Decisions, Decisions

from Stardock Forums
There is one failing and one successful alien civilization. I have a big technology lead, equal population, but military inferiority to the other successful civilization. (How does the AI build all those freaking Rangers and Avatars?)

Anyway, at this point my easiest wins appear to be alliance with the other succesful civilization. The alternative would be to shoot for a tech victory or a cultural victory. I find it hard to believe that I can build enough monster ships to win a shoot-out at this point.

How is scoring determined to the alternatives? I am playing a challenging game with a huge galaxy, so the time investment to roll it all up is not tiny.

Thanks for the advice in advance.
2,316 views 6 replies
Reply #1 from Stardock Forums Top
Military gives you the highest points, followed by alliance then cultural and finaly tech. Tech is the most boring and time consuming. Did it once won't again. The alliance sounds like the quickest way to victory.

But I would weeken the successful race culturally 1st with party palaces until he down to few systems and then Alpha strike with terror stars for the final blow. He won't even get to fire a shot at you.
;)
Reply #2 from Stardock Forums Top
If you're already a long way ahead technologically, you have a good chance of winning a straight fight (if you think that would be fun). I've attacked AIs who have a military three times larger than mine and found them incapable of putting up any real defences. Try to develop all the military resources you can. Locate any he has, and buy or destroy them. Build antimatter missiles - they're cheap and capable of taking down an Avatar if you're lucky. Switch to 100% military if you have to. If the AI is at war with anyone else, his ships will probably be off attacking someone else and no inconvenience to you. Make sure you have enough combat transports to follow through right from the start - wars are won by attacking planets, not ships.
Or save up a lot of money and build a terror star next to every one of his planets at once.
Remember, you can conquer the galaxy through party palaces, and it counts as a military win. To avoid culture victory, either declare war on someone harmless, or switch it off in the menu right from the start.
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Reply #3 from Stardock Forums Top
How's your economy and diplomacy?

If they're both good, compared to the AIs, you can buy / trade their ships in orbit and use them to invade. Co-ordinate it so that you take every system out in 1 turn, and it won't matter that you agreed to pay them x-thousand for 99 months - because they won't be around to collect it. ;)

If diplomacy is not good enough for that, then Terror Stars or culture bombs (as you're playing on V1.2) are your best bet.

Alliance is the quickest way for you, but will score 90% of a military victory score I believe.
Reply #4 from Stardock Forums Top
wars are won by attacking planets, not ships.
End of quote


This can not be stressed enough. When you are at war, do bother with the AI ships. Go for their planets.
Reply #5 from Stardock Forums Top
Thanks all. I allied myself with the Torians, and the Dregnin surrendered to me in a couple of turns, ending the game fast.
Reply #6 from Stardock Forums Top
I'd like to add an extra note to your dilema if I may. Eventhough you have solved your problem, there is something you (and everyone) should know ;) . If You can beat the other races to excalibur technology by at least 10-15 turns then you can easily win the game. One Excalibur will take on entire fleets of avatars and rangers with little more than a dent. If you can get excalibur technology and have enough time to churn out two or three of them before anyone else gets them then you can wipe out their entire fleet and some of their major planets before they aquire excalibur technology. Once they are at war and losing they will shift their resources to building ships instead of technology. This will give you time to wipe them out entirely before they get excalibur tech. I play masochist games without ever building a warship until Excalibur. It would be rather humerous to see a friendly, peaceful, fun loving race exist for years until one day they discover a super tech (excalibur) and instantly become the most ruthless war mongers the galaxy has ever seen :sniff!: ....hmmmm....that sounds familiar.... :notsure: