it can anger AI and lead to unexpected war though. so better be careful
except Missiles.
as a temporary solution - yes. but as a constant placement - barely. too much influence
How rapid should you expand?
- Thread starter SuperfluousNinja
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In latest game, I have 7 colonies by some time in 2220. Caught up and passed an advanced start AI next to me for colonies, but still behind in technology.
You should colonize as fast as possible. Keep in mind the "possible" part because if you rush colonists at any cost, the technology malus will make it longer to discover colonization technologies that are important to make your colonies economically viable (like the ones for clearing tiles).
For me, a good indicator to "when" to build a new colony is as soon as my current colony reaches 5 pops, allowing me to build a planetary administration and unlocking the better buildings (instead of the basic buildings).
Also, if you can use the resettlement policy, you can definitely speed up the colonization process by quite a bit.
For me, a good indicator to "when" to build a new colony is as soon as my current colony reaches 5 pops, allowing me to build a planetary administration and unlocking the better buildings (instead of the basic buildings).
Also, if you can use the resettlement policy, you can definitely speed up the colonization process by quite a bit.
Map placement takes precedence over planet size/niceness. I am trying to maximize the size of my blob on the map.
So far lucky though, nothing smaller than a size 14.
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It depends but I usually expand pretty slowly. During the early game I almost always have fewer planets than the empires I run into who are close to me. The trade off is that they always have higher naval capacity but I'm always more advanced. And in this game, closing a capacity difference is a whole lot easier than closing a tech difference.
I concentrate on engineering and bigger space ports. This allows superior numbers to quickly catch up in tech (scanning debris). I typically go from Tier 3 techs directly to end game techs this way.
I use Frontier Outposts to allow me to capture territory that contains colonizeable territory early, and then leapfrog from there outwards, colonizing and removing the Frontier Outposts as I go.
Unless you are willing to take on an equal amount of "rivalry" Influence, and that would be more than most Etho's are allowed, leaving Frontier Outposts running is a BIG drain on Influence until other means are implemented.
So place Frontier Outpost in colonizable area to secure.
Quickly send out colony ship. Colonize.
Remove Frontier Outpost.
Rinse and repeat and prosper.
I almost never do that - an outpost costs you a third of the material for a colony ship and the same amount of initial influence + monthly influence, so it is only viable to do that when you don't have the minerals. You should be able to save up 300 or less (with tech and governor/ruler stuff) minerals faster than it takes you to send over a construction ship and build an outpost like 10 years in, at which point you are losing out on time both your pop growth and build queue could be busy.
At that point I just use them if there is no viable planet on one of my borders, if there isn't a viable planet that I have the right pop type for (yet) or to anchor my borders where an AI empire is pressing in.
I also rarely use them when I have no intention of settling more planets - but that's reaaally rare.
I had the luck to be flanked by a spiritual Fallen Empire to my West, of which I have conflicting borders with (but I am at the tip of the spiral arm so there isn't anything I can steal from them) and then a isolationist fallen Empire to my Southeast that keeps others from getting in.The Tall empire to beat all Tall empires
Furthermore, the two fallen Empires block all the hyperlane routes to my planet and my, as I like to say, the 'main territory', with the 'frontier territory' being the territory in the spiral arm just South.
I got extremely lucky.
We colonize to cover maximum space, to have many colonization options within our space later. And we make sure we can defend all that space, or deter anyone that might try to invade, with our own fairly large fleet and what defensive pacts we can arrange.
If the more oppressive sort, we do like invading some primitives, if they got a different habitability preference, just so we have more options! But only before contacting others, since they get pretty mad if they see you do that! Or if everyone you know is already cranky and your rivals, it's not like their mood will improve if you don't invade.
If the more oppressive sort, we do like invading some primitives, if they got a different habitability preference, just so we have more options! But only before contacting others, since they get pretty mad if they see you do that! Or if everyone you know is already cranky and your rivals, it's not like their mood will improve if you don't invade.
The Tall empire to beat all Tall empires
I had a game once where around that date I was single planet in a federation of 5 on the same arm, sandwiched by both a slaver and a purifier. I had no navy (sacrificed on things). Allies were strong but not enough against both. They DOWed us. As the least threat I was treated as such, and they took my allies down first, allowing me to build ships.
I crushed them at a third of their fleet power under my spaceport, Gandalf style. Rest was a matter of fleetpower/minute in spaceport, and I won. Truly epic.
That is to say there is no real rule to apply. In the particular game I speak of, I guess I found the sweet, sweet spot between enough and too much in this particular case. For holding on colonizing I mean. I got core 5 in like 2325.
So lot of things can go if situation is good enough.So I'd say this is not really : "How rapid should I expand?"
but rather : "How pressed am I to expand?"
In my current game I was lagging behind at the start but now have 7 planets and 1 sector after 40 years. The amount of minerals, energy, research has gone up solidly in tune with the expanding planet count. My fleet is now almost worthy of taking someone out. As with all strategy games which involve colonisation, research and resources once you get going you can start spewing out buildings and fleet at a decent rate.