I must say that what Slynky wrote is how I often feel – it was like reading something I could have written myself. I have contemplated getting out on occasion, but I think I my enjoyment of the politics of it has saved me from getting out. That is, I almost always play either very cooperative non-zero sum empires, or isolationist ones, and part of my fun derives from when such empires as mine try to deal with zero-sum or expansionistic empires. But, if you don’t like politics, or if you don’t like losing, then this approach will in the end just be annoying as heck. I’ve never won a PBW game – but I have enjoyed the heck out of most of them.
My personal solution to these problems has also been that I try to only play role-playing oriented games or games that are “scenario-like” (Star Trek)…and for those games I am in that are not explicitly role-playing in orientation, I have tried to make them such (TGE3, JJPEAR, Proportions games, etc…
. If you find you’re still enamoured of the game, maybe try only games like that.
The one exception to this “rule” of mine is the Race to SEV tourney. But I am playing that in order to get better at the game and test out what I’ve learned. And, ironically enough, I am still playing that in a cooperative mindset. I’ll probably lose that one too!
Part of all this, too, as others have pointed out is that the SE4 universe is always limited. Malthus and Ken Waltz sort of dictate that when all the space is used up, conflict is inevitable. I put no stock in it, really, but SE4 games often reach a point at which the majroity of people find nothing else to do except take over the universe. In some games, at that point, role-playing and politics can become paramount - but it's rare.
In any case, good luck, and I hope you stick with us/SE4.
If you want to get in some role-playing type games, let me know - I'd be glad to participate.
Thanks,
Alarik