I'm apparently not a great Galactic Dictator...

I usually try and see if there are any PQ8-10+ planets nearby, colonise the lower quality planets later on to keep the others out of my little corner...

You can use CTRL-N to reset the starting positions to put yourself in a corner or just to restart if there are no good planets nearby, or if you are put in a corner with 2 empty star systems and nothing else

I research a few propulsion techs first, then uni translator/trade/weapons, then start building constructors and get any resources nearby, then build some defensive ships for the planets.

Set a good quality planet up with research labs and research capital, same with manufacturing if I can... I try to have at least 3 or 4 uber production planets for building ships fast when the drengin come knocking

Plenty more tips in the unofficial guide Link

Oh, and as soon as you have trade tech, build some freighters and send to neighbours, this will improve your relationship with them, and keep them above neutral hopefully


Hope this helps a bit...

Thanks for the tips! Actually does sound alot like what I do too at start (tech/trade wise). Thanks for the unofficial guide link though, that had more information to assimilate! I'm wondering now if I'm outpacing my development with upgrades... I'll try watching the upgrades to my improvements and see if I keep better cash flow to keep my prod. slider as high as I can.

Guess I'll just have to keep experimenting! (Oh the pain...wait, it's not painful- it's fun! )

I also found upgrading the government types helpful, you get more income but you have to keep your approval rate up otherwise you could lose control of the senate and lose your race bonuses...

In my race picks I usually pick research and economy bonuses, just to give an edge

I'm still only playing on normal myself, after I finish off the drengin and yor in my current game I'll see how I go on the next level up!

Good luck to us both

Just try to do as much tech trading as possible all the time. Keep your spending slider to 100% all the time, even if you're getting -200 bcs per turn. Just make sure you sell techs all the time to keep the budget up until you can establish good economy and trading routes. Works well for me.

Picking your techs at the beginning of the game is important also. Now, I play as an industrialist with that +20% society and +20% military with my custom made +30% economy, +30% military and +10% morale. I also make sure and get the ion drive tech at the beginning, speed is important in the early game, ion drives will net you a 5 pc/wk colony ships. On Huge Maps with 6-7 AI opponents I end up with 14-16 colonies and I bypass those small class size planets if I can for the 9+ ones. I play abundant habitability, uncommon planets and common stars. The AI's tend to get a fair balance of planets as well, so, most of the time with 6-7 AI everyone gets and equal share of planets, though not everyone will get an equal share of "good" planets 9+.

First of all you need factories to produce your economic and research facilities AND above all else colony ships. I will usually buy a factory and colony ships till my 5000cr are gone. And buy 1 food crop if your colony is maxed out (at least the first one). Run your taxes up to 59% as quickly as possible and only lower it when your colony(s) turn red at 44 approval. Then get your production slider up to 100% as soon as possible as well. This is the ole Republican "tax and spend" method. In the later game, mid level to end it will catch up with you and you'll end up having to cut back on your production slider, but, by then you'll be so far ahead in tech you can afford the cutbacks as your military goes abroad (Iraq, Afganahstan) and starts taking over others economies.

There will be times you should almost max out your research 90%+ to get some advantage, that just comes down to strategy and what the game is presenting to you. Since each one is a different game, it's hard to tell you WHEN to do this, but, there will be times you should think about this.

Also for more income economy starbases and influence bases are important. I think many people having problems are overlooking the value of these economy and influence starbases for military bases. This is where I got a giant leap ahead of the AI in my games. Try to place them where they will cover as many planets as possible, so as to save money and TIME.

When you are sure the race for planets is over then the trick to getting ahead of the AI in the tech race comes in and also balancing a military. Once the planet race is over I tend to go into a 50% research, 4-10% military and 40-46% society mode. The first large planet I colonize is my economy planet, banks, banks, banks and more banks and the bonus economy production plant that more or less doubles the income for that planet. My 2nd colony planet is my research planet, once again labs, labs, labs, labs and that bonus research production building. The rest after that I tend to do factories and the best one has the bonus to manufacturing building and ships with a little economy/research (1 slot each if it's large enough). And I also make sure all of them can grow withOUT putting me in the red for approval. So, that also means building entertainment facilities.

For military producing planets 6 to 8 factories on these, for econ/research planets 2-3 factories (hoping for those factory improvement tiles on these planets). Also keep that population growing as much as possible without letting yourself goto 44% approval, yet, with a high tax rate. I stay with a 59%+ tax rate for a very long time in the early to mid game. So, two things are important for this, entertainment and food techs. Nearly everyone of my planets is 21+ population with a few 29+ (usually the larger ones where I can build more entertainment facilities (this is why that +10% morale pick is important in the beginning). Also when you are searching for colonies and you find a "morale" resource, get that suker as soon as you can. Morale means population and more population means more taxes and more taxes means more of everything. Economics is the key to victory, if you have no income, you're going to just fall futher and futher behind. Hence why I take the +30% economy bonus at the beginning in my custom build. Now, some will take the upgrade of +20% economy as their political choice, while taking a custom made +30% economy and +50% military and this isn't a bad choice either. I just tend to like the bonus to building so I take the +20% social and give up +20% military, so, I can build my factories, banks and research buildings (and the others) faster.

One final note, if/when you do get ahead of the AI in teching, use that STAT tab on your relations menu and start looking an MISC for each AI every turn. It will tell you what they are teching up in and how many weeks left to produce. When they are 1 week away from completing the tech and you have it, sell it to them. This gives you two things, it improves your releationship with the AI and it also gives you some bonus credits and or influence. I was so far ahead in economics I started trading for influence points which gives advantages for "income" from tourists. AI's don't usually give much in credits for 1 week left items, but, they give pretty good influence points and MINOR AI's will give 10's of thousands influence points for some of them.

Of course initial starting points and planet classes every game changes, so, while this is a viable strategy for my particular game, I can't say it's 100% effective ALL the time, but, most of the time for me.

Whore techs. Find out what techs the AIs have (by chatting with them), and then specifically research what they don't have. One tech or two techs spread amongst 8 major races and 1 or 2 minor races can get you upwards of 6-8 techs. Just start with the cheapest looking techs and then pile on the next cheapest until their offer turns red, or fill in the offer if your tech is better with cash. You can slide the cash button so that the amount gets maxed and the offer stays green.

Also, I've found that playing Loose Clusters is a much, much more enjoyable way to play the game. I also play Huge with max opponents, but I use Uncommon-Occasional-Common. Everyone was able to get 4-6 planets that way. I tried the same setting with Tight Clusters, and usually by the time I'd settled my second planet, the opponents would already be researching Planetary Invasion and actively trading with each other, and I'd be completely hosed and invaded by either the Drengin or the Yor. And 8+ techs behind the weakest minor race. Tight Clusters is a very masochistic way to play.

Hahaha, come on guys. Why don'cha give him a strategy that works?

Listen buddy, all you really need is one tech an alien race doesn't have, a couple spare bucks, and a high diplomacy rating. Boost it with your basic race beginning. Don't even consider trying to out-tech the AI - it's not going to be easy.

Giving them a basic tech, however, for one of their basic techs is only the beginning. Then you go to another race, trade the same basic tech for a new one - then the next race and so on and so on. The AI does this too. Your advantage will be your high diplomacy rating giving you ridiculously nice deals.

Not only will you have every tech that they've ever researched (it's ridiculously easy and you never need to give up anything substantial), but you'll have a ton of techs that only you and one or two other races have - and then the ones you specifically research, usually to improve your diplomacy.

Seriously, give it a shot. Were that not enough a high diplomacy rating also nets you a handy little relation bonus to other races: They won't consider invading you nearly as soon as they would without it.

And one last time, say it with me now: Don't try to out-research the Aliens. Let them do the hard work while you sit back and buy it from them later.

I disagree about out-researching the aliens..

In 2225, colonize what's available.. and start trading techs like crazy..

In 2226, conquer your neighbor. Take their planets and fix them. Planets they don't have reduces their ability to research and create reinforcements. Plus, by the end of this year, you will have double the production and research and economy of everyone else on the map. (I feel bad when the Altarians start next to me, but...)

In 2227, fortify your borders (and research like mad). You'll need it; the other races now think you are aggressive and a wimp because most of the ships you built have disappeared during that border 'disagreement'.

In 2228 or 29, win. Or, at the very least, I generally have 90% cultural influence across the map. So, if you have influence turned off, then it will probably take a little longer.. I generally play Large maps, and end with >60 techs, while everyone else has ~30 to 40, which I probably gave them 7-15 in trades.. I definately out-teched them when I'm researching three techs to every new one of their's

I agree with the above poster; at least on normal and tough, the AI doesn't blow past me in tech unless I do something wrong. I do agree that you should constantly trade tech with the computer, at least as long is it isn't weapons tech, and make sure that if you give one AI a goodie, you sell it to EVERYONE. Cause they will, guaranteed. That's your money, in their pocket, if you fail to take advantage of it.

If the drengin are giving you trouble, Or you start out near them which more or less guarantees a very early war unless you have a massive advantage that makes them cower in the corner, Be sure that you watch their tech developments and counter them, They and the Yor are by far the nastiest conquerors in the game in my experience they will eat your territory at the first opportunity... If you dont already know how to find out what they are reasearching you do this by talking to them and looking at what weapon and defense techs they offer also dont be slow at getting alteast battleships, the drengin LOVE huge ships and will not hesitate to reasearch them for 40 turns to make you soil yourself as a battlewagon comes rolling up on you WAY early in the game. Hope these tips help a little.. with my favorite race of predatory man eating psychopaths.. Aka the Drengin!

As most people mention above, you need to trade technology to keep above it. You save a lot of time, getting 2+ technologies in a turn than researching it all by yourself - hence economy is important to buy all those technologies. It is what the AI does.

You should be playing a smaller map to get an idea on developing your own strategic method because with a smaller map, there is less management and it is a ot easier - and go on from there. Better than starting out at the deep end.

Currently, I'm trying to find the utmost peacefull solution to the galaxy. Going out full military is too easy - but trying to protect those minor races from being conquered... wow, is that a lot of work! Too bad the AI doesn't understand peace treaties for other races.

Maximum peace for everyone? Wow, yeah, I hope you bumped up your diplomacy bonus to the max AND took the pacifist governement (by the way, this gives you -so- much advantage in diplomacy...)

Myself, I tried to used 3 different tactics so far:
1- The economic powerhouse, which everyone knows. Economic bonuses, moral bonuses - colonise fast, tax heavily, keep them happy.
2- The aggressive invaders (ala Drengin or Yor) this was actually a lot of fun to go out and start conquering alien worlds with light fighters armed with one particle gun. For this I used the War party, massive HP bonus, attack and deffense and soldiering bonuses. Raced down the planetary conquest path to get troop transports.
3- The influence war somewhat akin to #1 in that you'll need a relatively strong economy to support it. Hard to pull off at first but when you get the ball rolling it becomes a breeze

On a side note, if you're getting your ass kicked by the AI's military, stay on the offensive - send transports with great speed at the AI and they will start chasing them around with their fleet, fleets which would otherwise be trying to invade your worlds

The only thing that they will send your way will be fleets of transports with some escort ships - weak stuff that your home deffense navy shouldn't have any problems taking care of

Excellent info everyone! Many thanks to all. I definately have not been taking advantage of trades- they always wanted my weapons technology and I was always leary of trading it, thinking it'd keep me further advanced. But, when you keep losing the same way no matter what, it's because of a fundamental playstyle fault, so I think mine is the tech trading combined with outpacing my economy with maintenance-costing upgrades!

Regardless, there's quite a few techniques that I haven't tried in the above, so I'll give it a whirl... right now! Thanks again, and look out galaxy- the Empire of Earth... or the Terran Alliance (or some other intimidating-sounding empire name) is coming for you!

Would you like a copy of my saved game LoneKnight to see how far ahead of the AI I am in techs? Don't give us that crap it can't be done. It's easily done and I don't have to buy anything, I reap all the rewards selling them to them when they are 1 to 2 turns away from teching what I've done weeks to even YEARS before them. And I can fight a major war besides. I just crushed the Drengin with my "superior" play. Ohhhhh I can't wait for multiplayer PBEM, I will show you a crushing defeat with my tech strategy. And just try and cross my galactic borders and watch your ships be crushed and you'll be wondering how how how can I have such superior fleets with small hulls.

It can be done, but you'll never have more tech than all of the other alien races unless you trade - or you've got some ridiculously awesome planets.

Trading tech can work in any situation, even if you've got the crappiest planets imaginable so long as you can scrape together 500 billion credits you'll be just fine.

Either that or you're playing on a sub-normal level.