@ qrtxian - 15 years and counting!  OMG!  That sounds almost painful.  

Sounds like yours is wrapping up nicely, SCampb29.  And yeah, the Yor are pretty cool.

That's pretty cool to win by influence, particlewave.  Without a decent military, it's not easy to keep the warhounds off of your back.   

The lack of decent military applies to my current game.  I'm playing Iconians and going factories and full econ. I had a few labs early on, but they weren't doing me much good, so I overbuilt them with econ structures.

I've actually lost this game twice.  Both times, the Drengin came and rolled over me without warning.  The first time, they did it after everyone else declared war on me and the second time, they just came in and pushed me aside.

So now here's my 3rd attempt.  I didn't restart from the beginning, but picked it back up late year 0, after the initial colony rush.  I had the smallest area and was weakest in all areas, but my planets built up quickly.  I'm in the middle of the map which gives me excellent access to the other civs.

My research is largely dependent on trade and war since I have no labs.  I now have the SCC, but the ships under it aren't particularly impressive.  I'm using trade routes to keep the peace as much as I can.  I went to war in year 1 with the 2nd weakest race at the time, the Torians.  I also went to war and took 6 of the minor planets and their tech.  The other 2 minors were taken by the AI.

I have no production capabilities to speak of, so I'm buying my transports and fighters as much as I can.  I'm also buying planetary structures with the leftover cash.

I offered peace to the Torians while they still had a few planets left.  I took all of their tech and most of their money with that.  They might or might not rebuild, but are no threat either way.  I have a former minor planet in the middle of Drengin territory and fast fighters that can avoid most of the fleets on the map.  My Transports are fast and carry 3500 troops.

Since the Drengin were destined to declare war on me later, I decided to do it on better terms.  I've declared war on them and am currently trying to isolate part of their empire within my influence band.

A few of my fleets came within range of the Drengin and were erased as soon as contact was made.  I'll need to get better at judging distances.  So far, all of my transports have landed and I'm building up more waves from deep inside my territory.  I have maybe half of my military left and have taken a small, but noticeable chunk out of the Drengin empire.  Their fleets are chasing mine around and I'm trying to keep them on the defensive, attacking their transports as they come within range.

Other empires are wary or hostile due to my low military strength, but they haven't piled on me yet.  I'm hoping to hold them off until the Drengin are severely weakend or gone.  

The cat and mouse dance rages on...

Well, the TA game i spoke about doing is in the garbage, along with TA. I recall now why i never got into TA upon release, it sucks.
That is of course my opinion and as opposed to DA.

I really cannot get into it. TA doesn't feel like GC2 to me, more of a total conversion mod or something. The tech trees are horrible (i know there a good mods out there for TA) and the gameplay just feels lethargic.

I'm not looking for a debate or anything, i know plenty of folks love TA, it's just not for me...back to DA i go.

So new DA game to be started over the weekend, i'll do a rundown after a few turns but ill outline what my rules/goals are for this game.

Going for a continuous style game, with all victory conditions on.

Custom race based on trade.
Will not be a pacifist or isolationist, but will have those traits.
Will not go to war unless it is in self defense or defense of a treaty ally.
Must remain Neutral alignment.
Only military will be to protect my own borders. No more than 5 capital ships at any one time.
Will focus economics and trade.

I will play against all 9 AI with 8 minors but i might play this on a smaller map, i'm thinking medium. Will place a premium on planets and resources. This will force me to colonize heavily, hurting other aspects of early game, should be interesting.

I will start this friday maybe, but before i do, i'd like any other suggestions as to what else i can incorporate into my game. Any thoughts or suggestions are welcomed, do keep in mind this is a meta game.

@Motti

Unfortunately, due to TA's slower tech pace, as well as the plenty of filler techs that have been added, it's not suitable for scoring, either.

After finishing a neutral Korx game in which I used the same influence-for-planets shenanigans as particlewave to essentially buy the galaxy, I've decided to try something completely different: not talking to anyone.

The Yor seem like the ideal race for this endeavor, and I believe they lose the least from not researching universal translators, so the Yor it is.

Setup: gigantic, all abundant, normal tech speed, frequent events, all victory conditions on

I'm playing TA with Tolmekian's latest tech-tree fix, which is awesome

The Torians jumped out to an early lead, as I foolishly maxed their morale bonuses in race customization. Turns out capitalizing on super breeder makes their colony rush amazing. The Drath manipulated them into war with the Korath, who were second on the totem pole, and as soon as the Korath are annoyed enough to research weapons they will likely wipe the floor with the Torians.

I'm extremely thankful for the inherent 100% loyalty bonus, as otherwise I'd be helpless before the Torian cultural onslaught - as is they picked off one of my more extended colonies anyways. We're at war now (and forever, 'cause I can't talk to them) and I've managed through superior technology to grind down their masses of tiny ships. A few leaker transports got through though, which really hurts since Yor economy is almost entirely based on having large populations. (16b on every planet, only exception is the 54% starship one).

As an experience, it's actually really entertaining - I usually meddle with the AI something fierce via diplomacy, making them start wars, propping up one race at the expense of another, etc. Without universal translators, I'm reduced to guessing at intentions via movement and the UP (which I'm thinking of leaving - it doesn't really make sense)

I have left the UP, as political debate consisting of "Smetz keala et kula drinena est tu estharwa!" is nonsensical at best.

As for spying, I've okayed that for three reasons. First, I'm curious to see what the AI does without my meddling with it. Second, I figure the Yor could impersonate satellites and infiltrate data networks pretty well. Third, without access to the counter-espionage center enemy spies are going to be a problem.

The Foreign policy screen I'm still waffling about. On the one hand, it does help me see what the AI is doing, but on the other, it doesn't make much sense for the Yor to be able to interpret how other races are feeling about them without understanding what they're saying. I may limit myself to the 'who is at war with/allied with whom' page, but we'll see.

Trading with anyone is right out, not that I've seen a freighter anywhere near my space yet. The Yor need none of your fleshbag 'muffins' and other assorted nonsense!

A small oddity I noticed is that despite my lack of translators, the AI occasionally rings me up to boast about its latest technology. In comprehensible english. Huh.

I tend to always give them at least one point for the 10%, but points after that are only 5% so I often spend them in something else. The Torians I maxed out AND set as the political party that gives morale, and it worked out for them until they ran into me and the Korath. They have immense economic and influence power, but can't produce good enough ships fast enough to deal with both my high defense frigates and the Korath's high offense fleets (the Korath have finally researched weapons, and quickly exploded past me and the Torians to the highest military ranking). They are still the largest empire by far though, and I live in fear of an unseen transport fleet descending on one of my undefended worlds.

I know, the economic capital and galactic stock exchange hurt the most, especially since my economy is mediocre with no spammable econ structures. I know the Torians have researched Xeno Ethics because they've built Harmony Crystals - I'm hoping to claim it through conquest eventually (though I'm going to have to reload if I hit translators). I have also located their economic capital, and plan to take it away in an impressive feat of robotic superiority - however I don't know if it will be destroyed because I don't have the tech for it. I remain hopeful.

I'm playing on the second to largest map size.

I'm the Korx, playing fully on evil empire mode.  I'm doing OK.  My economy is kinda shaky (I think I have too many planets, and not enough taxpayers), and my military is ok (got some really strong ships, but not too many of them), and my research is really strong.

My custom races are:

The seekers:  A civ I played as in a previous game.  They're neutral, leaning good.  These guys have been pretty friendly to me, but are kinda weak.  Been trying to get them to go to war with the drath or the ponies for a while, but they know they can't survive that...

The Tekk:  Another Civ I played as before.  Race of robots that are totally neutral.  They...Ahh...Kinda dislike me for some reason.  Problem is, I have a lot of trade with them, so I don't want them to turn on me...

The koopa kingdom:  I thought I'd chuck Bowser in as an enemy civ for this game.  He's been pretty disappointing.  He's got 2 planets, has no real military, and is boxed in by the Yor.  I'm just waiting for the Yor to just get sick of them and clear them out.

The kingdom of Celestia (ponies):  For the laughs, I thought I'd make the ever popular ponies from MLP as a race, and made them all the way good, and all the way pacifist.  ............SOMEHOW they have been VERY worthy opponents.  They have declared war on me, they've been doing all kinds of backroom deals with the freakin drath, and are dominating the united planets with their insane influence.  I hate these guys.

My non custom opponents are:

the Arceans:  They're surprisingly weak, but friendly to me.  I ended up allying with them just to ensure that my trade routes with them wouldn't be put at risk.

The Yor:  Ahh, my true allies.  After the drath and ponies declared war on all the evil in the galaxy, we've been working well together.  The bulk of my trade is with them.

The altarians:  0_o  These guys were good, and siding with the ponies and drath to attack me ("We must come to the aid of those who think like us!").  Then a mega event turned them evil.  I made peace with them and turned them on their former buddies.  Then, another mega event turned them good again.  Now we're neutral towards each other, although the Yor are thankfully keeping them too busy to attack us.

The Drath:  I HATE THESE GUYS SO MUCH!  I'm sure they've been behind EVERY large conflict that has broken out.  They keep raiding my territory, bribing other races to attack me, and have so many planets that invading them all is inefficient.  And they refuse to broker for peace despite my fair military presence in their main sector.

Where I am now, the ponies and drath are allied against me and the yor (My arcean allies are useless, they are too far from the action and aren't even helping with their minuscule fleet), and while I have some REALLY good large class ships with good attack and 6 Parsec-per-turn engines, the big problem is the number of planets my opponents hold.  The ponies don't worry me too much, since their planets are way too far to do anything serious to me.  It's the drath that I can't stand.  They have so many planets (many of them useless to me, they're like...level 6) that invading them all would only destroy my faltering economy (I'm only holding on through my insane amount of trade routes), and kill what little approval I have from my people.  So, I've been putting almost ALL of my production into research, in order to get terror stars.  And despite my really high research capacity it's taking too long, and the drath keep poking into my damn sector, needling away at starbases and stuff, AND I think they're trying to turn the Tekk against me.  I swear, once I get me some terror stars, the drath sector will go BOOM!

And the Tekk are being troublesome as well.  I get the feeling that if the drath wanted, they could easily bribe them to switch sides.  This would not only piss off the Yor, who are right next to them, but it would also destroy my trade routes with them, slitting my economy's throat.  I'm tempted to just give them a bunch of the planets I have that aren't doing anything for me in order to save my econ, and make them less angry with me.

I took your advice, and the newly produced sensor drones were able to locate three separate sneaky transport fleets (hurray!). With that threat diminished, and my research of Terror Drones III, I was able to make significant inroads on the Torian Empire.

And just after I finally managed to take the Torian's homeworld, their economic and political capitals, plus a couple trade goods...the Jagged Knife appears. I had heard rumblings about this mega-event, but since I only acquired TA a few months ago (played DL back when) I had never personally experienced it. They took 23 of my worlds, including all my newly conquered Torian possessions plus some of my pre-war border worlds. Ouch. My only consolation is that they've taken an equally big chunk out of the Korath and Torian worlds in the mid-galaxy as well.

All Yor combat troops have been retrofitted with improved anti-virus software and the latest in Terror Drone technology, and the Yor Collective is making serious inquiries into the design flaw that caused our worlds to be co-opted by these interstellar thugs.

I hate those guys too.  And they barely even nicked me that time.  I was there, turning a newly colonized world into what was to be my main research world, and then BOOM, they took it.  And so, my calm and neutral robotic race felt their first taste of anger.  And eventually, we took that world back, for it was OUR world, and we would not be used...And then we noticed that all of the other races had lost way more planets, some right smack dab in the middle of their territory...And I laughed at how I was making such a big deal out of nothing (compared to the other civs).

But yeah, really.  The Jagged knife are a pain in the butt.

Yeah, man...Norton just isn't cutting it anymore.  You really oughta upgrade to something a bit more hardcore...

I have my latest game going, and it's a tooth and nail affair.

Suicidal giga abundant all 9AI, 8 minors playing with a custom ARC Krynn (Thalan HW and super breeder) race. All victory conditions on.

Rules/limitations.

Never go to war unless declared upon. (or if an ally has been declared upon)
No more than 10 capital ships.
No game cheese. (specifically, no SB array and no S4P)

So my Race is the Lucian Alliance (ty Stargate for more inspiration!) and they are a race of peaceful traders skilled in economics. A rich race who wishes to only live in peace but is technologically advanced enough to fight all comers. They are evil in nature, but if left alone are happy to reciprocate. If tested, they are ruthless.

I started the game well, no pre-cursor library this time round, but two 300% research tiles sure makes up for it. I still went all lab, but i had no intention of cheesing the AI out of all it's planets or raping them of their cash with my tech. In my mid, the Lucian Alliance is self sufficient and though they do trade, they have no need to sell tech to alien races to funds their expansion. Thats not to say i didn't sell any tech or trade for a few planets, but it was done only as a last resort, and to the minors if i could.

So i proceeded at a leisurely pace, colonizing just a few planets but i could not get the cash flow going at the rate i wanted with the limitations i wanted to adhere too, so i bit the bullet and traded tech for about 10 planets from two or three AI.

I'm currently in august of year 1 and have all the research treaties from all the minors i have meet (five of them) and all but one major. The Torians are the holdout, and in the next screenshot, you will see why, and why this game is teetering on the threshold of ending real soon, or being epic.



If you look at the mini map you will notice that little speck of dark purple...thats the Lucian Alliance. It's hard to tell what with all that Torian green around! The Lucian Alliance is located in 3 pockets as you might be able to tell. I am flanked by the friendly Drengin in the north (don't see that being said every day!!), the good, but reasonably friendly Arceans to the south, and all around me the Torains..always the Torians...

They dominate every game stat, i am close to them in many but they have just gone bat-shit crazy. I have never seen the Torians dominate like this. So much so that war with them is imminent. As you can see much of the galaxy is in war already, though i have been fortunate enough to be left out of the conflict, which has lead me to pick up a few spoils here and there. Two econ resources to be specific.

But war will come to me with the Torians. I have been forced to build embassies on all planets, and have taken to spamming influences starbases and upgrading them as well. I have researched the influence tech line and it all seems futile. Their reach is too great, and so with our relations already at hostile, i am preparing for the coming onslaught.

Their military might just exceeds mine, but their strength is in their fleets. Ship to ship, i outgun them, so it will very much be a hit and run affair for me. I have 8 medium hull ships already, with two large ships on the way. Those two large ships can easily hold their fleets, but i have had to sacrifice speed to achieve that, so they will be best suited for protecting my homeworlds. (click here for my latest designs in the Show us your ships thread)

My focus right now is on the Torians. I need to hit their surrounding planets quick and fast once they declare on me to try and stop their influence. If i can hit them hard enough and not sustain any loses, it is my hope i can force them to peace. If not, i will have to build the SCC and get some hulls under it to get my mil rating up and force them to listen to me. ( i'd rather not have to use that tactic though)

Once peace is reestablished, i will work on gaining trade with the Korx and Yor and strengthening ties with the Drengin. I will max out my trade routes and then settle in to ensure i am in a position technically to reach a tech victory should i need to. (as in if the AI head that way, i can beat them to it.) To achieve this, i will need spies, and lots of them.

So all in all, shaping up to b a very interesting game. Not what i set out to do with this game. initially i wanted to play on a huge or large map, but my skill set is for giga, i couldn't make it work on the smaller maps at suicidal.

I'll be getting into this game for a few hours now, and i expect the Torian War to start very soon.

Neilo, what are SB array and S4P?

My Iconian game is, painfully slowly, dragging towards an alliance victory with the Altarians, Drath, Arceans and Krynn. I have to be careful about how I finish off the other races as the Altarians are allied to me, the Drath and the Torians and close to another couple of races, so they could conceivably beat me. I have so many planets (thanks to conquering half of the Jagged Knife and the whole Korath Clan) and such an immense research capacity that I'm considering just going for a research victory, like I end up doing every time I play an Immense map. Except that one time with my cheesed-up Super Drath, but that was almost by accident. And took ages.

To keep things varied, I also played a quick duel game on a tiny map with my Krynn against enemy Korath. I was so paranoid about their military superiority that I ended up beating them to space weapons and planetary invasion, and zerged them with tiny, weak fighters and basic transports, with massive death on both sides. This worked for about half their planets, including their homeworld, until they built the most basic heavy fighter, which could wipe out my three-strong fleets while taking almost no damage in return (my Korath build for the AI & myself is Super Warrior with ridiculously boosted weapons, hit points and soldiering, high morale and military production, terrible diplomacy and mediocre everything else. I have never got to grips with it but the AI varies between godly and merely competent). Then I besieged their remaining planets and researched up to medium hulls and tidal disruption before finishing them off. Only took a couple of hours, and it was great fun to play the Krynn against type.