Galaxy options and types of game

from Stardock Forums

When you change the Galaxy options (and others like the opponents) what sort of changes does it make to the game.

 

I dont mean literly i.e. selecting a huge universe gives you a huge universe to explore. But more along the line of this set of options lends more to a combat game or  that set of options is more a tech game.

Also what is a good average / balanced set of starting conditions.

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Reply #1 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

Any victory option is possible in any game.  For balance, juct go middle-of-the-road in all choices.

  The smarter the AI, the less likely anyone is to manage any victory quickly. Tech victory is easier when research is faster.  Influence victory is easier when stars are spread out, since it depends on the sheer area your influence covers, not how focused it is.  Most other universe options aren't that major in suggesting a victory path.

The AI choices are very important for determining whether a conquest victory or an alliance victory is likely.  The conquest/alliance balance comes from the ethics of the races that wind up in the galaxy.  If they're mostly evil, expect a war heavy game.  If they're mostly good, expect a treaties screen full of blue lines.  Either way, expect a fair quantity of fighting between opposite alignments.

Any way you set it up, keep in mind that the AI doesn't consider you to be "the human player".  You're just another civilization, and like any other, are unknown in intent.  You can identify some of the end conditions that the AIs want (Terrans try for Alliance, Dengrin go for Conquest), but they're not mindlessly fixated on them.  That's a big part of why I find GC to be so much fun- it's inherently unpredictable.

Reply #2 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

I guess you can say that with smaller maps, wars will begin earlier.

Other than that I don't know since I don't really vary my conditions by all that much. I just tweek the number of opponents and planets. I keep research at normal.

I think you get a really good game with a large map and occasional or abundant stars and abundant planets. Personally I like tight clusters since it makes econominc star bases cover more planets. Keep you opponents to like 5 with a lot of minors. This would give you some breathing room in the game and give you a decent number of planets to colonize and a chance to develop before the AI's get hostile. With more opponents there are fewer planets for you and things get tight faster BUT there is also a better chance of getting 2 AIs to fight eachother and more treaties to get.

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