Both Alien Factions?

[Lord Vukodlak]

I recall reading you can't play with only one alien faction. That the game requires both be present.

But what happens if I play with only one alien faction anyway. Nothing stops me from starting a game with the following factions
Spartan(me)
Morgan
Hive
Peacekeeper
Believers
University
Usurpers

But would any bugs actually come up? I don't want to get a century in and find the game is crashing every turn.

[vyeh]

If you start next to the Usurpers and there are no Caretakers to distract the Usurpers, you may find yourself quickly eliminated by the Usurpers.

If you can start the game and get past the first year, I don't think you will face any bugs because there is only one alien faction in the game.

[Lord Vukodlak]

If the Usurpers landed near me and the Caretakers landed a good distance away I'd be in just as much trouble as the other alien faction would be to distant to provide a distraction.


I also never accept the starting positions the computer provides anymore. I eliminate all units then spread out the colony pods and starting units myself through the scenario editor. This insures no two factions are two close or end up in really crappy location. I can also increase the difficulty an enemy faction provides by putting them in places to augment there strengths or minimize there weakness. I could but hive near the Uranium flats to off set his low energy. The Gaians by the manifold nexus for there planet rating etc.

[Hydro]

Early in the game the only real defense against the aliens are mindworms, or maybe Santiago that B-lines for Impact. Even if you survive it cripples your key early game.

[Lord Vukodlak]

Normally refusing to fight one alien faction will eventually trigger war with the other. It appears though without the caretakers to distract them the Usurpers are a rather peaceful faction. They've yet to declare war on anyone but I know they've had contact with myself the peacekeepers and the Hive.

My direct neighbors are Miriam to the west, peacekeepers to the northeast and the Hive to the southeast. (the Usurpers are on a peninsula northeast of the peacekeepers).

Miriam is also being unusually peaceful to.

[Hydro]

My experience with both aliens is different. Both seem to be pretty aggressive, although the Caretakers might be decent neighbors for a while. This is particularly true if your power rating is low. But then, all the AIs are likely to be unpleasant if you are a soft target.

[Lord Vukodlak]

But have you actually ran with only one alien faction present? I noticed them being fairly aggressive if the game contained both of them but this time (with only the Usurpers around) They behaved peacefully for just over a century before they launched an assault on the peacekeepers. (happened shortly after my last post). Lal was already in dire straits with Yang so he's only got 3 cities left. 2/3 owned by Yang and the rest conquered by the Usurpers.

So at this point my neighbors are Yang to the east and Miriam to the west. Miriam still being unusually Peaceful.

Yang was also kind enough to share doctrine air power with me so now I'm constructing a series of air bases son the islands north of my territory and on the north pole area. Which when complete will let me launch air assaults on the heart of Usurper Territory.