Brand New Player with Questions

from GalCiv3 Forums

I've gotten the hang of most of the controls.  I like this game but some things are a little confusing though.

 

1.  In my first few games I played on Normal Excessive (I'm a veteran of other stardock games) and wanted to take some time to explore, build different buildings, expand etc.  As soon as I would meet another race they would be WAAAAY ahead of me in power.  Like almost double with the leader being triple.  Granted I didnt have a lot of ships at the time being that my researched focused on other stuff, but even when everyone declared war on me and I started building medium ones, my power still didnt go up much.  So I guess my question is, how is power calculated and how can I avoid being everyone's whipping boy?


2. I created a few ships from scratch and I saved them but when I started a new game those ships werent in the "user" tab anymore.  Where did they go?  Do I have to create new ships every game?


3.  What do you do if you start a game and theres only like 4 habitable planets around you?  Do you just start over or can you compete without lots of planets?  And How?

24,524 views 7 replies
Reply #1 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

2.  You have to save the ship and then save the actual game. Then the new ship will show up in future new games.  It is not at all obvious and I lost a lot of design work figuring that out.  Now I keep a game file around specifically for designing new ships and make a note to save it every session.

Reply #2 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

1) Yeah, first few games it seemed like I was overpowered as well. I switched it down to easy just to get used to the game, and after a single game I was able to switch it back. I'm now starting to boost individual factions up in power.

 

2) answered above.

 

3) First your initial transport has the shortest range, the ones you buy will have more range. I always send it out which has the most stars (a chain of stars close together). That way even if you can only grab a level 8 -12 to start (usually leave those in hopes of a 12-16) then you can at least expand the range of stars you can search with next colony ship. Also I do not like to be on the edge, so I will often restart a game where it places me more centered. Starting the edge you can easily be cornered in, where as in the middle(ish) you have plenty more options. 

 

Those are my thoughts as a fairly (1month old) new player.

 

I also like PlanetDiversity mod from nexus.

http://www.nexusmods.com/galacticcivilizations3/mods/16/ (whenever I attack someone I try to scan all their planets to see if they have a EPIC one and then do all I can go for that).

 

Also some more advice, don't go for open planets deep in another factions area as they will often culture flip before you can build up enough culture. I have lost so many planets that way.... :(

 

 

The Political Machine 2024
Reply #3 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Look at this thread; https://forums.galciv3.com/479073/page/1/#3646660

 

Couple of my comments from there;

 

What you need to know for a good start in galciv3....

 

First tech to go for is interstellar survey.

First planet colonized, you need to go for pragmatic ideology and get the three free constructors.

You need to find Thalium resource, if possible also Promethium and put one or two of those starting constructors on them. (use the third one for range extention)

with interstellar survey researched, and with at least 1 thalium and 1 promethium, you can build a very nice survey ship with prototype engine and survey module on a cargo hull with heaps of range extention. This is a brilliant early survey ship that will boost your early game allot.

Another tip - the yellow triangle anomalies that sometimes give you a free tech.... whenever you find one, change your research to the most expensive research you can find before claiming it.... this gives brilliant boosting to keep up with or even exceed AI technology.

 

So far as early military build up is concerned..... i have a couple of nice tricks for that;

 

When you set up your game, put minor races on 'abundant'. Then put tech brokering on.

During the game you can sell techs to the minor races, and when they don't have much money, you can buy some of their combat ships each time with your techs. The combat ships are very expensive but since they don't have enough cash for your techs, you really have nothing to lose, and i find all these ships add up allot over time and push my power rating way up.

 

The other thing that helps my power rating allot is to get a few more ships that can explore pirate anomalies. I usually look at whatever resource is excess and apply 1 of those prototype weapon on a medium hull along with prototype survey module and engines and i shield module and whatever range extension and sensors will fit. Also if i get free survey ships i like to upgrade these to this ship that can take down pirate protected anomalies. Once you have a few of these going, your defender type ships start pouring in from all directions.

 

None of this is much good for actual combat, but its all about your power rating to deter attackers.

Reply #4 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Diversify, diversify, diversify.

When I play as a faction that likes only one thing I usually get killed.

After time when you want things to be even more difficult try combining things like Win as Drengin by Influence starting in a corner of the map. etc.

Reply #5 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

An early durantium refinery on your homework done will yield INCREDIBLE productivity gains.  

Reply #6 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

For resources I often trade them away early in the game for other Factions tech. Since I don't usually use them till mid/late game. Though I like the thought of an early scanning ship (may have to try that - though thinking that by the time I get it won't need it for planet colonization).

Reply #7 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

That early cargo survey ship is exceedingly beneficial.

 

If you can get it with promethium engine then it is faster than your starting survey ship and usually can travel further out depending on my sensor to range extension balance (usually two sensors). Sometimes i manage to get two promethium resources and put two prototype engines on it.... so damn awesome! For an early ship, it remains very useful for a very long time without upgrading, if ever!