t3 vs t5 on huge maps
Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2014 1:07 pm
Hi all,
For the last few years I have been playing the game with the following modifications : using UE I modified the size of the galaxy according to the recommended chart, so I'm now playing on 52x39. I modified the minimum population to 200 and the max to 500 (biggest planet I saw was 615) and the max planets to 9, while removing the non population type of planets (gas giants). The average size of planets across the Universe is between 300 and 350. Using this setup I played me on tech 3 and all the other empires at tech 5 on impossible with no minors. I've won the game with all races except the Cards because I was really unable to find a way to get the research going.
The easiest race to win with were the Ferengi. I was kind of surprised by that. The ability to buy everything after a while (all structures are dirt cheap) and the morale bonuses they get help a lot.
Second best - Romulans. They also have cheap structures and second best research. Getting +100% to energy research helps with getting the simulators earlier and by that time I can put them in at least 10 systems. Cloaked scouts will help with morale by winning plenty of skirmishes. They have the cheapest colony ships and transports, so expanding is very fast and you can pick the best colonies first.
Klingons and Feds are harder to win with. For Klingons research will be slow, plus they get only +1 morale for every new colony. The big plus is that you can make plenty of credits with ship scrapping after an upgrade. While you have the best research with the Feds, reaching Energy 6 takes a bit more then Computer 5 and you don't make as much credits with ship upgrades as the other races. Intel is also a problem.
My biggest problem is that the AI doesn't grow as fast and as much as it should. In maps where I'm isolated it can take over 200 turns to meet anyone. Second problem is that the AI defends very poorly. With large empires not even fleet of Raiders or Defiants can patrol your perimeter. I was able to launch a 2-3 prongs attack and cripple their best colonies while avoiding their fleet. I even managed to isolate a huge fleet by destroying the outposts behind it and then doing a suicide attack in which I killed all the transports. What can be done about it ?
I also want to know if other people played in similar conditions and what they think about it.
For the last few years I have been playing the game with the following modifications : using UE I modified the size of the galaxy according to the recommended chart, so I'm now playing on 52x39. I modified the minimum population to 200 and the max to 500 (biggest planet I saw was 615) and the max planets to 9, while removing the non population type of planets (gas giants). The average size of planets across the Universe is between 300 and 350. Using this setup I played me on tech 3 and all the other empires at tech 5 on impossible with no minors. I've won the game with all races except the Cards because I was really unable to find a way to get the research going.
The easiest race to win with were the Ferengi. I was kind of surprised by that. The ability to buy everything after a while (all structures are dirt cheap) and the morale bonuses they get help a lot.
Second best - Romulans. They also have cheap structures and second best research. Getting +100% to energy research helps with getting the simulators earlier and by that time I can put them in at least 10 systems. Cloaked scouts will help with morale by winning plenty of skirmishes. They have the cheapest colony ships and transports, so expanding is very fast and you can pick the best colonies first.
Klingons and Feds are harder to win with. For Klingons research will be slow, plus they get only +1 morale for every new colony. The big plus is that you can make plenty of credits with ship scrapping after an upgrade. While you have the best research with the Feds, reaching Energy 6 takes a bit more then Computer 5 and you don't make as much credits with ship upgrades as the other races. Intel is also a problem.
My biggest problem is that the AI doesn't grow as fast and as much as it should. In maps where I'm isolated it can take over 200 turns to meet anyone. Second problem is that the AI defends very poorly. With large empires not even fleet of Raiders or Defiants can patrol your perimeter. I was able to launch a 2-3 prongs attack and cripple their best colonies while avoiding their fleet. I even managed to isolate a huge fleet by destroying the outposts behind it and then doing a suicide attack in which I killed all the transports. What can be done about it ?
I also want to know if other people played in similar conditions and what they think about it.