The Thalan and the Yor

from GalCiv2 Forums
Hey everyone

Been a while since I posted here and I just won my first ever game of Gal Civ 2 (a tech victory on Normal difficulty) by the skin of my teeth. I know that'll be nothing to some of you but Im delighted :D

Anyway, one thing Ive noticed is that in every single game Ive had (with one or two exceptions), the Thalan and/or the Yor always dominate the map. Especially the Thalan with their influence. Is there any way to try and stop this happening every single game (aside from not including them of course)?

Also, I don't really understand how Alliances work. I research them but it seems completely random as to whether I'll be able to offer one or not. Relations and history seem to make no difference. In the game I just won I wanted to offer the Thalan an alliance and we were friendly but it wouldn't let me. It let me offer the Iconians alone for reasons I can't understand. Can anyone shed any light on alliances?


Thanks!


P.S. I won that game by the skin of my teeth. The Drengin were wrecking my empire and I had four planets desperately searching for godhood when I won. I can't imagine ever being able to win with any other victory condition. Anyone got any general advise for the game? I think my main problem is that I don't like military stuff. I ignore military until someone declares war on me at which point I start researching it and Im so good at research that I catch up with my opponent easily. But that doesn't last long and inevitably someone always outclasses you. It just seems to me that the game is swayed in favour of militaristic elements. Id like to win without knowing that at some point someone will come and crush me and there's nothing I can do except offer them everything I have for peace :(
4,143 views 5 replies
Reply #1 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Alliances: Both races need the tech and you must be at Close relations.

Thalan's influence...are you speaking of the pink blob of dooom in the beta? If you aren't playing the beta and they are pink blobbing with embassys....then I don't know what to tell you. In DA they rocked with the fast building factories, so their empire got built the quickest.

The Yor in DA/TA just have one of the best defensive abilities in the game and thus when they are at war they have a good advantage.
Reply #2 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
To offer an alliance, you need two conditions met:

1) Both sides need the Alliance tech. You might want to gift it to the other side.
2) The other civ needs to have "Close" relations with you, which is a step beyond friendly. For that, you generally need a comparatively strong military, trade, etc. Those two are the most reliable, but others (like treaties) also work. Check the foreign relatons->report screen to get a breakdown of the factors in your relationship with them.
Siege of Centauri
Reply #3 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Hi!
It just seems to me that the game is swayed in favour of militaristic elements.
End of quote

Unfortunately that's quite close to the thruth. The game, like most other 4x games, favours constant growth. Conquering planets also means growth. At the end the race that grows the biggest usually wins, by simply crushing all oposition with sheer numbers. To counter that you need to grow (conquer) too, as in this game you most of the time can't organize a real alliance against the biggest "monster".

BR, Iztok
Reply #4 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Also, I don't really understand how Alliances work.
End of quote


Some additional info on Alliances other then what is mentioned above:

1) Alliances mean that your relations with a race stays PUT so you don't have to worry about that race going to war with you which in most games is a worry to me even if they're at friendly.

2) If YOU declare war on a race then your ally/allies will not join the war in your favour automatically(for special reasons or on their on prerogative maybe). If an AI attacks YOU only then will your allies/ally be obliged to help you. The AI takes into account your allies as well as you when declaring war so an alliance is extra security.
Imagine declaring war on the Iconians and having 8 other races jump to their defence.

3) Alliances mean that you MUST help if an allied AI is attacked. If you refuse and that AI survives or wins the war. It'll be awful hard to get them to like you again.

Anyway, one thing Ive noticed is that in every single game Ive had (with one or two exceptions), the Thalan and/or the Yor always dominate the map. Especially the Thalan with their influence. Is there any way to try and stop this happening every single game (aside from not including them of course)?
End of quote


What gives the Yor and Thalan their edge is their high productivity and economics. Not to mention their speed. I'd suggest playing as the Thalan or Yor and finding out for yourself how to beat yourself.

Btw, Thalan influence is due to their range bonuses which gives them the ability to establish themselves where you can't even go yet.

Hope I helped.

Reply #5 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
The last game I played on DA was a doozy. Gigantic map, painful level, 5 random AI all of whom were evil. I was a custom race and ranked no better than 4th the entire game. The Yor held half the map, were 1st in everything, and declared war on me when about 90% of the planets were settled. When they came at me, I don't think I've ever seen as many ships in any game I've ever played as these guys had. They were everywhere. This is how the game played out---

My first step was to take out all the Yor planets and resources in my territory to cut back their base of operations and which gave me crucial research whenever I took one of their planets. At the same time I had to shore up (via transports) planets they were trying to take over - I was building more transports than warships. Their fleets of transports kept pouring in on my planets. And, my weapons were never as good as the Yor's the entire game (we were the only two races that were using missles). My game was one big delaying action while I worked hard to build up defenses for the weapons the Yor were using.

In the meantime, the AI were making treaties with each other, with the Yor getting the best end of the deals. I was on OK terms with the other AI and tried to bribe them to attack the Yor, but none of them were ever interested in attacking anyone, much less the Yor. I had good diplomacy, but was never able to trade for anything the whole game. Worse, as the game progressed, the Yor began forming alliances with all of the AI. Interestingly, throughout the whole game the other AI constantly put up warnings about the increasing influence and power of the Yor although they never offered me any support whatever - however, they never declared war on me either. To protect against the other AI attacking me, I built up close relations with each and formed alliances with all of them. Key to this, I believe, was trade. I held the Galactic Privateer and the Yor was never able to cripple my trade which gave me good relations with the AI and crucial income.

Once I got strong defenses for the Yor's missles, I started on a grinding, planet by planet, advance on the Yor. I kept pushing until the Yor economy finally collapsed and I then won the game because of my alliances with everyne else.

There were several unique things about this game that I've never experienced before. My largest hull was only a medium - I could never spare the research to get to large hulls. My most powerful factory was an enhanced factory - I don't think my economy would have supported the expense of a more powerful one - I was always at the edge. I never had many spies - just enough to cripple the next planet I was attacking - if left in place too long, the Yor would neutralize them.

Quite a game.