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First Game AAR
I played the demo a few times and then ordered GC (demos can sell a good game, apparently). I started out as Federalists, with bumps in growth, industry, and influence (I forget the others) in a medium sized galaxy. My system is an elderly P3 450 (with lots of ram and a new fast HD), which worked without a problem even with the animations and cut screens. I was on the beginner level (since I am a beginner, after all).
I set my initial production to 100 percent military to crank out the colony ships (they build in 5 turns). Using this strategy I grabbed seven system and 10 planets. One was a nasty 12 class, which was necessary to extend my supply grid. After I’d literally gone as far as I could I switched to 30 percent military, 20 percent social, and 50 percent research to make up for lost ground. All colonies were switched to Constructors, and I rush built one to grab the last juicy and unclaimed class 16 world in a lonely edge of the galaxy. I b-lined for Diplomacy and Trade, with detours to get Defenders.
Then the race was on for resource specials. I grabbed six, and the AI was sending Constructors all over the place and deep into my territory to grab them. Lesson – any unattended Resource will be grabbed, even if it deep in your lands. The Arcean set up a starbase in the sector next to my capital. Boo, hiss.
Trade routes were established with the Arcean, Torians, and a big minor civ. Later the Altarians got one. Techs were traded while I researched tech to increase planet quality (very early), trade and diplomacy, with a secondary emphasis on ship defenses and propulsion. With all my planets my pop was much larger than everyone else, as was my research. I noticed a funny thing – the minor civs had better research than the empires, and better militaries too. This seems strange.
Around 2200 things got very interesting: the Torians found a Ranger. Their military power spiked enormously, and within a few turns they had declared war on their immediate neighbors the Drengin and the very weak Altarians. This was instructive since the AI did not willy nilly declare war on the Humans (who were larger, and to whom they owed 30 percent of their income), but on systems they could actually take or empires that were weak. The Torians weren’t so cuddly anymore, but rational tyrants.
I’d left my scouts and extra freighters (which were scouts, waiting for new trade routes to open up) so I got to see the devastation of the Rangers first hand. I was shocked at their attack, defense, and hit points. Nothing in the galaxy could touch them, and I thought the game was over. Then I saw what the AI was doing – attrition battle. The Yor didn’t have much of a military besides the Ranger, and the Drengin threw everything from corvettes to battle axes at it. The Ranger attacked defenders, and after a while it was down from 61 to 3 HP. There were two lessons from this: attrition battles are expensive but winnable, and (more importantly) that AI knows this, too. I was impressed.
Shortly anther event occurred: the Dahlgren found a Ranger. About this time the Yor surrendered to the Torians and the Torians now had as many planets and resources as I did. My position of superiority disappeared within a short time. However, I am a new player but not stupid. I b-lined for Battleships (turbo phasers?) and the tech for alliances. The Torians now decided the Arceans would make good slaves, so I formed an alliance with both the Altarians and the Arceans. Production was switched from Constructors to Axes and then Battleships.
In the meantime the Torians power continues to grow. I use the last of my constructors to enhance production and trade, and switch social structures to manufacturing boosting structures. The Drengin are creating havoc for the Torians with their Ranger, and the Torians Ranger is nowhere to be seen. Perhaps destroyed?
Then, my Arceans call up asking for assistance. I decide to give them three battleships, which they promptly send to wreck Torian starbases and planetary defenses. A while later the Altarians call up and I give them some older Axes. Lesson – war by proxy can be very useful.
As the Torians continue to wax, my Parliament decides to declare war on the Torians to support my allies. At first I was irritated, but then I realized that it made sense and was a logical extension of my alliance with the Arceans and Altarians. So, I mobilized my fleet of 7 battleships and bought some combat transports. The battleships made short work of anything they found – I was impressed. I also kept track of events with my scouts and extra transports (I had the event that made transports immune from attack – hence, they are perfect scouts! Heheheheh). When I got deep into Torians space I was really surprised to see a coordinated attack by the Arcean as they sent waves of Axes and my gifted battleships sweeping across Torian space. It was almost unreal watching an all-out war of attrition between the Arceans, Altarians, and Terrans to beat back the Torian menace.
My Altarian Allies then called up and demanded I declare war on the Drengin, and I agree. I know their Ranger is far away beating the snot out of Torian holdings (former Yor planets), so I mobilize a modest fleet of 3 battleships and a few military transports.
The military transports are extremely effective, and only one planetary assault fails. The northern Torian fall to the Terrans as the Allied fleets remove all resistance. A few Drengin planets defect to the Terrans due to my Influence (my starbases were heavily modified to encourage this), and the others were taken by transports. Soon the Drengin Empire is no more.
The Torians tries to offer peace, but with one system left I am in no mood to be generous. Now my ally’s planets are defecting to my empire, and the Altarians have surrendered to a minor race (!!!!). My speed 6 transports arrive at the last culturally rebellious Torian world and land – victory!
The game is over. The Humans and my Arcean allies control the entire map. I won a military victory, although I’d intended for an influence game.
Overall, this was one of the most engrossing games I’ve played in a very long while. The time literally flew by. The AI, who made smart moves, impressed me both in when it prosecuted a war (after it had supreme military power – the Ranger) and with whom it went to war (neighbors, and those it did not have economic ties to). Later the AI did a great job with coordinated attacks. In short, it was an epic EMPIRE game of the first order. I know I will enjoy GC for a long time to come.
I played the demo a few times and then ordered GC (demos can sell a good game, apparently). I started out as Federalists, with bumps in growth, industry, and influence (I forget the others) in a medium sized galaxy. My system is an elderly P3 450 (with lots of ram and a new fast HD), which worked without a problem even with the animations and cut screens. I was on the beginner level (since I am a beginner, after all).
I set my initial production to 100 percent military to crank out the colony ships (they build in 5 turns). Using this strategy I grabbed seven system and 10 planets. One was a nasty 12 class, which was necessary to extend my supply grid. After I’d literally gone as far as I could I switched to 30 percent military, 20 percent social, and 50 percent research to make up for lost ground. All colonies were switched to Constructors, and I rush built one to grab the last juicy and unclaimed class 16 world in a lonely edge of the galaxy. I b-lined for Diplomacy and Trade, with detours to get Defenders.
Then the race was on for resource specials. I grabbed six, and the AI was sending Constructors all over the place and deep into my territory to grab them. Lesson – any unattended Resource will be grabbed, even if it deep in your lands. The Arcean set up a starbase in the sector next to my capital. Boo, hiss.
Trade routes were established with the Arcean, Torians, and a big minor civ. Later the Altarians got one. Techs were traded while I researched tech to increase planet quality (very early), trade and diplomacy, with a secondary emphasis on ship defenses and propulsion. With all my planets my pop was much larger than everyone else, as was my research. I noticed a funny thing – the minor civs had better research than the empires, and better militaries too. This seems strange.
Around 2200 things got very interesting: the Torians found a Ranger. Their military power spiked enormously, and within a few turns they had declared war on their immediate neighbors the Drengin and the very weak Altarians. This was instructive since the AI did not willy nilly declare war on the Humans (who were larger, and to whom they owed 30 percent of their income), but on systems they could actually take or empires that were weak. The Torians weren’t so cuddly anymore, but rational tyrants.
I’d left my scouts and extra freighters (which were scouts, waiting for new trade routes to open up) so I got to see the devastation of the Rangers first hand. I was shocked at their attack, defense, and hit points. Nothing in the galaxy could touch them, and I thought the game was over. Then I saw what the AI was doing – attrition battle. The Yor didn’t have much of a military besides the Ranger, and the Drengin threw everything from corvettes to battle axes at it. The Ranger attacked defenders, and after a while it was down from 61 to 3 HP. There were two lessons from this: attrition battles are expensive but winnable, and (more importantly) that AI knows this, too. I was impressed.
Shortly anther event occurred: the Dahlgren found a Ranger. About this time the Yor surrendered to the Torians and the Torians now had as many planets and resources as I did. My position of superiority disappeared within a short time. However, I am a new player but not stupid. I b-lined for Battleships (turbo phasers?) and the tech for alliances. The Torians now decided the Arceans would make good slaves, so I formed an alliance with both the Altarians and the Arceans. Production was switched from Constructors to Axes and then Battleships.
In the meantime the Torians power continues to grow. I use the last of my constructors to enhance production and trade, and switch social structures to manufacturing boosting structures. The Drengin are creating havoc for the Torians with their Ranger, and the Torians Ranger is nowhere to be seen. Perhaps destroyed?
Then, my Arceans call up asking for assistance. I decide to give them three battleships, which they promptly send to wreck Torian starbases and planetary defenses. A while later the Altarians call up and I give them some older Axes. Lesson – war by proxy can be very useful.
As the Torians continue to wax, my Parliament decides to declare war on the Torians to support my allies. At first I was irritated, but then I realized that it made sense and was a logical extension of my alliance with the Arceans and Altarians. So, I mobilized my fleet of 7 battleships and bought some combat transports. The battleships made short work of anything they found – I was impressed. I also kept track of events with my scouts and extra transports (I had the event that made transports immune from attack – hence, they are perfect scouts! Heheheheh). When I got deep into Torians space I was really surprised to see a coordinated attack by the Arcean as they sent waves of Axes and my gifted battleships sweeping across Torian space. It was almost unreal watching an all-out war of attrition between the Arceans, Altarians, and Terrans to beat back the Torian menace.
My Altarian Allies then called up and demanded I declare war on the Drengin, and I agree. I know their Ranger is far away beating the snot out of Torian holdings (former Yor planets), so I mobilize a modest fleet of 3 battleships and a few military transports.
The military transports are extremely effective, and only one planetary assault fails. The northern Torian fall to the Terrans as the Allied fleets remove all resistance. A few Drengin planets defect to the Terrans due to my Influence (my starbases were heavily modified to encourage this), and the others were taken by transports. Soon the Drengin Empire is no more.
The Torians tries to offer peace, but with one system left I am in no mood to be generous. Now my ally’s planets are defecting to my empire, and the Altarians have surrendered to a minor race (!!!!). My speed 6 transports arrive at the last culturally rebellious Torian world and land – victory!
The game is over. The Humans and my Arcean allies control the entire map. I won a military victory, although I’d intended for an influence game.
Overall, this was one of the most engrossing games I’ve played in a very long while. The time literally flew by. The AI, who made smart moves, impressed me both in when it prosecuted a war (after it had supreme military power – the Ranger) and with whom it went to war (neighbors, and those it did not have economic ties to). Later the AI did a great job with coordinated attacks. In short, it was an epic EMPIRE game of the first order. I know I will enjoy GC for a long time to come.