Whats with the Areolian Sector Campaign?

Oh I don't know, it could be that you are the hot stuff, looking way too sexy for the catwalk, or maybe b/c you ranked dead last in fleet, lol.  20 mins in with only 10 light frigates equal a mini skirt schoolgirl at central park around mid night.    

If you are a girl, don't try it...just in case.

Well, this happened to me once, and I was outnumbered. My four other friends were playing FFA with me, and I arrived at my third star (I controlled basically both other stars, save several planets) when they attacked my fleet all together. We have a sort of visual code. If we mean to attack each other, we have our ships spread out, as to being as hard as possible for all ships to be destroyed. If their bunched together, weapons emplacements do not have good firing arc positions, thereby rendering them vulnerable, not meaning an attack. All the ships were spread out, and with all of them against me, I was outnumbered 3 to 1. Although, I split my fleet. One hit their core planets. The other dealt with their fleet. They had two options-

Break off to defend your empire

Destroy the fleet and continue the invasion

They intelligently broke off.

But the point is, use abilities, have a mixed fleet so you have little to no weaknesses, and STAY FLEXIBLE! If you have 200 LRM's only, they'll get eaten up by Fighters. So have equal amounts of each ship, use tactics, stay confident.

Palpatine  

Put the AI's on different teams and lock the teams so they can't all ally against you.  Build more ships.

@royalrook - I take it that you don't read so good.  You tell me how you get THREE Capital ships in TEN minutes with only TWO planets and one astroid before you are hit with Three to Five AI's and a min of FIVE Capital ships.  With all settings on Normal?  I have even timed it.  Not even the eggheads that write these nice little guides haven't probably figured that out.

Oh by the way the ladies I meet in the park at midnight usually carry more firepower than a Marine platoon and make the ladies in the magizines that you read look like ugly ducklings.

@EmperorPalpatine89 - I am still trying to build a fleet but thanks for the info.

@Cykur - I am trying to this all in normal mode without any United Nations oversight. ie What you suggested.  Thanks anyhow.

You would think that with six star systems the AI wouldn't start six of them in the same system.

I believe Aerolian, with maximum players, has two systems each with five players. So unless one AI had already researched Long Range Jumps within 12 minutes and sent a fleet over, you're describing a situation with one too many hostile factions.

If you consider the first few levels of Fleet Logistics, it costs 1200 credits and 75 crystal to create a second capital ship crew and 400 credits and 25 crystal and 9% of your income rate to increase fleet capacity from 100 to 250. The cost of one capital ship is 3000 credits, 400 metal, and 250 crystal. Assuming all the hostile AI players have retained their first (free might I add) capital ship, and lets say created 10 light frigates to accompany those capital ships, then...

For all AIs:
Total cost of Fleet Logistics Upgrades + 1 Capital Ship = 4600 credits, 400 metal, 325 crystal

For TEC AIs:
10 Cobalts = 3000 credits, 550 metal
Total TEC expenditure: 7600 credits, 950 metal, 325 crystal
Fleet slots used: 150/250

For Advent AIs:
10 Disciples = 2500 credits, 400 metal
Total Advent expenditure: 7100 credits, 800 metal, 325 crystal
Fleet slots used: 140/250

For Vasari AIs:
10 Skirmishers = 4200 credits, 800 metal
Total Vasari expenditure: 8800 credits, 1200 metal, 325 crystal
Fleet slots used: 170/250

I don't know if AIs have come up with a way to amass this much credits and resources within 12 minutes (720 seconds multiplied by 10.5 creds/sec, which is homeworld + 1 asteroid, gives 7560 credits) on Normal, but that doesn't seem to correspond to two of our cases, which doesn't even allow for time required to coordinate such a planned assault. Yes, there is an initial start of a few thousand credits, but that mostly goes to planet infrastructure and orbital structures (come to think of it, Fleet Logistics also requires one research lab to be built for the first level of both upgrades).

I'm not saying they don't make coordinated assaults (I've been triple teamed in the very same map), but to make one so early in the game doesn't make much sense, particularly with the numbers you've provided. On top of that, two planets and an asteroid should be able to support the first fleet capacity upgrade without collapsing your economy, so you should have been able to increase your fleet capacity beyond the 100 fleet capacity one capital and 10 Cobalts occupy.

UN Oversight or not, there is no magic to what is happening.  The map is not a campaign, it is just a map with starting positions, and the AI's are starting from scratch just like you.  If you haven't jacked up their economy by putting them on a harder setting than normal, you can do exactly what they are doing.  The only caveat being there is only 1 of you, and they are more than likely to ally against you.  There is nothing to be ashamed about not being able to beat multiple opponents, especially on a map that forces conflict fairly quickly.

If you want to see what they are doing, the games are autorecorded, unless you have turned that setting off.  You can watch the recorded game and see how they go about building up their forces.  It might give you some ideas.

There are so many ways to jack up your economy in the beginning, which depended on how you wanted to use your resource as the game went on.  Like Cykur said, there is no magic, go back to your replays and find out how you got pwnd by couple normal AIs.

And I guess you didn't bother with any missions what so ever, too.  So who's to blame for being greedy and lazy?

I don't fully understand the problem; you jumped to another system and got ganked? Are you playing the normal Aerolian Sector or the one you can download that's fixed so all players start together? If it's the latter, you probably just jumped right into their home sector. Otherwise, the AI must have decided to kill you because your fleets was simply insufficient. They were getting rid of the weaker opponent early is all.

SoSE v1.05.028  Single Player - Aerolian Sector - 6 stars/10players  All settings Normal  Game start +0.0

In review of game as suggested by Cykur, I start in one solar system along with 2 TEC, 1 Advent, 1 Vasari, with myself playing TEC.  We were pretty equel in the economy department.  I come to find out in five differant complete restarts after getting pwnd (Saved in differant files), that three of the four AI's have signed peace agreements and the fourth has a peace agreement with one and a cease fire with two others.  Out of five seperate games, 1 was within 10 minutes of game start, 2 at 15 to 17 minutes, and 2 at 20 to 25 minutes of game start. Then I got slammed two to five minutes later with all of them converging on me.  The attack usually correlated with the emergence of my second Capital from the yards or very soon thereafter. I was usually a little ahead of them on tech advances.  And yes I had done some missions during the games but the AI wouldn't sign the note.

Not all five games had the same mix of AI's but the results were the same.  I am thinking that might be deliberate or a bug from the downloading.  Might try to reinstall and try it again.

I tried it again today and in one case I was taking an astorid  when they hit my Choke point, so I headed for the Home planet of the AI with the largest amount of ships and took over his home planet the same time my home planet fell.  I colinized his home planet and proceded to build up.  Stopped and reviewed the game and found that as soon as my Home planet fell.  Thier peace agreements fell apart.  I am in the process of cleaning up and over taking the system now. Go Figure.

@BlackWizardMangus - I would like to think it was the weaker AI's trying to get rid of the stronger.

I'm mostly a multiplayer guy, but yeah, the AI's tend to gang up on human players (I keep saying this!).  I don't know why they do, but needless to say many of us are not impressed with the diplomacy model in the game.  I never played single player enough, but I have heard some people get reasonably good at exploiting the missions and making diplomacy work for them.   Most of the rest of us just put a bunch of AI's on one team and lock it.

The 2nd Sins micro expansion is supposed to include a diplomacy revamp.  But that won't be out until next year.  But who cares!  You should come enjoy the multiplayer experience! 

Right now, the AIs make immediate peace treaties with each other (in a replay of a 10 player game, it was divided into three groups of AI with me being the odd man out), even if relations are 0% amongst each other.

In fact, I have noticed that ALL of the missions they have given me involved attacking their allies...

You cannot get a bug downloading a file.

Corrupt file - yes. Virus - yes. Bug - no. The bug was either there to begin with and everyone has it, or it is something else.

I suggest you DON'T build that second cap and build from LRMs and fighters/bombers and hoshikos instead. See how a mixed fleet goes for you. And build somethign better then the Donuv - Kol, Marza or Akkan for quick colonising...

Well I started a thread about when to upgrade your hull, armor, or shell.  You should go find it.  What tech advances were you researching?  If you had done two plus missions and not ranking dead last in fleet, then you will get at least a cease fire with an AI.   What Capital ships were you going for?  There are just way too many variables, and I still think that you weren't producing nearly enough frigates. 

Tell you what, just keep on pumping out light frigates, forget about any military upgrades, and do your missions, you should able to beat the Normal AIs with no sweat.  Umm, I will take that back, I don't think you have been served by AI on MULTIPLE FRONTS instead of a single chocking point yet.   Oh, why don't you get the repair bays, if you are holding a chocking point as the turtling TEC?

And yea, there are no new bugs spawned from the hellish underworlds via DLs, certainly not some "bugs" would cause the AIs from your computer to be taken by Satan and pwning you til the end of the time, wuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu, I am coming for you.  Beware of the carebears.

They really need to have a delete Karma button for those that provide useless wit and passable intelligence.  I didn't just buy the game and start at the end and work forward.  I did read the forum and gleaned many usefull points of knowledge but none on the thread on hull,armor ,or shell.  Following those guides that have helped, I usually start out with a Akkan and CLF's and then upgrade to a Kol or Sova depending on the resistance I run up against.  Once I am done with this campaign as a TEC player I will then start over as probably an advent player.  But this campaign was the first that the AI's had ganked me within the first hour of play.  I love multiple front attacks by me or against me. It makes the game worthwhile. 

With the help of most of you that commented I have developed a stratigy that works for me  and I will be moving forward.  Good luck.

actually I believe you are thinking of Hyperion's Gates (two systems (not counting little 5 planet star) and five players each system.  a pirate base on one side of the star, and a terran planet on the other.  might be Aeriolan Sector is similar though. (don't remember it)

That was only describing the populated systems, I known Aerolian has 3 empty to begin with.

I just played an awesome 4 vs 4 multiplayer on Hyperion's Gates (online).  Each team had one player stranded in the other team's system, and they both managed to escape alive!  It ended with a HUGE epic battle in the central star (all 8 fleets, hundreds of ships).

Hyperion's Gates has 3 star systems, and a maximum of 8  players, where mixed teams start in 2.
Areolian Sector   has 6 star systems, and a maximum of 10 players, supposedly balanced so that each team starts in its own system/sector.

Tip: To quickly view an entire map:  in single player, open/start the map (then maybe save the game), then "Surrender" under the Quit menu, and choose to "Keep Playing" and everything will be revealed.  I mean everything, artifacts locations and all!

Live long & prosper, Obi 1

I tried playing Hyperion Gates 4 or 5 times now: twice on Unfair, thrice on Hard, and it is exceedingly difficult. One of the biggest issues I had was that some of the starting positions are slightly more exposed than others. I eventually gave up and took it down to normal to get my bearings, and found that on normal its easy enough to keep them from attacking you with a little diplomacy and a strong economy ranking. On Hard or Unfair, youre simply fecked.

Hard gets 1.5 times our income and resources.
Unfair gets 2 times our income and resources.

So yes, it is exceedingly difficult.  The AI is cheating at those levels!  (Besides ganging up on the best player).  So it takes time to get ahead, and some allies.  (Either lock teams, or complete choice missions)

I wuz rite here: https://forums.sinsofasolarempire.com/319987

Unfair was fine when I was playing Systems of War but then you'd only be dealing with 3 players over 5 star systems, not 8 in 2.1 systems.

Haha I think I saw that last night. I logged onto ICO for a second to see if there were any multiplayer games up and that was the only one. It was 6/8 and I was thinking of joining but I pussied out because I suck.

I suggest looking for Humans v. AI multiplayer games.  Everyone should come play on ICO even if they only play against the AI.  At least that way you can enjoy the company of human teammates and make friends, etc.  Playing with a human ally who is more experienced than you and who's willing to share some tips might also be a great way to improve.

unless you have a FRAKKING slow internet connection (grumblegruble... frakking dial-up... grumblegrumble)  I can't get anything other than dial-up where I am at (not even sattelite - tree coverage) comcast says the customer amount would not justify the cost of laying a line to where i'm at (half a mile down the road from the current boundary) and it turns out that if I try to play online, mine is the connection always lagging.  literally every 2-3 seconds.

Well, there ya go. Don't go for another cap ship. Those resources can go to tactical upgrades in your choke planet/upgrading actual fleet capacity and researching LRMs.