All Factory Builders - A question

I've just started playing on the crippling/masochistic level, and I wanted to ask how any of you who like to play all factories go about your early strategy? I have yet to find a very effective method to research those early techs AND pump out colony ships to keep up with the AI.

Should I just forego technology for the first few turns to get my ships out? I'm trying not to purchase more than one or two as this is a terrible economy drain and I'd rather stay in the positive for longer. I think Wyndstar mentioned doing an all labs approach for the first few turns to get the research started, but I find this extremely tough on my economy. I was considering a more balanced approach, like build factories and research buildings for a while... but this feels inefficient.

Any thoughts?

p.s. - I always toy with my ability points, and I'm still undecided as to getting speed +2 in lieu of other racial abilities, what do you guys choose to complement your all-factories strategy?

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Hi!

what do you guys choose to complement your all-factories strategy?

Lots of reseach bonuses plus technologists.

how any of you who like to play all factories go about your early strategy? I have yet to find a very effective method to research those early techs AND pump out colony ships to keep up with the AI.

On your HW you need to build so many factories it can produce a colonizer each second turn WITH focus on research. Aso in game settings choose fastest research. Tech trading "on" helps you, but it also helps the AIs, so it's on you to test what will get you fare better. I prefer tech trade "off", because it saves me time I'd spent on the tech-whoring.

I've just started playing on the crippling/masochistic level

Eh, IIRC there's big difference between those two: with crippling AIs get 25% bonus to econ, production and research, at maso they get 100%. Maso feels like a very different game, much harder than crippling.

BR, Iztok

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Like Iztok said - build nothing but factories on your homeworld at the start of the game. Queue them all up, factory bonus tiles first, and buy one factory each turn until your planet is maxed out. Research up to ion engines if you don't start with engine techs, then go for the planetary improvement and the first two military techs. You'll be popping out a colony every 2-3 turns, depending on how you set your sliders.

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lol

I don't understand how anyone can play with the comps AI getting such bonuses... how is it even possible to win if the AI is getting ANY kind of bonus to one of the 3 sections (Research, Mil, Soc) over the player... doesn't seem doable to me.

If it never makes an error etc - combined with it making twice as much money... how is it possible?

fyi, me = nooooob

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Suicidal is easy if you use the tech trade for planet strategy.

For all factories:

100% social
All econ buildings except for factories on bonus tiles and starports as the first thing you build

Until you've built that starport use focus on research, after the starport is built then switch production to custom colony ships and custom constructors(use smallest hull size possible).

For race stats:

Custom
Super Breeder
+2 speed
+30% econ
The rest being morale and pop growth boosters as you see fit

Political party: Federalists

If you build all factories you will economically die. Just make the star port planets close to your perimeter so you can keep colonizing, constructing and eventually get rid of your star ports on your central planets with no colonizable planets or resources near them and build an econ building in it's place and set the focus on research.

This strategy will not work without enough planets as you never build any range or speed increasers and you need close proximity to your colonizable planets and minable resources.

If you're playing on a smaller galaxy, turbo spore ship might be a better stategy.

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Thanks for the replies so far. Just to verify what I meant earlier, I've been playing crippling and am now testing the waters in masochistic. In crippling I do just fine as long as I have a decent amount of planets in the area to colonize. With my luck I usually end up with a lot, but of course they are all different extreme planets

Anyway, I'm fine with crippling, but it's masochistic where I have trouble keeping up with the AI.

So, when I'm mass building factories on the home planet, am I still researching? Or should I forget research until the planet is full? How many colony ships should I purchase rather than build? I realize these are pretty specific but I would just like a method that works reliably, then I can change it eventually to something more my style if necessary.

I play a Super-Breeder custom race, btw, so that lets me be a little lenient with my economy after I've got a couple planets under my belt. I generally like playing with tech-trading off, because economically it's more challenging, and it prevents me from micromanaging TOO much, you know?

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NeuralTech:

Its because the AI will still not be as effective as a human player. Granted, it gets "better", but it still has difficulty adapting the way a human can, IE building over structures you dont need, focusing production in one of the 3 areas, choosing the right research for what they need at the time.

Ive taken over colonies that consist of 3 farms, 2 entertainment buildings, a factory, a research coordination center (with no labs), a power plant, and an economic capital (with no other econ structures). When they build crap like that it doesnt matter what bonus they get.

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Hi!

When they build crap like that it doesnt matter what bonus they get.

At suicidal level AIs actually don't need buildings. Their initial colony has a base output of about 80/50, and their 1B pop gives ~100BC revenue. If I'd play with such bonuses in up to large galaxy, your civ would be dead in less than one year, no matter what you'd do.

I don't understand how anyone can play with the comps AI getting such bonuses..

Neuraltech, you don't play against them the way you'd play against a human player. At highest difficulty settings player can not win playing by the "regular" rules. He has to misuse many AI's weak spots until he're ready to eliminate them. And in each game those weak spots are the same. That's why I started complaining all games are the same.

But you don't know the game the way I do. Until you do, enjoy it. It's really good.

BR, Iztok

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"you don't play against them the way you'd play against a human player. At highest difficulty settings player can not win playing by the "regular" rules."

This makes good sense to me and I hear where you're coming from...it's just in my 'noob' state that I don't see how I'm going to hold much chance against the comp at higher levels..

Maybe when I'm a badass at the game, I'll fully understand.
ignorance is bliss

thks for the insight, guys!

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