I would think that the Replicant Centers actually killed you Parabolize, as they prevented you from abandoning your planets. I can tell you that the north was being heavily resettled, and your planets did help my Empire. Another nice benefit is the increase in happiness when you capture an enemy planet, and so all my colonies were jubilant, save for the ones in the Last system I captured. (Bisset if memory serves) And obviously, your Atmosphere Convertors and breathers were put to good use afterwards.
And don't overlook another fact Slynky: I will use the Ship Training facilities in the turns to come! When I am actually bothering to use ship training, it means I am almost confident in my ability to send my own fleets against an enemy fleet of more than five warships. With your advice concerning such battles, it will be much less likely for me to figure out of losing half my ships as well. (I am very, very skilled when it comes to losing battles that should be a walk in the park)
A Last factor helping my Empire was my high construction bonuses (+140% or so), which allowed me to produce ships rather quickly (granted, the said ships weren't among the best, but strength lies in numbers). I only realized a few turns ago that I could build colony ships in one turn (and a retrofit) though... Truly, I should have noticed this ability at the beginning of the game, since being able to build twice as many colony ships is a huge advantage. *Slaps self*
As for the delays, it was indeed due to our talking (along with a few computer problems), with for example the matter of our first Stellar Destroyer in the south. We discussed a few days if we should send it to Velocitas to try to ambush Parabolize's fleet, or if we should remain in the belt waiting for the said fleet to come. Both options spelt disaster, but in one case it was harsh news for Parabolize, while in the other it would have allowed him to reach our core systems without too much hassle.
When all is said and done, it was quite a fun game for my first full-tech challenge. But I would believe it isn't so different from a more regular game, even if it is quicker-paced. Sadly, I couldn't play with my Light Cruisers this time, and how hard it was for me not to build Research Centers everywhere on my colonies.
Re: Rated Challenges Thread
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