Indeed. The only time I've beat an enemy I was against an Vasari Rebel "easy defender", because I thought the Vasari Loyalists are more combat focused, making then stronger. But I had luck that time.
It doesn't matter the enemy, even in the easy difficulty, I ALWAYS get raped out of the map. Can you guys show me strategyes or things like that to help me out?
Ok here it is how I play when I am a AL against AI unfair or cruel random map one suns 4 or 6 player. WORK ONLY AGAINST AI.
First point is to scout to find a choke point ( for me this is two planet one jump away one for another as far I can get from my home planet and with the most phase line to come to it). Build on your home planet (HP) a civ lab and research Inspired architecture level 2 as sun as possible. Build 3 Disciple then 1 Missionary Vessel and then 2 more Disciple. The first Cap ship I use is Progenitor and I send her on the planet who is it in front of your HP. For Progenitor first ability I take is Malice if the planet have 3 siege frigates on her. The 3 Disciple I send to the nearest dwarf planet or asteroid follow by the colonizer frigate and 2 other disciples. The Progenitor put in middle of the defender frigates and build bomber one her. After the asteroid is colonized build first second civ lab and research the type of planet where your Progenitor is. As sun as possible your Progenitor hit level 2 take colonize as second ability and colonize the planet. Build first military lab on this planet. After that you must take as many planet you can and build on them only military lab till 3 lab when you can research your SB. Remember don't be greedy take only the planet who cant defend your entire front because a larger front is difficult to maintained ( like Thermophile when few mans can keep a small front . Build your SB in the middle of the gravity well but they must reach the edge of gravity well. At the edge will stay the carrier or the anti-structure cruiser and if the SB cant reach them will be a dead SB. If your 2 planet with SB are more then 2 jump away from your planet build on one of them your Frigate factory the most probability will be the planet where is your Progenitor. I keep my fleet at the edge of the gravity well to the other planet with SB. If in back of your HP you have say a asteroid or more and is a dead end don't colonized till you stabilized your front( build the 2 StarBase). And this is must be done before the first pirates come because in the most case will be you who pirates attack first (15 min of game play).
The fleet:
I prefer like this till I build my 2 SB I keep only Progenitor and 5 Disciples. After that I go up one tier on fleet capacity and one in cap ship and I take the Halcyon Carrier with first ability Amplify Energy Aura and Iconus Guardian. The number of them I prefer 10 disciples with steal antimatter 5 Iconus Guardian and if I can mange to bring 9 Iluminattors. I always keep a reserve of 10 points in fleet capacity because when is needed to be capable to build a SB. This fleet a strugle to keep till my Titans is online. Why this because is less many to maintained and in 85% of case will work against the most powerful army who can attack you at this stage of game. ASP as I can I build my Titan but with the mention that I research the next tier on fleet capacity only when I have the resource and money to build the titan. The abilities that i use on my cap ship are Malice and Shield Regeneration one level at time as for Progenitor and Telekinetic Push and Amplify Energy Aura of Carrier. I use fleet cohesion and is always on tight.The Progenitor is always with fighter and Carrier with bombers.
The SB and battles:
I level up like this first level in attack and the second in defense and so one till level 2 attack and maybe 3 on defense but i prefer . If you have resource build beside 2 repair platform one hangar defense but always the Shield Bestowal and because they don't stack i use only one and another platform repair will be excellent. I use SB for my main damage dealer and because that I fight all my battles only near the SB not in another part of gravity well. Another thing is that the majority (80%) of your enemy attacks will happened after the pirates reach your gravity well.
The economy and buildings:
First when you colonized a planet first thing upgrade pop with one level the when is less then 15 pop size of maximum capacity upgrade to the next level no sooner because it is a waist of resource. I don't use all the logistic slots because i prefer 1 lab ( civic or military) and 1 port and only if is necessarily ( to put trade port or an 1 lab) i upgrade logistic capacity. But till you build the 2 SB you don t need more then 2 civ lab and then 3 military and after that you need 3 civ and 4 military to bring online your titan. It will be ways if you can manage to have all time a reserved of 1800 gold 275 metal and 150 crystal to upgrade your SB in moment when the enemy jump in your gravity well ( this till you have a SB with 2 attack and 2 or 3 defense and till you have build the titans) then is no more necessarily. Apart from building i prefer on all my planet to have port asp i can manage to have. Other building then ports and 1 maybe 2 temple of communication on the farthest planet from my HP i don't build and hangar defense and repair platform on planet with SB.
The research and diplomacy:
In the research tree i research till i bring my titans like this: first research is inspired architecture level 2 then volcanic and ice evangelism and then rush for SB and Repair platform. Then I research the hangar defense with shield restore and if it is necessary but only if it is absolute necessary the Enduring Devotion. After that I research temple of communication and zealous worship level 2 if necessary. but i prefer to go to trade port. After this i research first upgrade for hull, shield and laser cannon at level 2 and the second upgrade for shied at level 1 to be able to build iconus. I research the steal antimatter and illluminators; After that or in time with other research I research voice, call, song of unity and acclimatization of will because i don't now why but if you play a 6 player map with all faction ( this is the maps who i play most) after 20-40 min gameplay the vasari faction offer you the ease fire ( yupi yeah). If is necessary ( time of great battle) i research one point in second upgrade for laser and one point in plasma. Then it is all to titan. If you mange to research crystal and metal upgrade fine if not that it is. ( yes I now is not worth but if you can do you do this because is a + not -). The research if you can must be like this one research in all of you research tree at the same time( perfect research) and don't invest in more then one or maximum 2 research at one time on one research tree.
At then after I build my titan i move my fleet in one planet with SB and the titan in other planet with SB preferably one where the pirate attack you. Then I build my fleet and i don't go in offense till i have a fleet of 820 fleet capacity. My fleet is like this if i play AL : Progenitor, Halcyon Carrier, Discord Battleship and at this time of game Radiance but in my opinion i will preferred to be Rapture or Reveletion?; 10 Disciples with steal antimatter, 5-6 iconus guardian with repulse 5-6 Aeria Drone Host and the rest of my fleet illuminators and maybe 5-10 Domina Subjugator with perseverance.
PS: This is only my opinion is not a guide is not a bullet proof strategy ( it works in 75-85% of time against 5 AI unfair or cruel and 90-95% against 1 AI cruel or vicious but the condition is that that AI don't be VR) and I hope with your advise to improve the game of all players against 5 AI set on unfair or cruel.
And this topic was from the first time place not to be a debate about who has right and ho is wrong but in my opinion to bring every one of us our opinion and if in this process will be sufficient people who come in agree with one thing to write to the developers of the game and that change to be apply in the next patch. Maybe a poll with changes to be apply at the next patches will be made by the administrators of this forum and the most voted to be done in the game.
Thank you all.