How many races do you play against in SP?

[jpinard]

I'm just curious, when people set up a single player game,. how many races they play against, and the size of the galaxy.

I'm playing against 20 races in a large quadrant.

How about the rest of you?

[UmberGryphon]

The AI rarely actually manages to take out its opponents even when it has quite a bit of superiority--it'll reduce them to their homeworld, often, but it won't finish them off for reasons that aren't completely clear to me. Because of this, I think having tons of players results in smaller empires (because often you won't have enough room to expand until and unless you flatten an enemy or two, and as I said the computer's not all that good at that).

On the other hand, I feel that the AI doesn't expand hard enough in late midgame, even if it doesn't have any opposition to its expansion.

So in my not-so-humble opinion, the goal is to have just enough AIs that they start seriously bumping into each other at late midgame, just as they slow their expansion. Unless you're playing on a small map, at which point you probably want somebody in your face from Day 1 (tried it, won, but didn't enjoy it).

8 players seems like a good number on a large map, give or take.

[Noble713]

Yeah, a high number of AIs is actually a bad thing. As someone mentioned in another thread, a large galaxy with medium # of AI (I use Empire/Neutral mix) makes for strong competition (I also use medium bonus).

I've tried this and I'm currently playing my best game of SE4 yet. The 200+ systems in the galaxy are split between only 5 empires (and 1 or 2 neutrals), and I've been fighting a 7-year stalemate against the Xi'Chung Hive (grrr, organic tech). Right now I'm at war with everyone, and their intelligence ops are putting a hurt on me (my population got depressed, ruining my once-thriving economy).

To sum it up, a medium # of AI is best on a large map.

[Atrocities]

When I set up a game, I select medium life galaxy (huge) (manually edited the file so I have 240 systems) and medium numbers of AI enemies and neturals. (about 12 to 14)

The game moves quickly at first, then slows way down. As you conqure enemies, the game begins to speed up again.

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"We've made too many compromises already, too many retreats! They invade our space and we fall back -- they assimilate entire worlds and we fall back! Not again! The line must be drawn here -- this far, no further! And I will make them pay for what they've done!" -- Patric Stewart as Captain Picard
UCP/TCO Ship Yards

[Daynarr]

200+ planets, 20 Empires, High difficulty, No damaging warp points, minimal resources on planets 80%, maximum 200%, improved Weapon Platforms, APB patch, Mephisto + Sergetti mods.
It is a slugfest guys, and there is nothing boring here. It is a large quadrant with lots of activities. Empires rise and fall, make friends or enemies. It's almost like reading a good SF book. I prefer this much more that a small quadrant deathmatch vs AI.
In my first game like this Sergetti wiped out Xiati in first 90 turns (and they had only 1 system with 3 planets vs 3 systems with 7 planets). 20 players in a large galaxy rocks if you play more aggressive and don't take advantage of AI with trades. It is also much more hostile galaxy than it was in 1.11 Version. Now there are races that can be your allies, and there are those that you will meet only on battlefield. Also, 100% of times there are always several empires that become particularly powerful giving you a good late game.

[jpinard]

Daynarr, in the setting.txt, you set your planet number to what? 200, or 250?

[rdouglass]

I have found that playing without neutrals (in a large galaxy) gives me a much more challenging game. I found that when there are neutrals, I cannot resist taking them and exploiting them as slaves. That usually gives me another (different) colonizing tech and atmosphere capabilities. It doesn't seem like the AI uses this tactic and it gives me a huge advantage.

If I start the game w/ medium number of AI and no neutrals in a large galaxy, I find (like most others doing this) that the AI can be quite strong once you finally contact them at around turn 60-75. It definitely puts more emphasis on researching your own techs (or intel'ing and stealing which is my fav).

[Daynarr]

Well, it is 250 (systems, not planets. My mistake) most of the time, but sometimes it's 200. Depends on my mood.
Oh yeah, no neutrals and no intelligence (not big fan of it, but I definitely respect other peoples feelings about this).