Small Galaxy or Big Galaxy?
 

I usually play in a 250 system galaxy against 10
TDM AI's. Is this the best choice to get a good
SP game?

Would it be better to reduce the AI numbers and
play with less systems.

I play high diff/med bonus and against the
hardest TDM AI's I can find.

Re: Small Galaxy or Big Galaxy?
 

I like large galaxies that I edit to slow the expansion of the AI's. Gives a more realistic feel to the game. (220 systems) give or take.

Re: Small Galaxy or Big Galaxy?
 

I prefer the following - high tech cost - me against 3 or 4 AI players - in 255 system galaxy that i edit myself - put in at least 40 planets in each system - reduce the black hole - nebula systems etc maybe to 1 per 100 systems. - ive made mines tech cheaper (and limit my minefields - the AI puts out limited amounts) - made missile weapons more expensive (they are to much of an advantage early on) - beam weapons are slightly cheaper - ive created more mineral tech levels and changed the facility amounts

T1 - 300 per facility
T2 - 400 minerals "
t3 - 500 minerals
t4 - 600 minerals
t5 - 700 minerals
t6 - 750 minerals
t7 - 800 minerals
t8 - 900 minerals
t9 - 950
t10 - 1000 minerals

And the same with radioactives and organics - as well as research and intel facitilies - it makes for a longer game - makes it more difficult expansion wise at the beginning - ive made lots of other small changes ie 25 ship tech levels with ship size ranging from 100 kt up to 10000 kt per ship
10 levels of base 300kt - 20000 kt - makes for some interesting battles

Cargo facilities go up to 10 levels with 8000 storage.

Numerous other adaptations for my "special" mod and im still tinkering.

On the standard 1.91 game though as MM has it - well 255 systems with 5 AIs at most.

Even on hard its not a real challange.

Waiting for SE5.

Re: Small Galaxy or Big Galaxy?
 

Thanks for the ideas.
Forty planets per system seems a bit crowded!
Doesn't high tech cost hinder the AI?

Re: Small Galaxy or Big Galaxy?
 

Thanks for the ideas.
Forty planets per system seems a bit crowded!
Doesn't high tech cost hinder the AI?

Re: Small Galaxy or Big Galaxy?
 

High tech cost doesn't hinder the AI any more than it hinders you. In fact, it probably helps to stop the AI from retrofitting its ships every few turns. Also note that in a SP game with an AI bonus - it'll be even more difficult for you to keep up in terms of tech making it more of a challenge. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/tongue.gif

Re: Small Galaxy or Big Galaxy?
 

Keeping up with tech isn't a problem, what can be
is watching the AI pass over my colonies without
attacking.

I've checked out AI's after 150 turns and they
all develop decent empires and build lots of good
tech ships, what they don't do is attack well.

Its my one hope that in SE5 the AI is more
agressive.

Re: Small Galaxy or Big Galaxy?
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">If you want aggresive games, then, for sure you should play small galaxies against around 3 TDM AIs , High difficulty and High bonus.
If you want more aggressivity, then, select AI vs Humans. Sure, this kind of games could be boring after play many of them... but in the other hand, think is the best way to get a challenge.

One of the worst problems with the AI (think), is that has problems to follow an strategy and select the right planets (systems) to defend and the right planets (systems) to attack (we, the modders, can't help so much here).
Playing into small galaxies, this kind of problems are not so important (does exist less choices!).

Re: Small Galaxy or Big Galaxy?
 

I'll give a smaller galaxy a try with a few
good TDM's.

Whats odd is that sometimes the AI can be a real
pain and play pretty good. Then again it can play
exactly the opposite the next game.

I remember Warlords 2 and 3 were a bit like that.
I could tell in 20 turns what sort of game it was
going to be.

Re: Small Galaxy or Big Galaxy?
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">I also like small stock maps against a few se4 or TDM AI.

I think most maps look wierd when they have over 200 systems and I always build 1000s of planets and 1000s of ships. To many to things to do and this is not fun to me. I have tried TDM in big maps they can't keep up with me and after having to manage tens of 1000s of things a turn the game was boring and stupid http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon9.gif and I have never played with 200+ systems again.

[ July 18, 2004, 14:24: Message edited by: QBrigid ]

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 ]