Start
Was having a great game vs an unfair ai on a medium map. I am not a great starter but I tend to be able to come back after the initial wave of planet capture. So for the first half of the game the ai is hammering me on 3 or 4 fronts, its spending more money than I can imagine on pirates, I'm having trouble just holding on to my planets let alone being able to advance and fight him for his. So even though I'm a TEC rebel I'm forced to defend, slowly building, slowly strengthening. I am forced to give up some planets partly just to narrow the avenues that they can attack me from and just because.....well I couldnt hold them. I lose 1 desert and 1 asteroid due to constant pirate and ai attacks before I am able to stabalize and take the desert planet back (was only 1 phase jump away from my home planet fleet was elsewhere dealing with other attackers). I invest heavily in trade posts and starbases. I control maybe just uinder a 3rd of the map.
I'd like to add here, that pirate ally tech research for the rebels is AMAZINGLY over powered, noit only does it make you immune from pirates but it also completely nullifies the TEC's final research for their culture tree. And it saved my life in this match.
Middle.
So after a while I decide its time to take what is rightfully mine and decide to move on a chokepoint that has seen a lot of traffic coming through it. We both have titans that are reaching the higher tear levels me about 7 him 8-9 (I had been throwing pirates at him fairly constantly). And as expected moderate fleet with titat + starbase. Was prepared and won with heavy frigate losses but at the same time hes launched 2 more attacks on my 2 outermost asteroids, miles from where my main fleet is. End result of this phase is that I lose 1 fully upgraded starbase (ai was really liking those structure destroyers) and 1 of the asteriods. I split up my remaining fleet to defend my flanks while still trying to advance. I now control just over half the map.
End phase.
AI is clearly on its backfoot, defnses are getting less as I get close to his origin, am able to take out 3 planets in quick sucession after another large battle in which my capital ships are almost all destroyed and all my frigates with the exception of the carriers. His titan is now level 10 and a real pain to fight in his territory. Never meant to hold them, just destroy and damage his supply lines, spread my culture through his regions and take away his a titan foundry. However this places me right next to his origin planet. By this point he's brought his remaining fleet (which is once again not small.....) to defend. Now this is where things go downhill a bit. I manage to defeat his fleet and then he just ups and quits with him still controlling at least a 3rd of the map. I do not understand this. And even if I click continue anyways his ai has shut off. WHY? I wasnt using any victory conditions, if this had been a person I would have said he just rage quit.
