Midgame strategy rut

from Stardock Forums
I seem to keep finding myself in the same situation in the early-midgame and I'm wondering if someone can shed some light on this for me. This is happening on crippling level diff (all AI=genius) with version 1.03.057. This has been happening on something like 6 or so games so far for me, almost all of which I've lost.

I've been playing as evil for awhile now, although I'm not adverse to changing this. After the initial colonization rush, it seems that I must keep my military strength above the AI's or they will attack me, precipitating my eventual defeat. It's almost always either the evil Drengin, who demand waaay too much to keep them pacified, or the Altarians, who just hate me too much, or the Arceans, who have an incredible economy and therefore can keep up a torrid pace in tech progression and military build-up. The Arceans, especially, will instantly declare war once they think they have a military advantage, even an insignificant one. I must keep them peaceful towards me until I have Dreadnoughts and AMMs, at which point I can either go on an offensive with Dreads/Battle Transports (plus a dash of AMM) or turtle with Battlehammers/AMMs. I don't turtle before this point because I end up with 'Hammers vs. Frigates->Battleships->Dreadnoughts which is just too much firepower to withstand and at this level of difficulty, I can't just outproduce the AI in ships. I don't go on the offensive before this point either because this lets the AI get ahead in tech which results in them fielding vastly superior ships. There is one exception to this rule, which is a very early planet attack via Star Fighters/Transports, which can net me a couple of my neighbor's planets if the situation calls for it.

If I can achieve the Dreadnought tech at about the same time as the AI (or earlier), then I can usually win via any one of the victory paths. I've found that I have to assign the econ and production bonus attributes to the Terrans in order to give me a chance to get this critical tech in the necessary timeframe.

I assume that if I play as a good empire, I would not have as much of a problem with the Altarians, but would still have the Drengin to deal with. I don't know how the good alignment would affect the Arceans relations with me.

I'm wondering if anyone is finding success at this difficulty level without having to follow the above 'rules'. Can you hold off the Drengin/Arceans with massive amounts of trade? Can you achieve that amount of trade early enough? Any other suggestions?
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Reply #1 from Stardock Forums Top
I wish I could help but I'm in the same rut!No matter if I trade to the max , be bad,neutrul or good or pay tribute to stay on good side , the A.I. races all seem to all attack me about the same time if thay see the slightes sign of weakness. :p

I see no way of advoiding war when I play. I don't see how other people advoid it? :notsure:
Reply #2 from Stardock Forums Top
Each of my games are now: colony rush; build up military (corvettes) to discourage wars and to win one if it is declared; once military supremacy is achieved, the constructor rush; leading to a tide of culture swamping. Victory.
Multiplicity - Control multiple PCs using one keyboard and mouse
Reply #3 from Stardock Forums Top
I tend to just pay the bribes and trade like hell.

I dont even build a military until I have dreadnoughts
and even then its rather small and just for show.
Reply #4 from Stardock Forums Top
Staffa: By the mid-game, with a large military its possible on the same turn to declare war against a weak civ and then make peace for obscene reparations. (Assuming they have the cash of-course).
Reply #5 from Stardock Forums Top
Christopher Packer, Thanks for the tip I'll try it.

I hope it will work on tiny and small maps, thats what I play on.

What size do you play on?
Reply #6 from Stardock Forums Top
Addendum: I play large or huge galaxies and set planet habitability to occasional. Neither myself nor my computer handles gigantic galaxies very well :p & I don't like to micro-manage lots of planets. Although I must admit the micro-management duties are much easier (in the latter parts of the games) in GalCiv than in Sid's Civ series. I'm getting the impression that it's easier to win with higher numbers of habitable planets, but I haven't tested this theory yet myself.
Reply #7 from Stardock Forums Top
I tried the corvetts to keep from war but had no luck thay still attacked me. :p

I am missing something becuse I belive there are players who know how to stay out of war but I don't see how I tried every trick tolled to me. :p
Reply #8 from Stardock Forums Top
I've noticed that if you play 'good' or even the goodish side of neutral, the Altairians will often come to your assistance against the Drengin, even if they are not your allies.

I recently finished one game (all AIs bright/large map) where I had a bad start (stuck in one corner), but managed to colonise enough to carry on playing. The Drengin started threatening me even though they couldn't reach my systems, so I told them to sod off. After a couple of rounds of this they declared war, as neither of us could reach other I just ignored them. After a few turn I got a message from the Altairians that they were coming to my assistance. The Altairians were stonger than the Drengin and a year or so later the Drengin came crawling for a peace settlement, which I graciously accepted in return for all their cash and technology. They surrendered to Altair a few months later. I never even fired a shot. Unfortunately my bad start and the Altairians getting the Drengin planets made the Altarians uncatchable and when the Yor and the Arceans gave up to the Torians I had to settle for a 'good' alliance victory. One war, no ships lost, none destroyed :) .
Reply #9 from Stardock Forums Top
Bribe the most powerful AI to attack the second most powerful before either of them attack you. Keep them busy with each other, to give you some room to move.

~SDC~
Reply #10 from Stardock Forums Top
I think it is easier to avoid war if you are good. The Altarians and Torians are less likely to come after you this way, seems like. Whereas the Drengin and the Yor are still liable to attack you if you're evil.
Reply #11 from Stardock Forums Top
My style is for a cultural or technical victory, but I echo that my games appear to really come down to some military action. Mostly starts as a defensive need, then I must turn to the offensive to stop the violence. All of my alliance wins still came down to military means.

The only way I have found to survive, if indeed I do not want to be involved in war, is to ally yourself as much as possible.

-Anx
Reply #12 from Stardock Forums Top
Since the military rating is messed up, the computer thinks it has a big advantage over you and tries to bully/attack you. In order to prevent this, build up a bunch of star fighters early on and you'll see your military rating skyrocket. The AI's will usually leave you alone at that point, but don't take any chances. Bribe the two most powerful AI's into going to war with eachother by trading one of your trade goods to them in exchange for them attacking the other computer player. That will keep them busy for a while until you can build a real military with either battleships or dreads. . .