Can't win at Crippling

from Stardock Forums
Have nudged the AI up to Genius across the board, random alignments, and I am repeatedly getting crushed. Playing on Loose Clusters, Huge. My advantages are Research, Pop Growth, and a small PQ. Usually start off with a 80/10/10 split, spending the max. I seem to be losing the landgrab, but only by a little. I don't think this is where I am getting screwed. As it settles out, I switch down to 60/20/20. Once I start to run low on cash, I ease back to 33/33/33 break-even

Most of the time, I research Comm Theory, UT, then Weapons Theory and Phasers to build some ships. Have also tried Defense->Deflectors. I still end up being behind the AI players with Military, and never catch up. Usual pattern is one declares war, then all of them do. Game ends as Terrans get stomped - usually manage to hold off the instigator, but then am screwed when my closest Ally/Trading Partner declares war.

I have tried an early Trade strategy, but my first Freighters get nailed in transit in the first war, often by the civilization I am trying to being trading with.

Some observations - the AI influence grows way ahead of mine, playing from behind from very early on. This often results in the slow loss of systems, again usually to the closest Ally.

Suggestions? I am puzzled as to why this level seems SO much harder, but I also upgraded a couple of notches (1.03ish to current) at the same time, and I know that some units are better - Battlecruisers in particular are worth a closer look. Maybe I am missing some other nuances.

~SDC~
2,068 views 3 replies
Reply #1 from Stardock Forums Top
For huge you might consider spending points on a speed bonus.

I would recommend going 80/0/20 - something that gets you 17 military spending at the start. You'll want to get a colony ship every 3 turns (says 2 turns left).
You can turn on the social spending later. At the beginning every soil enhancement project is worth a colony ship - you'd rather have the planets.

The AIs will have an influence advantage, but you can neutralize them when you trade them tech for cash to stall them and catch up by building social projects quickly later.

It's suggested that on huge you grab up all the resources you can get your hands on, bribe the AIs to war. It's best not to ally, but just to maintain friendly relations with everyone.

If you want early military, the best way to go is starfighters/corvettes/transports. Some players rush during the frigate era and build transports. Other players settle in for the long haul usually building corvettes - the best military rating for the money.

To combat ally culture, you should start building culture bases in your border sectors. You may even end up flipping the enemy instead.
Reply #2 from Stardock Forums Top
Do you trade techs? That's a good way of avoiding war and getting techs or money faster. You can also pay tribute once if you want to trade with the demanding civ.
Picks like + Military Prod (to get colony ships out faster) and +Speed help in the initial rush.
Building a dterrant fleet (e.g.starfighters) is still a good option at Crippling, when you can frighten your potential opponents with a plethora of otherwise useless ships.
The Political Machine 2024
Reply #3 from Stardock Forums Top
I take the Economists for my gov't (+20% econ) and add another +10% to econ with my starting points along with +30% research, +5% PQ and +10% diplomacy.

I start out at 70/30 (military/research) and go comm theory, universal translators ... all the way to trade. AS SOON as I get the ability to build the diplomatic translator I switch to 20/60/20 (60% social) and get the translators at about 31 turns initially and keep things that way until I get those translators.

In the meanwhile once I have trade I begin to research the industrial and environmental techs because the AI rarely does so. Then I trade like crazy on techs even if I have to give up 2-1 in the deals. Because you can then take the tech you got and trade it to yet another civ (even minors ones). Once you get the translators (+40%) you are well on your way to trading for all the techs you need. Often I end up going thru speaking to each civ twice in tech trades in a ring-around-the-rosy effect swapping techs back and forth to get all I need.

I find shortly after that I am able to trade my way up to pretty much every tech I need. Better yet is that I can sell techs like crazy to the other civs and minor civs for lots of cash to generate 50-100 bc per turn as a regular income which is very handy early on.

One more thing. Since I don't have any military till Corvettes (I build nothing until then) I avoid trying to meet more than one other civ. First it means the others can't demand tribute from someone they can't see and it means I can more easily pay out tribute to those who do. Usually I pay once and reject once preferring to give out tech payments over cash. Then I inflate my military with Corvettes until I get to Battleships. Also the AI's will pay a LOT of cash/tech for military techs with ships (like Corvettes) so I make sure I'm the 1st or 2nd person to get to Corvettes and then immediately trade/sell this tech to everyone so that all civ's are on an even footing military wise. You'd be amazed at how often it keeps them squabbling while you are allowed to stay at peace :-)

Tim


~SDC~