I don`t understand it either, but i`ve played a lot of games and been on a lot of forums where some people (who previously called themselves Aces playing on the Hardest difficulty) also revealed that they always Reloaded whenever something they didn`t like happened. So I wouldn`t be surprised if some of these `Grandmaster` players do the same thing. For years I used to wonder how these guys did so well on some really high difficulty games, hardly ever explaining how with brief comments like in the OP, until I discovered this.

However, now there`s a way they can prove it, Do a `video of how they play their game` so well and post it on u-tube for us to see. Then I`ll believe.

On reloading ... you guys are using it to falsely rationalise that Master players are cheating.

The comment about reloading was made by me ... not the OP.  I've never said Gal Civ 3 was too easy on Suicidal.  I said that I found Suicidal rough but winnable.  I don't consider myself even close to being a Master player of Gal Civ 3.

With my first win on Suicidal, initially the Yor went on the rampage and I failed to bop them.  I reloaded, failed to Bop them again, and then changed my victory target to an Alliance victory.  I just wanted to see if it was winnable at all at that point.

My other two victories I was min-max score hunting.

I haven't won yet without reloading that's for sure.

With respect to other 4X games, it's a similar story.  I play Extreme difficulty with Distant Worlds, never reload, and almost always win.  The only times I haven't won is when I've played with my own AI Improvement Mod.

So rationalise all you want that anybody winning on these levels reloads ... and that maybe true in the future for Gal Civ 3 ... but at the moment when there are these excessive exploits around ... I don't doubt it some are winning without it.

Okay I agree on that ... but that is not what you said before.  And in this case what the OP has done can be replicated.  He even has a Let's Play thread.  What Stardock will hopefully do is close the exploits, not just improve the AI ... and reduce some of the utterly ridiculous bonuses on Suicidal.  To me, that is key to Suicidal being fun to play long-term.

I'm not directing this at you ... but there are so many people here that are defensive and lack an open mind.  The fact is that it's a game that has essentially just been released.  Of course there are some exploits that are excessive that should be closed.  That is no surprise and also no problem at all ... like any 4X game at this point.

But the way so many have accused the OP of cheating, including the developer, I find to be really poor form.

Have you tried a game on more interesting settings where these exploits are a lot less effective yet?

Not those settings ... allowing the expansion is the problem.  The question is, with the right settings, will you find it so easy?

Avoid abundant settings as it gives you too many colonies and enables the exploits here.  Use occasional or common planets rather than abundant.

Avoid gigantic maps as it leads to far too many colonies to manage until we have better automation tools.  You'll get bored and won't finish the game.  I would recommend smaller maps, anything up to say Large.  

What let's play is this?

I highly recommend Normal/Large map with all the normal factions as Godlike AI's.

All the tactics I've seen you employ so far rely on the un-opposed colonizing dozens of worlds, while my play experience rarely sees more than 4-6 worlds per faction before you run up against each-other. 

The game is balanced around competition, and your play style seems to completely avoid having to compete for anything during the Age of Expansion and early Age of War.

Sure, the settings he's chosen push the point where actual competition kicks in back to turn 100ish... but the AI also isn't competing with anyone until then, and handles it very poorly. Even on Godlike, the AI's ship building choices and economic settings early on are unfavourable to expansion. This means that it NEEDS to put you under pressure within the opening 30 turns or so or else it falls hopelessly behind.

It also emphasizes the point that the Age system breaks down pretty badly on very big maps - it's entirely possible to still be in full-on expansion mode deep into the second age even with 40+ empires.

Marigoldran, stop beating around the bush. Either post the link to your YouTube 'let's Play,' or shut up.  You can't have it both ways.

No he didn't.  All he posted was a different forum post.  If you click on his link all it does is take you to a different forum thread, that he calls 'Lets Play.'  Don't be fooled by him calling a forum thread 'Let's Play.'  That was merely a forum play-style suggestion - not a 'let's Play' video from YouTube.

I want to see an actual YouTube Let's Play where he shows the set-up parameters that he uses, explains what he is doing on each turn, shows everyone on a turn by turn basis and, above all, plays a full game.  Frankly, I don't think that he can do this.

As another poster mentioned, It's one thing to set up a galaxy that is extremely weak against your play style (and then brag about it), but it is another thing to set-up a galaxy to be strong against your play-style, and post a turn-by-turn YouTube 'Let's Play' video explaining your strategy for overcoming the difficulties - all the way to the end of the game (with a Power Score & a Game Score).

My unlikeable rating should only be at -1.  Grrrrrrrrrr