Newbie Question

from Stardock Forums
I got a newbie question.

When I play I pick Populists, and pick Econ +20, Research +20, and Morale +20. 5 AI all at subnormal so comes to simple difficulty I believe. Large Map, Loose Clusters, Common Planets.

I have yet to finish a game but started a bunch so far, but like every game I am way ahead in economy, I have expanded as fast, if not much faster then the AI that I come into contact with, so I think I have the economy expansion part down, but my influence is horrid. I have planets and stuff that are fairly deep into other peoples sectors at times, and thats when I got the planet well before they had sector control.

Is this what I should be expecting early game? That some (few) of my outer colonies are going to be in enemy sectors and that my influence will suck at first?

I go 80/0/20 and build colonies from earth and maybe from one or two of my newer colonies, but they mostly make constructors or scouts.

I research to Trade then Impulse Drives then Basic Environment Control. All research at like 20% till I don't need anymore colony ships and then switch over to like 0/80/20 I build Diplo Trans, Grav Accel, and Aphro in top three planets and soil, bank, habitat in all other planets once I have.

All those starting ideas I have taken from searching these boards, and I seem to have a nice start moneywise and placement, but as I said they are well ahead of me in influence, does this matter at this stage in the game or should I just keep going? What do I build, or should I build, at this point in the game, to help my influence?

Also, after you have Soil, Habitat, and Banks on a planet, what do you think is like most next important building and why?

What is most important tech after Trade, Impulse, and Environment Control?
2,272 views 7 replies
Reply #1 from Stardock Forums Top
What's your tax rate? Make sure that the planets at the fringe of your empire have decent morale (>50%). One way to do that for those planets is to increase propaganda (in the "details" screen of a planet).
With all the stuff you built you should have a strong enough culture level.
One more trick is to use starbases with a strong cultural component.
Reply #2 from Stardock Forums Top
I don't recommend +Morale at the start - it gives too insignificant bonus IMHO.

I recommend Soil, Habitat, Entertainment Network, Banking Center, Manufacturing Center, Fusion Power Plant

Don't forget Advanced Trade -> Galactic Stock Exchange Wonder. 3 freighters is also good.

~SDC~
Star Control: Origins
Reply #3 from Stardock Forums Top
Is there any reason to spread your trade around to different planets with the same civ? Like you are trading with one civ and have 3 routes to him, is there any reason not to send all three routes to his biggest planet?

Is it better in anyway to trade with different civs besides to pacify them all a bit, but not as much focus on one? Is there actual economic benfits for trading with multiple people or having trade routes to multiple different planets?
Reply #4 from Stardock Forums Top
Try to find theirs best planet and have it trade with your best planet, on the flip side of that, if the one plane of theirs you are trading with gets nabbed buy another IA you loose all the trade at once.
I tend to put out trading ships to everybody at the start of the game and then switch them around as I figure out who I will be picking ot my buddys.

-Hunterose

~SDC~
Reply #5 from Stardock Forums Top
Wonk's idea about starbases with strong culture components works for me too. Also, building cultural facilities on planets near your neighbors seems to help. As for build list, I used just about the same as Ellestar and that seems to work, too. I usually add the news network in as the 4th or 5th build.

I try to spread trade around, if I can. On a post somewhere else it was suggested that you make your trade route in a line that is very close to as many of your planets as possible. That way they share in the trade bonuses. Sounds reasonable, tho I haven't tried it yet.
Reply #6 from Stardock Forums Top
To JEllis2
I have some trade tips here. I've managed to get 80.000 bc/turn income from trade :)
http://apolyton.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=85148

~SDC~
Reply #7 from Stardock Forums Top
So having +Speed SB's in the trade route sectors actually **reduces** your income, both in terms of baseline (aggregate route length) and trade bonus intersection time?

That's arguably a bug.

:notsure:

~SDC~