Re: The neutral challenge
Ok - just some ideas off the top of my head but any feedback would be appreciated.
1) Start play in a Large Map - 100+ systems. Try for a position toward the middle. If don't like the starting position, try again.
2) Play w/only NonNeutral AIs - I believe Neutrals tend to slow down the Reg AI empire's expansion.
3) Obviously, no expansion/exporation outside your "Home" system untill 1st contact.
4) Can't select "Ancient" as a Race Charateristic - kinda obvious reason
5) Put a cap on researching Stellar Manipulation past Lvl 2 untill after 1st contact - reason: until you discover that there are warp points via 1st contact, you shouldn't be able to research em. (can't research a car till you know about the wheel)
**Or maybe reorder the Stell Manip tree and move warp tech higher while still allowing research in planet construction.
6) Can't research Applied Intelligence until after 1st contact - reason: if you think you are the only race in existence, then you don't need Intel ops against another race
7) Possibly put a time limit on the isolation - such as, if no contact w/in the 1st 100 turns, allow expansion in some limited fashion (say, can only expand to adjacent systems)
8) Not allowed to place Mines, Sats, Bases, Ships (nothing!) on warp points until after 1st contact - reason: If you don't know Warp Points are there until after 1st C, you shouldn't be able to mine, etc. them
9) To prevent the massive buildup of ships, etc. that Bill mentioned earlier, place a limit on the number of WarShips allowed. Maybe, 5 Capital Ships/1 Carrier Type Ship/2 Supply-Repair-MineLayer-SateliteLayer-Etc. Ships/1 PopTransport Per Planet- No need for a large navy if you're the only race out there. Limit the ships to only a peacekeeping navy size or something.
10) Also should place some type of limit on the number of Troops (say 50 per planet), Mines (?), Sats (say 25?) & WP's per planet till 1st contact.
Limiting military units per planet could represent some type of loose Federation Govt in existence b/t all planets in the system, each w/its own military until news of other races is discovered - which could then allow the basis for a "Unification" of your race under your Supreme Command.
Just some ideas I'm throwin around.
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Character is best defined as that which you do when you believe nobody is watching.
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Character is best defined as that which you do when you believe nobody is watching.
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