Why minor races?

...you can turn them off.

The simple answer is, why not?

I find since I am constantly trying to conquer/influence/ally with the Major Races, and they are trying to do the same with everyone else, that trade can sometimes get messy with them and the Minor Races tend to be more stable trading partners.

Minors make convenient lightning rods, and you can fight a decent proxy war through one. In rare instances, minors are the monkey wrenches thrown into the game mechanics.

Their use depends on what settings and strategies you play games with, but a few of them could be:

- Economic Trade Partners
- Technology Trade Partners
- Source for ships (whether buying or selling)
- Access to developed influential worlds (if you conquer them)
- Lightning rods

Some very useful roles they can play.

Personally; I wouldn't mind enhancing them a little so that if they happen to be in a star with multiple habitable planets; they start with them all rather than the usual single one.

Franbo

Hi!

To eXploit and eXterminate them.

Or role-play The White Knight and try to protect them all.

BR, Iztok

To quote CariElf

They are also fun when you are playing as the Drengin or with the super dominator ability. Especially when there is a LOT of minors. Just declare war on them over and over.

Turn them off, ignore them, exploit them, protect them. You can do what you like with them. Ultimately, though, they don't create a huge impact on the game. Have fun with them and if you can't, do what some other posters have suggested and turn them off.

I don't find that they cause any problems. They are there to be a minore variable in the game.

WHy do we use them? Well, to exploit them as was stated. Another instant economic capital is a nice thing.

I usually get at least a research treaety from every one of them.


I think it would be cool if we could benefit from protecting them. I would do it as a good race. Like a protection treaty that they pay you an agreed amout weekly and the AI's would not attack then (or still would) since they'll know that they will be declaring war on you too.

Is it cheating if you trade a minor for every tech they have plus what ever they are willing to pay for all of your techs (except any that give soldiering bonuses) just to invade and conquor them on the same turn before they could give those techs to anyone else?

I find them very useful for a number of different reasons. I always trade them the techs they need to build the three capital improvements, so that when I devour their tasty planet I gain more capitals. They are also good to trade/sell tech with, and get a bit of trade income. It also slightly ups the habitable planet count, which can be significant if you are playing a small map....on a larger map that effect is negligable.

Sentient species taste better...

Gives me something to shoot at...target practice