How does the AI expand so fast?

[WarpStorm]

I'm playing the beta and I discover the AI empires (all on fool ability (I'm learning)). The thing is I've built colony ships for 4-5 planets. They all have empires 3-4 times as big. What am I doing wrong?

[Draginol]

Couple of things:

1) Increase your spend rate.
2) You can purchase units outright since you start out with a lot of money.

[WarpStorm]

Thanks, I'll give that a try.

[Harry Seldon]

You know a game's support is going to be good when the developer stops in at the forum to offer strategy advice. I can't wait!

[Asmodean]

And the wait is going to be worth your while, HS. I can't wait to get the finished game. With the fun I'm having already, I may have to quit my job

Asmodean

[Harry Seldon]

I see you posting over at galciv.com occasionally. I wish I had been quick enough to get on the BT bandwagon; better luck next time, eh? Good tidings that you like the game. If memory serves, you were a big poster over on the MOO3 boards many moons ago. Your abandonment seems to confirm my fears for moo and hope for galciv. I wish they'd hurry up and release this. I've pretty much decided to skip MOO3 unless the reviews are outstanding.

[Asmodean]

I haven't entirely abandoned MoO3. It's just that I felt the hype was too much with MoO. I'll most likely buy Moo3 the day it hits the shelves. But 'till then I'm more than happy playing GalCiv.

Asmodean

[Tytan]

Don't forget to buy the trade goods(esp. diplomatic translators early on) and trade techs and trade goods to the minor races for money. Then push your spend rate up and buy colony ships. If you hit the minor races early enough and with a significant diplomatic edge you can trade for 4500bc each. That will get the ships out the door in a hurry!

[mindlar]

At the start of the game I usually set spending to 100%, with 65% for military and 35% for research. I start by researching towards impulse drive (propulsion theory, cold fusion, impusle drive). If I find a few of the 25% research bonuses I can usually get my colony ships to arrive earlier than the AI.

I also usually put half my starting points and put them into speed bonuses because that extra 1 point of movement makes a huge difference. Having more speed than the AI helps especially when you see their colony ships heading in a direction. With that bonus you can get ahead of them and use them to give an indication where the good colony locations are.

Usually about the point that I get impulse drive is when I start building constructors like mad. This varies, but it isn't too hard to tell when all the good locations have been taken. After getting a constructor to all the resources I know of, I switch my spend rates back to 33-33-34 and start managing my governors.

After that I mostly play it by ear and conquer a nearby minor race to make my capital world.

Galaxy size and habitable planet frequencies obviously will change your strategy. What I have outlined above is what I use when playing on medium+ sized galaxies with common+ habitable planets. This is not the way to go on a Tiny-Rare map.

[Tytan]

Grab the influence resources(blue squares) early and get at least 2, followed by 1 morale booster(yellow cylinder), and 1 or 2 economic(green sphere).

The real trick is to go after interstellar business and buy both culture boosting wonders in addition to focusing most of your estra constructors on boosting your influence starbases to the maximum. This really puts the enemy on his heels.....the inverse influence burden on your enemies forces them to switch off their production to focus on morale boosting social programs..

btw I put 2-4 points on tech.....1 on sensor, 1 on speed, 1 on offense and 1 on defense.

[Draginol]

Ah so you're a cultural conquerer! That is indeed good to see that the culture path to victory is working well.

[Tytan]

I won 12 straight games and had to destoy only 5 ships total over the games in order to win. Well, at least until the AI got more aggressive at grabbing resources. Now its gotten harder to stay on top of things.

But even if you are doing another strategy, its best to do this because the cultural impact forces their economy on the defensive and that gives you a decided edge. They can't get ahead of you if they have to devote 50%+ of their resources to keeping their morale up.

[Draginol]

Yea, one of the things the AI now does is use the propaganda feature to try to get their people a bit happier. And doing that is very VERY expensive.

[WarpStorm]

Brad, where is the propaganda option? I found it once, but now I don't see it.

[mindlar]

The propaganda option is on the details page for a colony.