The answer is 162

[jim]

The Q: How many ships would the Rage build?

I started a non-Gold game, simul move, max tech, 3 Homeworlds, no intel, no mines, no stellar manip in a large-medium galaxy. I tweaked the Rage to minimize the traits not operative (like research), put to High Difficulty, High Bonus.

I set off to colonize and find the Rage. Once I found them, I chose good choke points and build warp point defense bases. I had to use the forward side because I was putting the Rage as #1 player (in non-Gold battles, recall that the firing is done in order of player #).

No problemo. I walled off the Rage into about 15% of the cluster galaxy and settled down to wait.

And wait.

And wait.

The Rage colonized everything (162 planets), then built fleets and sent them to sit next to my visible warp defenses.

They built 162 ships, and stopped.

I exited and came in and peeked at the Rage stats. They had enormous stockpiles of all resources, and were using far less than they produced. However, they built no more ships.

I put together a fleet or two, and crushed their fleets loitering at the warp point defenses.

And settled back.

And waited.

The Rage built, guess what, 162 ships and came back to loiter.

The game had been done for me to check certain defense base things, but the Rage would not attack the defense points.

So, why 162? And why won't they attack?