Hello. I am Eysteinh a long time fan of the endless series.  From time to time I write ARR where i both immerse into the game and also try to show some of my thinking of why I do the moves I do both for my own learning experience but also for others learning experience. Hopefully someone finds this usefull or interesting. This ARR leans more heavily on the strategy part but I also sometimes add immersion or story elements.  An overview of the ARR can be found here https://www.games2gether.com/endless-space-2/forums/65-general/threads/31512-glorious-ada-arr-overview-thread

Here is my current custom faction. It (ab)uses the KEII system combined with Invulentary Nomads to circumvent the KEII cost for colonies. It also uses the combination of Extreme formen 150% FIDS with planet menders for keeping the bonus permanent. Peer review is selected to boost science and the same with rational minds III. Crowded planet III is used to make sure the start is strong with enough space for quick pop growth. Galvran is selected as a minor to boost science (for an overview of the laws of minor factions see this nice guide: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1341852130)  Feeble warriors, eternal war and rookies is selected as penalties as they can easily be avoided as penalties.  Observances is thrown in there because - why not - and to keep in charachter of the Hisso. Planet is Atoll to boost industry early for quicker buildings. Government is Republic as we will not have any approval penalties.

Settings for the game is as following: (All stock races except my custom HISSO) Fast speed, Endless difficoulty. All + settings are default. 

Color codes  Immersion  | Game moves (but will also just post pictures of game actions) | Strategic considerations | General stuff

Turn 1: So it begins, we the outcasted of the ADA people that want power not in the hands of the few but the many have cast our sails from the QR32 endless relic where we once fought the civil war of our endless creators.

Savegame of start (if anyone want to load and try out other strategies or just get a general overview inside the game: ADA start t1.sav

 
We know only of a few systems, Matarca a promising system for us to colonize, Janus and Ykima. 

Comments to starting position: Good start, no need to waist KEII on war banners to boost the Argosy moves for a 1 turn settlement (since already within 1 turn to settle to Matarcta. Yikima iss offnode but with our science boost that would not be a big problem.

First dilemma: Since moves at start of the game is exponentially important (the nature of pretty much all 4x games) I tend to use some time on thinking them out. In this case you need enough industry to grow fast while you need strategic resource to keep colonizing fast early with the Argosy. Ocean would net us far less industry given we have 150% FIDSI bonus to planets but would snowball our science and pop growth. However if we are lucky with our starting scout we can find atleast one luxury or perhaps even a strategic resource on Matarca III. It is a gamble but one that atleast ensures high industry output early. Hooevering over the curiosities I see that Subterranean has a high chance of a luxury or strategic depost on Matarca III and there is also a life form with a high chance of an anomaly. My initial thinking is thus to go for Matarca III because there are two high chances of strong boost to the planet while it aleady has a strong industry base as an atoll type. Early game I also prefer to scout with hero for quick level gains. 

Second dilemma: Hero on fleet for curiosities xp or governor xp. A quick google on experience gains for heroes show that they 8-10% on governing of the total production of your empire that turn divided by the amount the system produced.  This turns out to be slightly higher than exploring a curiosity but not two for the first turn but given that governor will keep on building each turn it seems better to put the hero onto governor duties. But I had already put it into a fleet - oh well atleast first turn discoveries of 2 curiosities should net 12 xp ( 6 each) and possibly more if the curiosity gives ship xp (also given to heroes in fleet)

Game moves: Settled Matarca III, put hero onto fleet. Discovere dustcidious Trees and Titanium on the planet.

Dilemma: Law dirty Hands act will net us -30% system cost - great if we are building 2 buildings in a turn or more however hatched at home wil net us 30% FIDSI for 1 KEII. First turn it seems hatched is the better law but we must switch before we loose loyalty bonus. 
 
Building:

Tech choice 

Strategy: Xenoloinguistics was taken because we start with titanium and we have two fertile planets giving us a quick +40 Industry. Xenobilogy was given for the +40 science bonus.

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Turn 2: So our people have settled on Matarca. This system was to be known from now on as Cardano for its riches as it entered a golden age of prosperity. 

Savegame start t2: ADA start t2.sav

We que up buildings in the Cardano system:

Notice how Xeno industrial finish in 1 turn even if current industry is 132 and the building actually costs more than this. This is because the que remembers industry and overflows it to the next project. I usually try to leave que at 1 turn but since I am going to build the planet next turn for the industry boost next turn anyhow I just qued it up. I am already regretting the hero as a fleet hero as the 140industry would net me somewhere along the lines of 10-14 experience next turn.

Given our FIDSI boost with KEII law we already win a quest. This was just pure dumb luck! (But I wont complain ^^)

Question now is to do more tier 1 techs to uncover more deeds (because of oracle of science law even a sincle tier 1 unlocks tier 3 deeds) or go for a quick system upgrade. Given that transwine gives a whooping 35 FIDSI getting an early system development seems a good idea. However it would take me 3 turns so I instead push for planetary landscaping for a Empire development deed next turn. (It is a gamble but at worst I loose one turn of 35 FIDSI with a system development and the planet needs to do other stuff anyhow and with the overflow from a cheaper tech i might also make it in the same number of turns.)

Turn 3: It is time to set fourth into the galaxy and decentralize our people so they are no longer chained by the old powers to be. 

Savegame start t3: ADA start t3.sav

Silly me forgot that you always get the deed for endless research park and endless world on the empire development screen. Oh well :P 


Queing up for a System development level to unlock:

Selecting quest choice (use ships as i have more control over when I will get this)

Exploring curiosities

Hero choice (the +20 food from two planets with % bonus is strong in the early game

Upgrading Argosy for increased movement since it is ready to move again

We found Micre but we need Savannah and more resource (hopefully we can afford to buy next turn)

Sadly there is no way to gain both techs so we have to chooce between an earlier colony or +35 fidsi from system upgrade. Easy choice imho as another colony snowballs fast. Thus I change the techpath for next turn. 

Interestingly we also have a nearby minor civ if we want early conquest as can be shown by the white circle, usefull to know for future turns:


Savegame start of turn 4: ADA start t4.sav

We will need 4 hyperium for next turn settlement so we buy that from the market, every turn counts when it comes to getting up colonies! 

Looking at luxury boosts of population we need the following:

Glitterdust is not currently in the market, bluecap mold however is:

Boosting the population moves our science from

To this (hey every little bit counts and i guess + we show that both rational minds and the % FIDSI bonus affects pop)

Tweak the planet production and que for more industry and an early scout to compensate for not setting hero as governor so hero will get 2-3 scouting event before going governor again.


Start of t5: ADA start t5.sav

Setting system development: Quite a big deal to have the early Transvine! 


Merging scout fleets and scouting with hero in fleet gaining
Free pop (YAY) (and also eden incence and 25 influence)

New cooporative quest (not going to happen for a while)

New deed to create 2 trading companies (magma's council is pretty nice with 20% indu bonus) but not going to happen for a while as I have other priorities

Colonized micre and using system development for a quick early boost

As both systems have an ash planet we will get ash technology while also trying to boost science in the hopes of doing 2 for 1's (2 techs in a turn)

Hero is put to system to boost food further. lets find out if system development gives xp. If not the que still is storing the industry so the turn after with finish other buildings should give a nice net xp boost for the hero.

Upgrade scout ships to see if you can still abuse upgrade for free moves on scouts (when upgrading resets moves)

Nope did not work I guess that is a good thing :)

Not sure if going -2 this turn will put me under loyal but I hope to switch laws next turn. Could be a mistake to not have switched this turn we will find out.

Start t6: ADA start t6.sav

Phew loyalty still the same. Oh and our hero gained quite a chunck of xp from system development.

Switching laws to avoid going under loyal 

We have quite little influence so going to add a tech for that 

Qued up for industry in micre

Quing up in Cardano for fast Growth / hero xp

Actually lucky the scout move trick did not work as I changed mind and wanted to scout the next system in the hopes of finding strategic resources

Forgot we have new pop niris that can be boosted

We also need some hyperium for next colony and can sell som titanium. Doing some quick trading and boosting the pop

Pretty strong bonus  for early growth

We could get a quick KEII bost with two ships if we wanted 

And that concludes my play for today with end of turn 6 save: Ada end t6.sav

Overall situation:

What I wish to do in the imidiate turns to come (t7-t13): Gain more heroes as the boost early is strong and snowballs. Prepair for first invasion (minor faction) and increase overall influene levels and add a new law as I want the KEII law bonus back :) We also need more scout ships so we can know more what to do with future turns earlier. 

Thanks JHELL. It is pretty cold here in Norway in winter so we do like our snowballs... 

Part II up: https://www.games2gether.com/endless-space-2/forums/65-general/threads/31451-glorious-ada-part-ii

Also since I know I have many typoes anyone can feel free to PM me the worst ones and I will fix them :) 

Feel free to discuss our come with suggestions on more optimal moves I can do :) Part 2 will be posted later this week in a new thread as there is too many pictures 0.o.