 AM
Hi Cotal Ginata
Glad you are playing again. When you are maxing points from a huge maso do you still try to ally?
I played most of my games as good against all pure evil AI until nearly getting whipped because I "got good too fast" or someting and the Drengin wanted my hide in spite of my best diplomatic efforts. I had to use a terror star rush just to win, which is not very elegant. .
I am still experimenting but it seems like I lose the close relationship with the evil AI if I get "too good" (51,60,61???) too early. Once the evil AI goes from close to friendly in response to my morality bump, I have trouble getting them close again. So . . . my questions are:
Any further tips on the ally strategy? Are you always playing all pure evil AIs now? Don't you take the evil planet events initially and work your way back to good later in the game with the random pop-up morality events? Are you finding it easier to ally when you are evil or neutral? I am still trying to get the timing down on the alliance things.
My favorite game was getting all 5 major and 4 minors to ally with me while fighting each other. After that, dropping party palaces inside their sectors was unchallenged and the pace of the game was easy to control. It is also very funny to have my allies call me a "parasite". . . but they always seem to stay allied.
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Hi ricbayer!
Yesh, I've got my cheesy style pretty down pat allying everyone . . . I think what I found (just lately) that makes it easier is (as you stated) basicaly pretending to be evil up until alliances. After that they ridicule you for taking all the good morality picks or sometimes (particularly if your way out in front) have a 'cultural identity crisis' and become good themselves! lol . . . which begs the question, If the AIs turn from thier evil ways and finish as good (or even saintly) should you try to finish good or evil (re the score bonus?)
But to answer some of your questions, um . . .
1. Yes, I play vs all pure Evil AIs,
2. Yes, I take all the nasty evil picks in my collony rush (if you get a critical mass of planets at the start your research will be fast enough to surpass the AI (easier than you think) . . . so I take PQ plannets of 12, 13 and 14 as well and force events (much more frequent these days) . . . this ensures I am evil looking and have a good moral on each planet (PQ or morality bonuses) and/or faster research (due to both collinization bonues and the sheer mass of planets I take) note - you can only really pawn collinization if you get a start in the middle.
3. After I get the basic diplomacy tools and Industrial theories to build a Manufacturing capital (although it causes me to miss one or two TGs and mabye a wonder) I leech all the research off everyone else (by virtue of diplomacy/trade bonuses) while setting social spending to 99%. Because I have probaly as many planets as all the AIs have put together and the 'badass' reputation to strike fear into thier hearts my revenue/population/influence is comparitively huge. While monitoring relations and all techs thier spitting out I build right up to an Econimic Exchange for nearly every planet.
4. By this time the AIs are going after Battleship Technology (with fewer planets it takes them a while to get it and thier bark is worse than thier bite until they do) . . . hehe! So I go into research mode and have free rein over all non-millitary produce and technology. If I've got it 'going on' I just take leases on wonders and TGs as they come up from my own research (or thiers if thier trying to be creative) then sell the tech to anyone who wants it. If I've 'really got it going on' I buy these wonders/TGs outright if I can. I am very scrupilous when it comes to trading TG for tech and will only do so if I believe thier are not a long term threat. For example, I'll give Micror-epair bots to anyone but Aprodisiac I will only every give to a struggling AI (eg has mabye one or two systems) . . .
5. Alliances . . . now that the minors are a bit more influencial (in version 1.11), I use this to my advantage! The AIs for whatever reason are impressed by your standing with the minors (why I don't know) . . . I've noticed that if you can get the minors to a close relationship (not hard to do) all the AIs will want to have your babies! (After you give them a boon off-course) . . . its bizzar, totally . . . and its something I've really just noticed recently . . .
If you get your hands at this point on either disruptors or battleship . . . your made in the shade (it might hurt your economy a bit to buy them) . . .
6. Now ally everyone (theres sometimes one AI who'll play the strong silent type and won't co-operate . . . doom and gloom on them if they don't come to the party before war breakes out). As you said now you can completely control the game, start putting momey into espionage so you can snatch techs they might beat you to or steal them outright.
7. As if you population wasn't big enough! Now build a few Combat Transports and dispatch them . . . vulture anything you like, the AIs ship movement are still quite pathetic . . .
8. You should finish your tech tree before they do (still a close race . . . shez they get a lot of bonuses on maso!), If morality checks don't give you the alignment you want I cheesely force events (collinizing anything that is roundinsh or even remotely planet like) . . . sad I know, but who cares! lol . . .
9. Be sure to build the Trade Wonder and finish the tech tree if you shift alignment abruptly . . .
10. Assimilate or destroy the few remaining systems
Well thats honestly all I do . . . it can all go horribly wrong at any stage up until the alliances after that I just like looking at the pretty screen . . .
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FOTR!
Two Saintly, one Good, one Neutral, one Evil, and the poor Evil was a 2SC in the corner. That game was a little harder (because the Neutral was the dominant major) but not much. I think I'm done with random. I don't quite have it in me to lean AWAY from the bulk of the AI's and tick them all off at the same time, while leaning toward them only makes it too easy. At least with the default, there's no easy out.