to specilize or not on large+ maps

A planets location plays a bigger factor for me than it's class.

If the planet is in the back, away from the front lines it's going to become either a research or econ planet. I also tend to only build starports on worlds that have the production capability to actually produce ships in a useful timespan. An exception to this rule would be some of my larger econ planets that can turn into good troop farms (although sending a transport to that planet to pick up troops is also an option).

There are exceptions to this rule however and if I find a really good planet with morale and food bonus tiles close to the borders I'll usually have that become an econ planet, although not as quickly as my more protected ones would be.

My strategy takes a little guessing though as to just where the major conflict points are going to be and where you can put your production planets.

I also like to try to keep a 1 to 1 ration when it comes to econ and research/prod planets. That is to say, I'll have 1 econ planet for each production or research planet. To help balance out maintenance.

I end up specializing *all* planets to econ only in such games. Generally this starts once I've swallowed my first victim but from there on out it's 100% econ for me. I really have no need for anything else.

One slight point in your description is that you tend to get more planets if you select scattered systems or loose clusters over tight clusters.

Basically I start the game using an old fashioned mix of production and research buildings obviously taking advantage of planet tiles. Unless I have some monster production bonus on my homeworld, I will always make it my manufacturing capital. The reason being so that I can pump out a minimum of one colony ship every other turn and during some periods one colony ship per turn. That's really the only way to out rush the AI at least at the highest levels.

To do this I initially leave about half of my planets with no buildings on them. Also most of my early development except for my homeplanet (production) and my best research planet will be geared for All Factory. By the time I have 25 or so planets developed in this way I convert over to using All Factory and am in position to start conquering AI.

However, as I start conquering AI I convert the captured planets to 100% econ. I do keep the Starport as I will need that later. The 40 to 50 planets that I colonized and dedicated to All Factory are all the production I will ever need. As I capture more and more planets and convert all of them into income only I soon begin to have enough income to replace the need for production. This usually comes around the point of an income of 100K per turn.

At that point I first simply start buying a stock market per turn on every planet I own and then my income really starts taking off. A quarter of this and my income is at 500K per turn and I no longer need industry to produce ships. I can rush buy all the ships I need. At that point I begin to convert all of my colonized planets from All Factory to All Income as well as all newly captured AI planets.

By the end of the game my income is generally in the 1.3 million to 1.6 million bc's per week range. My sliders are set to 100% research by then since I buy all production and get the research I need mostly from the initial colony buildings plus bonuses etc.

Once the tech tree is done I'll convert *all* research buildings even those on 700% bonus tiles to stockmarkets. That's basically it.

Mumblefratz, thank you for your input. I have a few questions tho.

This is more of a general rush question. When you are making those colony ships every or every over turn, what type of colony ship are they, max speed, max capasity, cheapest? Also how many people are you typicaly sending on the colony ships.

A few questions about your early planent delopment. During this initial time what are your sliders set at, what if anything do you rush buy and what approval rating do you run at. When you intend to make your home world your manufacturing capitial do you only build factories on it? On your initial production/research worlds do you also have econ/food/morale buildings. Do you colinize the close worlds first or do you go for the high PQ worlds first and ignore the low PQ worlds initialy, if so were do you draw the line. Are your new factory/lab colinies producing colony ships or are you using their starports to make the non-colony ships you need: scouts, survey, constructor, etc? How soon in their developemnt do you focus them on something other then social production. When you switch over to all factory are you replacing existing stuff on some planents with factories or do you mean you just set sliders to 100% production and get any research from focusing individual planents, if so what percent militray/social. Lastly what early techs are your top priority on these large+ maps.

Last question, what is your general build queue for your econ worlds. I know you leave existing starports on the planents but do you build new ones if the world does not have one. Before you become able to rush buy everything do you bother putting a factory on your econ world. How many farms/morale buildings do planents typicaly get, what is your target population on each planent.

Sort of a sided question, with this strat what alignemnt do you typicaly run and how many trade routes do you do typicaly set up. Also what racial bonuses/poloticaly party do you go for when you plan to use this strat.

Thanks again for your insight. It sounds like a very good way to work the large+ maps.

I usually use and all generalist strategy on my big games. I just plain find it alot easier when I have 200+ planets. I make exceptions for bonus tiles, but I use a standard building cue to make balanced planets that are perfect for my influence and industry strategy whih i like to call, "buying the galaxy."

Having said that I always play on tough because I don't like playing against an opponent with massive bonuses just to make it more challenging.

Scincerely,

[email protected]