Help with influence

I think the population on planets also affects the influence of the planets. This is where the computer almost always beats me early in the game. I eventually catch up or pass him, but early in the game, it's very hard for me to co-exist in a sector with the computer. Especially at Bright or smarter, they seem to understand and will purposely increase their influence in these situations. The first time I played on Bright it caught me by surprise.

Of course, them having a bit more influence than you doesn't really matter. IIRC, defection due to influence starts being a risk when there is a factor two difference between the two sides.

I really ignore the AI's higher influence in the beginning. You will catch up eventually. If you're really hurting, build a starbase with some cultural improvements, try to find an influence resource or two and/or build one of the influence wonders.

For higher difficulties, once an AI grabs one good system in a sector, I've learnt that it is almost always futile to colonise the rest as they will defect quite soon. You can still colonise if you plan to trade those systems away though.

I'm with Ray - by masochistic, no point if they got a half decent planet (even if the available one is better).

~SDC~

how do u play on that high of a level??? maybe its because im new but i lose the game when i play a large map with all the others on subnormal intelligence w/random alignment

Experience...

Look at my submitted game history. When I first got the game, I thought it was so difficult I lowered the game all the way to cakewalk before I won. Then, with each victory I raised it. Now I win most games with the computer on Intelligent (all Intelligent = Painful), but have yet to win with them on Genius. (all Genius = Crippling)

It may sound odd, but when I was a new player people told me the secret of success was learning when and how to adjust the sliders. There was way more truth to that simply comment than I ever believed possible.

By simply being more careful with my sliders I went from struggling against sub-normal to beating Intelligent within a few games.

I'm on my 2nd game ( 1st with 1.03 ) and my culture is taking over the galaxy. As far as I can tell the key is getting those influence resources and maxing them out with influence modules. That and building on the influence galactic wonders, and culture improvements and should be ok. Its cool taking over planets without firing a shot.

One surprise was that I'm on AI bright/normal and this happened. I had a 13 planet that I improved to 16 and the Arceans had a 42 planet in the same sector. I eventually got the 42 planet to turn to me destroying the Arceans. That was cool.

At easier levels, I traded with a minor, because I didn't want the AI players getting cash, and I got most of the cash back from the minor selling them stuff. Plus they are unlikely to declare war, destroying the trade routes.

But recently, I am having trouble winning (at masochistic), so I find the most powerful AI, and put all my trading to that AI's best planet. Over time, he becomes more and more friendly - it's really worth it. (And I bribe that AI to attack the next strongest... thus giving me some breathing room.)

~SDC~