Pls help a newb out with his gameplay

from GalCiv2 Forums

My gameplay style is basically.  pick up a few good planets close to home base and then maximize the planets and starbases.  with DA i had to tweak the starbases.  on the planets this is what i usually run.  3 factories, 1 farm, 1 entertainment complex 3 research and 3 money makers.

with that strategy, the ai(sub-normal) usually out classes me with logistics and ships(it's kinda sinking feeling when u see 4 20 to 36 hp doomlasered frigates coming at ya, especially when u know it's the end.)  i seem not to be able to put up enough military ships(of course i researched all my planet researches and by the time they get there i have zero point armor with phaser VII and total miniturization.  i usually don't stand a chance

 

I tried to make my planets specific rescources, but that hasn't worked out for me as well.  i hold put a lil longer, but the sad fact is with rare star amount(usually 13 on tiny univ and more as u get bigger and bigger maps) no matter how long i last, the ai will have nough planets and therefore the base needed to run me over. 

 

Now here's the big problem.  I'm not a rusher.  it makes my head hurt, and in my humble oppinion either u totally smash through and win quik like or u die.  my style is i like to be left alone with my planets and build up and when they finally do come, they can't amass enough of a force to beat my defences(loved doing this in Total annialiation, warcraft 1 and 2 and in conquest frontier wars)  I'm not really sure i can do that in here.  I'll try again with this time u cannot trade research teks but it really looks like my playing style may not be a good style for this game.  and to be brutally honest, if i have to go out and rush ant take over planets, well i guess i'll go back to playing dreadlords.  I for some reason was makin headway in that game(well for the 2 days it took me to go back to gamestop and get the right CD's for DA)

But i rather not do that.  hence the reason this newb is appealing to the vets here.  I glanced at the galciv II wikki, and all i saw in there was rush this and rush that. 

 

basically on my last game ther were 13 stars, and 3 ai's  and after a bit, well there were only 2 left and 1 had most of everybody's stuff, so naturally he came after me.  bypassed my starbases, and basically killed all my orbiting ships.  the ai had med ship fleets(20 to 36 hp) with high weps on em.  my precurser rangers didn't stand a chance.  and i wasn't able to produce any large ships(i had a 22 planet with mainly research on it, a 14 hoeplanet with 4 industrial sectors, quantum thingy(boosts manufacturing) and maufacturing capital.  then i had 2 12 planets where i had a mis of virt relaity and stock markets.  my one planet couldn't keep up with makin ships(med ship with phaser VII and zero point armor)  and they took my home planet and then research planet, then i die.

 

well, i'll check back later on tomorrow.

 

thankyou gents for any help you can give  :)

6,706 views 12 replies
Reply #1 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Try playing on bigger maps set to tight clusters on the stars, and Ctl-N til you get a map that puts you with several completely empty sectors between you and any of the AI's and where the AI's are in proximity's and a layout where it is likely they will go to war with each other before picking on you.

If you do this, and also do not neglect your diplomacy, it should buy you enough time to "be ready" before you engage in conflict. At sub-normal, you shouldn't have any problem winning with this start.

You also can't expect the AI to wait for you to be ready... you need to actively take steps to make them wait for you to be ready. Diplomacy, military strength (as a deterrent), insuring you are researching military techs enough to keep your ships at least close to competitive, even going so far as to help out weaker AI races that are at war with a strong one in order to prolong their survival, etc.

At the end of the day, if you sit around and let one AI opponent gobble up most of the galaxy, like in your example, you aren't going to be able to compete once he comes to you...he'll have you outclassed on every level, as makes sense if his empire is 10 times bigger than yours. You have to actively make sure that does not happen. It sounds like, up to that point, you were playing as if your empire-management was the only thing going on in the galaxy.

You're point about trech trading is very true, as well. The AI uses it like crazy. If you aren't using it too, you will fall way behind. When I play with it on, I just make sure I am the one getting the most advantage out of it. Again, you have to be active about it though, or you are handing the AI's the advantage instead.

You mention the enemy "going past" your starbases to attack your planets as well. Hopefully, at least, you had the military bases close enough that their bonuses applied to ships defending those planets... There's not much point in building bases out where you aren't going to engage the enemy. Either you need to keep defensive fleets at the bases and intercept incoming enemies, or you need to keep the bases in range of your planets so planetary fleets get their bonuses. The AI isn't going to stop to shoot at your bases just because they are there.
Reply #2 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
In addition to Stormkeep's good advice, you may want to try a different setup. Using the biggest map possible, set planets/habitable planets/stars to "rare." Have the maximum number of opponents and minors. Basically, everyone is going to get their capital planet and their "Mars" to start with. There will be *no* colony rush at all, and you will likely not build a colony ship the entire game. Develop your two planets wisely, and concentrate also on exploration. You will want to especially find and grab resources. If you set anomolies to "abundant," finding them can also be an important part of the game. The life-support, engine, and sensor techs will probably be more critical than in games you are used to playing.

As Stormkeep said, you cannot sit around and let someone else expand their empire while you stay at home. Find some nice, juicy minor planets to conquer to expand your empire. If you do not grab them, someone else will! Then plan your expansion at the expense of whatever other civs seem ready for the entlightenment of your civilization.

Have fun!
Offworld Trading Company
Reply #3 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
thankyou gents, i'll try that one out and see how it goes. But your right, this game calls for a different strategy i'm used to.

Once again, thankyou for your info :)
Reply #4 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
My gameplay style is basically. pick up a few good planets close to home base and then maximize the planets and starbases.
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Try to get a bit more that a few good planets. Any world, save those heavily damaged by invasions, can be useful by placing a few markets on them.

on the planets this is what i usually run. 3 factories, 1 farm, 1 entertainment complex 3 research and 3 money makers.
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You might be too rigid in you planet setups. Try specializing some of your worlds. Powerplants work better when you have more factories to affect. Farms, and morale buildings work well with a large number of markets.

with that strategy, the ai(sub-normal) usually out classes me with logistics and ships(it's kinda sinking feeling when u see 4 20 to 36 hp doomlasered frigates coming at ya, especially when u know it's the end.) i seem not to be able to put up enough military ships(of course i researched all my planet researches and by the time they get there i have zero point armor with phaser VII and total miniturization. i usually don't stand a chance
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It can be difficult to figure out how to keep up in the arms race with the AI if you are new to the game. The thing you might not of realized is that the AIs are often researching these techs. I'm guessing you ussually only consider researching these techs after you've researched most of the non combat techs, like planet colonization, factories, governments techs, and other stuff?

Now here's the big problem. I'm not a rusher. it makes my head hurt, and in my humble oppinion either u totally smash through and win quik like or u die.
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That can be a problem. If you don't have the fortitude to manage this stuff, like deciding what to develop on your worlds upon colonizing them, you could decide to fill up all the slots with markets, and get back to them later. You will atleast be making more money, enough to hopefully maintain a few specialized worlds.

But i rather not do that. hence the reason this newb is appealing to the vets here. I glanced at the galciv II wikki, and all i saw in there was rush this and rush that.
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The only rushing I need to do is the colony rush. I find that I can win the game by taking my time from there. I also ussually research techs quicker than everyone else, so that helps too.
Reply #5 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Ok peps, tried out your suggestions, and my gameplay has expanded Quite well :)

thanks gents

currently in a gigantic map with teck Super slow, and only hapitable planets were me and the other races, needless to say, this is now Right up my ally. On top of that, the Dreggies have to put life support to try to get to me, lol. lil ships missles bounce right off my armor.

I also broadened my defence. in stead of having some super way kewl armor, i now do all 3 at the same time, and do engines, then moduals, then defence, and finally weps when desigining a ship.

once again, thankyou peeps.
Reply #6 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Basically at all levels of AI the way to keep the AI's from attacking you is to make them *think* that you're stronger then they are.

It doesn't have to be true but if they think it's true then you get to pick and choose where and when to fight at your leisure.

Stormkeep alluded to diplomacy and military strength as a deterrent, but didn't really take it far enough. It's fine to take your time and build up your civilization, but if you do you should rush to the top of the diplomancy branch and then build the Spin Control Center and put up ten cargo hulls full of the best weapon that you have. The SCC multiplies the apparent military might of the ships in orbit about the planet with the SCC by 5. This pretty much gaurantees that the AI will leave you alone until you want to start something. It also allows you to make raids on a stronger opponent taking a couple of planets, resources or whatever and then allows you to get peace on your terms.

Also the diplomatic advantage really helps getting good deals in tech trading as well. The trade branch of the tech tree along with building the Galactic Bazaar (makes your trade offers look 50% better) gives a big help as well.

Basically, if you allow tech trading and you concentrate your tech development in the yellow branch of the tech tree you can get pretty much everything else you need in trade and your diplomatic advantage will allow you to take advantage of the AI in trades instead of the other way around.
Reply #7 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Now here's the big problem. I'm not a rusher. it makes my head hurt, and in my humble oppinion either u totally smash through and win quik like or u die. my style is i like to be left alone with my planets and build up and when they finally do come, they can't amass enough of a force to beat my defences(loved doing this in Total annialiation, warcraft 1 and 2 and in conquest frontier wars) I'm not really sure i can do that in here.
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In "The Bringers of Light" TC for TA you don't need to rush. in fact, you can't colonize more than 1 planet before RESEARCHING the colonization tech. by making colonization a tech, we've in essence killed the rush because not every civilization will research the tech at the same time. only those who've researched colonization will be able to colonize.

-Dave
Reply #8 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Nice Tip, DSep! I never played anything but random maps in any of the GalCiv games, I think I should check out some of the other options for interesting twists.
Reply #9 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Yep, but that's going from a MODDED type (Dave's BoL) of game which completely alters usual conditions with a 'No-Colony' preq node in the technology gambles! ;)

If you're simply talkin' about increasing game-skills for default settings... you should concentrate first at developping a few strategies for specific victory goal(s) and into a number of different type of initialized values; good/neutral/evil races, wide influence, warmongering, invasions, etc.

Just the upcoming X-Worlds techno grid would bring (no pun intended, btw!) anyone to its knees for a number of carefully thought up conditions... (*excluding the already implemented new Political Parties & costly Invasion Tactics and the conversion type of races present.) - version 05-E will gain inserted new techs that SLoooooWS down everything (incl. the inevitable weaponry race) and a couple of tricky choices to make with some extra buildings (i really DO like Capital stuff) and strange Trade-Goods. But, that will be only my approach at things. An opinion, if you like.

Dsep has his. Which is excellent, in fact.

- Zyxpsilon.
Reply #10 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
when i get around to it, i might just put out a small mod aside from TBL that uses this method for killing the rush.

P.S. if anyone wants to join TBL. we're still looking for devs for all jobs because we're only a team of 3 right now.

-Dave
Reply #11 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
What about raising cost for HyperDrive to a very huge figure while pulling it off the list of starter-choices? It could certainly be considered a much tougher colony-rush phase for any, including AIs.
Another reason why i always enjoy fiddling with some of these values; it completely re-balances gameplay to a whole new context -- making it more obvious to the casual players which are comfortable with defaults. The challenge comes not only from renaming and/or re-locating stuff around but also in the very basic calculated variations we'd normally expect from it all.
I prefer MODS that alter many things to great length as opposed to configurable settings.

- Zyxpsilon.
Reply #12 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
very interesting idea... oh yeah and hyperdrives don't come in till later on in the tech trees for TBL ;) a lot of jet type engines first.

-Dave