Re: Small Galaxy or Big Galaxy?
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Yes, agree the things start to be boring when you need to manage lots of planets, and you know the AI can't do anything to stop you... Maybe AI vs Humans into a Big map would be challenging too, but anyway would be a problem micromanage so many systems (at least to me!).
Think this is the main reason (big galaxies) because some people said never finished a SEIV game!

Re: Small Galaxy or Big Galaxy?
 

Personally I like FQM Deluxe, especially the Spaghetti Maps. A small/medium spaghetti map with dense planets and a handful of the best TDM AI's means they can defend pretty well and makes it a tough challenge http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Re: Small Galaxy or Big Galaxy?
 

I also like FQM but astro mining and create planets in FQM will crush the AI http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon9.gif

[ July 18, 2004, 18:44: Message edited by: QBrigid ]

Re: Small Galaxy or Big Galaxy?
 

Master Balisarius suggested I try a game in a
small galaxy against 3 or 4 good (TDM) AI's.

All of them against me, something I hadn't tried
before. I can report its pretty good.

I used to play with 10 AI's in a large (250)
galaxy and I've found the AI stumbles around a
bit. It also takes a lot of time to manage an
empire that size and its possible to get worn out
before the end game.

Giving it less systems to worry about seems to
make it more of a challenge.

Perhaps smaller is better!

Re: Small Galaxy or Big Galaxy?
 

In my experience, it seems to help the AI to start with multiple planets. (For a REAL challenge, give everyone five or even ten planets, then abandon all but one of yours at the start.) It also helps the AI to expand if you give it special abilities like movement bonus, supply use bonus, and natural merchant.

If you like to roleplay, you can add a rule for yourself that you must gift or trade tech to everyone after a set number of years. This simulates the real-world difficulty of "bottling up" your technology. This especially applies to commercially applicable stuff like ship size, engines, resource production, etc. Of course, in real life some techs are more tightly controlled than others, e.g., stealth or star destruction, so maybe you'd have separate categories. (Wouldn't it be cool if the computer kept track of this for you, and made it easier to research stuff that you'd seen on other players' ships and planets?)

Re: Small Galaxy or Big Galaxy?
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Asteroid Mining yes, But the AI seems to handle Planet Creating rather well, or at least the TDM ones do http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Re: Small Galaxy or Big Galaxy?
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">I'm glad you liked it! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif
Even an experienced SE4 player (like me! hehe), can lose this kind of games. Of course sometimes are boring, because doesn't exist other options than fight.

For the Lastest patch I requested to Aaraon a fix for the AI vs Human games: the Bloodthirsty races had many riots, because the AI's continued to propose the existing treaty to his AI allies, even after sign the treaty! (fixed into the 1.87).

Re: Small Galaxy or Big Galaxy?
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Asteroid Mining yes, But the AI seems to handle Planet Creating rather well, or at least the TDM ones do http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif </font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Agreed QB and RD that Asteroid Mining will expedite totally - a Human Players victory against the AI Players in most Mods that may generate many Asteroids.

And true, Create Planets thru Stellar Manipulations may help the se4 AI Players; unfortunately, the AI does not know what Asteroid to convert to a Planet - that is best for that AI. In the end the stock se4 AI will not gain to any extent to that of the Human Player when Planets are created.

It may only be efficient if the se4 AI implements this strategy early - or it may be creating Planets for other players once outside its contested influence and the creating AI in all probability, may not receive many benefits from it's endeavor http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

- - -

This is where a larger map will help; however now, you will have created Planets and the possible extreme amount of Systems all combined and to manage. This is not a bad thing and I am sure there are many Players that enjoy this attempted endeavor.
Perhaps own Planet type or own Breathable Atmosphere game STARTS: may reduce the management objections for some http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif when playing in a 150+ system moded style.


= = =

I also enjoy MB's suggestions with moderate to small maps for a TDM game or just a stock se4 game where the stock AI will perform rather well.

[ July 22, 2004, 14:16: Message edited by: JLS ]