I'm always tempted to find a good world closer to the AI to slow their expansion.



Of course sooner or later this means war, but that's coming anyway.



So do you like to build close to your territory or do you like to 'spread out' and get entangled with the AI?



Playing as the Amoeba you see everything, so that makes it even more tempting.

Considering that the amoeba are the weakest militarily, you should probably settle closer to your own systems to avoid a disastrous premature war with the AI. Generally it is best to wait until you have an advantage before attacking.

Adventurer_Blitz wrote:
Considering that the amoeba are the weakest militarily, you should probably settle closer to your own systems to avoid a disastrous premature war with the AI. Generally it is best to wait until you have an advantage before attacking.

So who's strong militarily?

Idaho wrote:
Do you build colonies close together, or do you spread out?

it depends, sometimes one, sometimes the other. there are benefits to both and it depends on the exact scenario.

Generally speaking, you want to avoid the AI except in 1v1 games because that lets you create a tech gap on infrastructure which in turn lets you create a military gap (although most military comes from civilian tech surprisingly enough. I get tier2 armor and weapons early and then win with them. science techs for +weight, colonization tech for bigger ships. economic tech for +command points)

If there is an exceptional system, I will take it early despite the war.



That being said, your early colonization should definitely prioritize the most terraformed planets (terran, jungle, and ocean) and you should spend money on a few things to boost the nascent colony. Also, AI will try to build all the +happiness buildings first even when it is stupid to do so. get the +food and industry done first

Idaho wrote:
So who's strong militarily?

I would say Hisso has the strongest ships, followed by the United Empire, then Cravers have a decent industrial base to build lots of ships. As for best overall, I would say Sheredyn as they make quite strong ships and have the dust income to buy out huge fleets. (plus you can't retreat from the Sheredyn)

Adventurer_Blitz wrote:
I would say Hisso has the strongest ships, followed by the United Empire, then Cravers have a decent industrial base to build lots of ships. As for best overall, I would say Sheredyn as they make quite strong ships and have the dust income to buy out huge fleets. (plus you can't retreat from the Sheredyn)

This only matter if you have equal tech, and you don't. Sheredyn actually is poorer than usual since they have dust to defense conversion and lack good economic techs... unless they have that one horrific tech that gives +250 dust per system at the cost of -33% science, -33% food, and -50 happiness. which completely and utterly ruins them unless its the second to last tech to be researched. their last tech to research is the "science to dust conversion", which allows converting science to dust at a 200% rate. which is gonna be automatically used by the AI instead of industry to dust conversion whenever the system is idle (having built everything else). And this is disastrous to their growth.



So no, sherydan is not the strongest military because it will be out teched

Correction Taltamir, that one horrid tech is the best tech ever, its negative effects only apply for the 10 turn long building duration. Also just don't use dust to defense conversion and don't assign AI governors, it is the best faction for dust producing in the game.

Adventurer_Blitz wrote:
Correction Taltamir, that one horrid tech is the best tech ever, its negative effects only apply for the 10 turn long building duration. Also just don't use dust to defense conversion and don't assign AI governors, it is the best faction for dust producing in the game.

Really? I never even used it because I didn't know that... And now I'm trying other factions, spent enough time on the Sheredyn...

Adventurer_Blitz wrote:
Correction Taltamir, that one horrid tech is the best tech ever, its negative effects only apply for the 10 turn long building duration.

Oh, so it does. Well my face is red... also I can't believe I have nerfed myself so badly by not using it.

Then again, those missed 10 turns during which your growth and research is shot really hurts in terms of acceleration and growth.

Adventurer_Blitz wrote:
Also just don't use dust to defense conversion

why not? it helps and sherydan has lots of dust

Adventurer_Blitz wrote:
don't assign AI governors, it is the best faction for dust producing in the game.

Insanity and madness, its way too much micro and fingerstrain otherwise, not to mention in multiplayer its outright impossible to do in a timely manner.

its tedious enough to just overrule the AI when its acting REALLY stupid

Adventurer_Blitz wrote:
it is the best faction for dust producing in the game.

With all tech researched. But honestly I am swimming in dust anyways regardless of faction halfway through the tech tree.

The issue is, can they climb up the tech tree and expand through the galaxy fast enough for it to matter.