OK, new best starting Bonuses?

Here's a few set ups I've found decent:

Populists
+70 Diplo - 5pts
+10 Morale - 1pt
+20 Econ - 4pts

Total:
+90 Diplo
+30 Morale
+20 Econ

This set up seems to let you pull off some pretty impressive trades with the AI, even after the nerfing that trading got in the latest patch. I do very little researching at all and just buy what I want from the AIs. Some things I do research myself (Defensive Phasers, for example...and the Cultural techs if I want to go the Party Palace route). I trade with the AI like crazy and make sure I snag the Diplomatic Translators early.

Federalists
+2 Speed - 9 pts.
+10 Morale - 1 pt.

+20 Econ
+2 Speed
+10 Morale

Nice for getting a ton of planets early. If it means you get some planets that an AI neighbour would have otherwise snagged, then the very expensive speed pick has done its job. Speed is always helpful during wartime as well, and also helps you explore the map much quicker. The speed bonus really helps if you plan to make a big offensive move during the Battle Hammer era. 9 pts is very, very expensive though...but I still believe the big early game jump you can get on the AI with speed is huge.

War Party
+30 Econ - 6pts
+40 Repair - 2pts
+15 Weapons - 1pt
+10 HP - 1pt

+60% HP
+40 Repair
+30 Econ
+15 Weapons


Credit to Za H for pointing out the usefulness of combining the repair pick with lots of HPs. You may choose different 1 pointers if you wish, but Repair + HP bonuses is the key to this setup. Great for keeping your ships alive long enough to gain levels. Obviously not worth it though if you don't plan to be at war a lot.

On the larger maps, I've been taking the +1 speed bonus more often (you may have noticed they mini-nerfed it from 4 to 5 points for cost). It really helps on expanding in the early game. Other than that, I try to just match up my strategy for that game with the proper party, and then match that with the bonuses. I guess you could mix it up a little, giving you a wider range of bonuses in smaller increments to start. But seems wiser to pump up party stats with bonuses.

Especially if you plan to upgrade your governement over time. Losing your seat loses your party bonus, and so the other bonuses may be the only ones you have, other than of course, any you gain while playing.

fleabitfox

I try a different approach. I have find that my revenue stream is not my constraining factor, but my production limits.

So I choose research bonuses for my racial pick (+30, I think) and Industrialist for my part (+20 to social & military prod)

I typically min/max my sliders for the next goal so this seems to work well for me.

When your Dreadnoughts are taking on Battle Cruisers, you don't have to worry about hit points and repair rates too much

I find that the worst bind to be in (other than having no planets of course) is being hopelessly behind in tech. So I like:
+50% Tech (6 pts)
+10% Morale (1 pt)
with the extra 3 pts going to +5% PQ or military boosts.

Then I choose Fed(+20% econ) or War(+50% hit points) or Tech(+20% res, +1 sensor) party.

Ironically, in my lastest game half of my planets are 15's, which is the only colonizable-class planet to obtain NO benefit whatsoever from my PQ bonus.
(After Soil Enh and Hab Imp, I mean.)

Hmm, I've chosen the Fed, Spd2 and Morale10 as well.
That works really well for the aggressive expander.

I chose Univ, Spd2 and Luck for one of my games but the lucky event (economic boom) came too late for me so I'm ditching luck for a while.

I tend to choose the following:

Universalists : Economics: + 5
Defense: +10
Pop. Growth: +10
Luck: +15

And then as my modifyable picks I have:
Social Production: +20
Research: +50
Luck: +25
Creativity: +25

This gives me a great deal of luck (at +50), and it cam in very handy in the game I played last night. About once every 50 - 100 game turns, I would get one or more free Rangers. And trust me, when you've worked a ranger up to Level 5 AND had it roaming the galaxy picking up various bits of anomalies, it can be a turly scary sight.

William

~SDC~

Thanks again everyone. I'll be trying some of these out.

~SDC~

#3 - thongor - please post some info about your starting strategy: there is probably something in there for us to learn from, since for most of us, economy id definitely the limiting factor.
(For those that didn't follow, Thongor is saying he has no problem making a profit with expenditure at 100%!)

~SDC~

Oh - and #1 - Dr. No Chance - YOU ROCK!

~SDC~

I usually give myself a big luck bonus, too. Having 4 rangers when everyone else is still working on getting battleship tech is nice...

Bill

~SDC~

Following the advice on this thread I thought I'd try the 50% luck thingy.
Yeagh!

My game is through to March 2195 and I have not had a single lucky thing happen to me. Having built a bunch of rangers and dreadnoughts under my own steam I am handsomely winning by now, but I would have expected at least one or two things to've cropped up.

Ok, so it's *luck*, but I think I will put my points somewhere else if I don't get a better return next game!

-P.

~SDC~

Seems like your luck runs in streaks. Like maybe you'll suddenly get three lucky rangers in 30 turns and then you won't see another for 50 more. Maybe it's not your time yet.

Bill

~SDC~

Based on what has been said elsewhere, Luck prevents bad events from affect you as often. It doesn't affect good events at all.

~SDC~