Last night I finally completed a game, but I'm pretty sure it's only because I got lucky that I did so well. I played as the Thalans on a Huge map with Tech Trading turned off, no Mega Events, Abundant Habitable Planets, Planets, Stars, Scattered Stars, Normal Tech Speed, Random Minor Civilizations. The game threw me in with the Altarians, Arceans, Korx, Krynn, and Torians. There were two minor races but I never saw them. I think the AI killed them...
Ah, I forgot my abilities. I gave myself +25% Creativity, +20% Research, +20% Morale, and the Technologists was my party of choice.
Anyway, I ended up with 3 morale resources, 2 economic resources, 1 military resource, 4 technology resources, and 3 influence resources. Yes, I really put effort into getting these before the AI, and from now on I'll make that a priority. With 3 morale resources I had no need of any morale buildings whatsoever.
In the end, which took me 4 straight nights of gaming, and would have taken more if I hadn't just went for the Technological Victory... I had 120+ colonies and was making 7,000+ BC a week at 49% taxes. Every single planet had 2 farms and a potential 20 billion population. Most of my planets were specialized economy planets, raking in around 350-450 BC a week. I had 9 planets devoted to production and 6 to research, every one of them with fully loaded economic starbases for that sweet +96% bonus. I researched every technology before I went for the technological victory, which I did out of sheer exhaustion. I can't imagine how long this game would have lasted if I decided to just kill everyone. To be honest, I just didn't feel like playing anymore, and now I'm kind of sick of the game and need a break.
The AI did terrible. The Krynn got some sort of "event" that claimed they found a piece of an artifact that would make them more powerful each week, and that if I didn't take steps to erradicate them, I would one day be enslaved by them. They were #2, but... the AI was so far behind in technology, and was doing so poor economically... there was simply no way they could ever take me down. Every time they tried to colonize a planet in my ring of influence, I would absorb that planet the next week which, of course, got on my nerves after the 20th time. I simply had too many planets and the micromanagement got to be a living hell. I built some nice huge ships with 2 Doom Rays, 2 Black Hole Eruptors and 2 Black Hole something nor other, and 2 of every best defense. My military might went through the roof and the AI was too afraid to ever bother me, they only offered thousands of BC every once in a while, which I gladly accepted.
Looking at these AI planets with spies, I saw that they weren't very bright. A starport on every planet, a few manufacturing plants, the occasional farm or research building. What the hell? How could they hope to beat me?
Ah well. I dominated this last game, but I'm tired for now. I don't see how you guys do it, so often. That was a grueling test of patience, my wrist hurts from all the clicking, etc. I think I've had enough... unless I'm missing something. *shrug*