Influence Shortage

[PaulMClem]

Minerals and Energy, no big deal i.e. mine and the buff via tech, buildings/upgrades etc – pretty standard fair for colony/empire building strategy games. They key is to have as large as possible area of space to harvest your Energy and Minerals from. That’s where we need the basic resource which is currently giving me problems, Influence.

Without influence your empire will quickly stagnate (as mine is threatening to do). You can harvest all the minerals and energy you are able to harvest. Minerals will replenish as you build (to a relatively small maximum stockpile), while energy will drain to nothing if you’ve already done a fair bit of development within your empire. The only way to move on is to expand your borders i.e. Frontier Posts, Colonisation. As such I’d say influence is massively important early on.

How do I get generate enough influence to allow me to keep expanding? It feels like I’m missing something obvious, such as a big fat Civ Monument

ps. I know you could also expand via warfare, but this doesn't seem much of an option with barely 25 corvettes. I crave influence, pure and simple.

 

[Emraldis]

Well consider that frontier outposts each cost 1 influence, right? Now lets say that you're at 0 influence, and are looking for more. Your base influence is, say 3, and you have 3 frontier outposts that are reducing that number down to the 0 you have. Now let's do some basic math:

3(base) - 3(frontier outposts) = 0(current total)

If we just move this around, we can see what we need.

3(base) - 0(current total) = -3(frontier outposts)

Clearly the math shows that we need to build -3 frontier outposts, in this case!

...

...

Ok, enough being facetious, influence (currently, will be changed in Banks/Utopia) only comes from techs, the max-level capital, and occasionally leaders. The best thing you can do, is just never build frontier outposts, and limit the amount of diplomacy you do to Non-Aggression Pacts, unless you rush for a federation. Expand your borders only with colonies, unless you absolutely have no other choice, and disband frontier outposts as soon as possible.

 

[General Retreat]

The other option is enlightening primitives and maintaining them as one system protectorates. Protectorates will give you bonus influence.

Also, keep an eye out for leader traits. Your empire leader can have influence boosting traits which are a great help. They're probably easiest to find in democracies because of the faster turnover for leaders. Democratic mandates are also a great way to farm influence.

 

[PaulMClem]

disband frontier outposts as soon as possible.

Did think about that, just wasn't sure what penalty I might get.

 

[PaulMClem]

Democratic mandates are also a great way to farm influence.

Is that the thing where someone is elected and promises to build x research stations i.e. if you do it you get 100 inf etc? I do actually have one of these in play but can't get the last station as I have no more research resource within my borders....frustrating

 

[Pchang]

Stop atrocities cost 20 war score. Attack and blockade new colonies that do not have space stations yet = 200 influence. Democratic governments are also great for getting lots of influence.

 

[Brucesim2003]

Demolish and rebuild it. Still counts.

 

[Pchang]

Is that the thing where someone is elected and promises to build x research stations i.e. if you do it you get 100 inf etc? I do actually have one of these in play but can't get the last station as I have no more research resource within my borders....frustrating

When the next election is announced, disband 4 mining stations and 4 research stations before the election is over. Btw - should be 250 influence.

 

[PaulMClem]

Demolish and rebuild it. Still counts.

What does?

 

[PaulMClem]

When the next election is announced, disband 4 mining stations and 4 research stations before the election is over. Btw - should be 250 influence.

So you can rebuild them for the next Democratic Mandate? That sounds a wee bit gamey...lol

 

[Pchang]

Yes, but must be done before the election is decided.

 

[Lys91]

Yeah government "mission" are not great. I hope they could build on and improve the EU4 system. That could also give some personality to the leaders: "oh that one in the one who wants me to invade the evil Insect Nearby".

 

[Me_]

Uplift pre-sentient species - each one gives 500 influence. Use humiliate wargoal (10% warscore cost, gives 100 influence). There are actually a great number of ways to gain influence, although someof them give one-time boost rather than a constant increase.

 

[Anaraxes]

Colonize rather than outpost where you can. The monthly cost of outposts adds up in a hurry, and it's rarely worth it just for an extra system or two. I only build or keep outputs if they're a crucial link in a big gap. Sometimes I build them near a rich source of colonies, as it can be a little cheaper to build one outpost and then get several cheap colonies compared to throwing out expensive (in influence) distant colonies. But the first distant colony will also reduce your costs.

The democratic elections every ten years are a prime source of influence for those governments. It can be worth holding off on the space outputs just to make sure you've got an easy 4 to complete the mandate every election. (More so on the minerals, especially the 2's, than on the science.) For the militant governments, you'll want rivalries to generate more influence.

 

[Slynx]

probably i don't understand your problem...but.
i always have troubles to spend influence (you use 2-3 edicts per planets max, frontiers are only temporary solution, empire edicts are only when they are needed)
cuz random events, tech+buildings, always max rivalry and researching aliens always give you tons of influence. i usually aim for +6 (so i could spare some for suppressing factions and 5 to integrate vassals)

 

[PaulMClem]

probably i don't understand your problem

You're just too influential to deal with the likes of me

 

[PaulMClem]

So it looks like Frontier Posts are an issue....something to definitely bear in mind. Unnecessary defensive pacts are also out.

 

[jdrou]

3(base) - 3(frontier outposts) = 0(current total)

If we just move this around, we can see what we need.

3(base) - 0(current total) = -3(frontier outposts)

Clearly the math shows that we need to build -3 frontier outposts, in this case!

Sounds like someone needs to repeat basic algebra.

 

[Tavior]

Just so you know. Larger planet (25 size vs 10 size) will give you larger frontier radius than a tiny planet.

There is also a tech that you can research to get xx% bonus to frontier radius.

 

[CocoCincinnati]

Protectorates and Rivals really don't give that much but it can add up if you have several of each. Also, always grab the influence increasing techs as quickly as possible, the quicker you can build up a stockpile, the better.

There is also a mod that has a building called the planetary forum or something that costs 4 credits in maintenance but gives 0.5 influence. This obviously does make the game easier though so be warned about that. I have several mods installed and I'm not sure which one has that building but it's probably either the government and ethics overhaul of the more buildings mod.