Gripes about Criminal Syndicate

[Mavkiel]

Had to make a thread because I had a perfect start, I had half a dozen planets, highly fortified choke points. My main weakness is I don't have much of a fleet yet... But my fortresses are almost double the fleet strength of anything an empire can throw at me.

Long story short, I eventually opened up some branches for giggles. I was happy they didn't instant closed and seemed to be thriving. But then every empire declared war on me, which I laughed off, as they couldn't break my choke points. Then I looked at the white peace terms and they were to close my branches. As if to add insult to injury they didn't even try to invade.

Basically, it seems like criminal syndicate is *incredibly* niche empire type. Not only will folks not like your government, you need to be able to not just white peace out, but soundly defeat any empire you branch out with. (Them not liking you also ends up closing hyperlanes to explore which can be highly limiting.)

/rant over.

 

[Bobylein]

Yea a status quo is enough for you to lose your branch offices, which makes sense as otherwise it could be impossible for them to do anything about it if you are not their direct neigbhoors. Though AFAIK you get the energy credits back and not them in a status quo.

My gripes about this system is that it's not enough to invade the planets with your offices to protect them but you need to make them surrender to keep anything at all...

edit: Though that was before the vassal wargoal fix, might be that the system you occupy will be split off as a subsidary?

 

[Mavkiel]

I can see that argument, I was thinking it'd have operated more like humiliate war goal. That the other empire would actually have to try and win. Not just sit in its borders and get what they wanted.

*shrugs* Either way finally going to try a normal megacorp. It seems like far less a hassle, get xenophile perks open up branches everywhere and laugh my way to the bank

 

[Less2]

You can go xenophile as a criminal syndicate and get NAPs/defensive pacts with other empires. I guess if you want to go Xenophobe (which would seem to fit with the style better) you just need to be bigger than everyone.

 

[OnyxAbussos]

I played a game as a Crime Syndicate.
It was awesome.
I was small and just raked in the cash while being a cancer in everyone's system. My bases were unassailable.

Every decade a branch would close. But I was always building more. Every like... 30 years some one would war Dec me to close the branches in their territory. This would give me cash to open more branches elsewhere.

A few empires were -wrecked- by me. Like all their buildings razed cuz I had them at 100% crime for 50 years.

And I had several defensive pacts, cuz I was pulling in so much energy that I could just -buy- friends.

It was a fun game.

 

[ArmChairAttila]

I had a syndicate one empire away from me. I was a barbaric dispoler so my friends list was not exactly large .... This criminal AI almost destroyed my empire without firing a shot. I had to spend several decades tearing down the empire between us just so I could reach him. It was a really awsome game and inspired me to try out a syndicate.

 

[Surimi]

I had a syndicate one empire away from me. I was a barbaric dispoler so my friends list was not exactly large .... This criminal AI almost destroyed my empire without firing a shot.

I had a criminal syndicate neighbour as despoilers once, and we ended up getting along great. All other megacorps would have taken huge gifts before they'd even accept commercial pacts I didn't want to pay influence to maintain, while the syndicate just went and built branch offices anyway.

Criminal branch offices still provide benefits to the planet they are built on, and while it's a little random based on what the AI builds in their branch offices, the benefits of a high-level crime office on a developed planet almost certainly outweigh the negatives of having high crime, especially if you cut a deal with the criminals for the stability boost.

 

[Nakkivene]

I wouldn't even bother closing the branch offices. Just make the deal with the crime lords and everything will be relatively peachy.

 

[moyang]

I wouldn't even bother closing the branch offices. Just make the deal with the crime lords and everything will be relatively peachy.

But AI don't know that

 

[Nakkivene]

But AI don't know that

I wouldn't know. Every time I try criminal corp the neighbours are a variety of gestalts, FE's and purifiers. While eventually I suppose I'd find other types of empires, they'd just whitepeace me out while I'm wondering how to deal with the purifiers without shooting my sprawl to 8x my admin cap.

 

[Todie]

You can go xenophile as a criminal syndicate and get NAPs/defensive pacts with other empires. I guess if you want to go Xenophobe (which would seem to fit with the style better) you just need to be bigger than everyone.

Not necessarily bigger, but taller / stronger / denser / more intimidating.
Ofcourse, with the AI being shit, almost anything works.

... but corps have incentive to grow tall and syndicates have incentive to do it not only defensively (at least if not xenofile)

Its quite an interesting / immersive situation IMO. Do dirty offworld deals -> get money -> spearhead millitary research and state-of-the-art fleets (small but fearsome) -> defend your shady enterprises from any ”crime fighters” -> accelerate profits, investments and quality of material assets.

 

[Number One]

While I agree that they should have to actually do some damage to you to removes your branches, its entirely possible to avoid wars altogether if you make a large web of alliances and focus all your branch offices on those empires with which you are already allied, your allies wont declare war on you over the branch offices and any other empires will think twice before declaring war on you. I have yet to see how I will manage once they all federate seeing as you a barred from joining however.

Edit: as others have said the trick is to buy allies.

 

[Slynx]

when I realized that I can't declare war on someone with my branch. I've drastically changed opinion about it.
now my branches are some sort of "guarantee of non-aggression". but when the last office will be closed it's time for a feast.

 

[OnyxAbussos]

And even if they do war Dec you...

The WORST outcome is that no territory changes hands and you get paid.