early. mid and late game

[disabled]

Early: Rapid expansion and scattering. Colonize core worlds and systems close. Send out long range & long term recons. Deploy colony ships to setup far flung outPosts and future core worlds.

Mid Game: Military buildup, but at a low level to avoid AI attacks. Protect core worlds and move the center of production closer to the front lines. Upgrade and revisit colonies for production drops and anyone I lost/forgot about. Small wars and skirmishes along borders with enemies.

Late Game: Just blow the enemy to hell.

[geoschmo]

Early game: Find 'em

Mid game: Hunt 'em

End game: Kill 'em

[capnq]

Early game = explore the map; worlds to colonize chosen mainly based on resource production needs.

Midgame = quadrant either completely mapped, or unmapped areas inaccessible; colonies chosen more for strategic reasons than for production.

Endgame = new colonies have to be taken from enemies; wars of conquest, MEE triggered (not necessarily by me).