Is it possible to bounce back from losing a war in this game?

[Ace_of_Spades60]

Most of the times when I get a war declared on me the demands usually seem to involve immediately taking my home world and the core systems surrounding it so if I do end up losing its pretty much a GG.

I have bounced back during a losing war but has anyone actually completely lost a war and was still able to go on and become a power again?

Just a random question since a recent play through I got dogpiled on by a bunch of militants and xenophobes while trying to be pacifist.

 

[GamerSteve]

There is a let's play out there where one of the players lost a war and his original capital world and kept playing for quite a while. I never finished watching it so I don't know how long he went or if he was eventually able to win.

I think it would clearly be very, very difficult. The issue is, if you were dog-piled once, you're liable to be again. The AI goes on the offense against those empires it deems weaker than itself. If they considered you weaker before, and you lost worlds, you'll be even weaker in comparison the next time around.

I would say check your diplo status and see if you can befriend, defensive pact, or better yet federation up with a more powerful friendly ally, say a xenophile with similar philosophy. If you can get a big brother to help you, then they will be less likely to attack because they know it will bring the larger empire into the war. Plus should the war break out anyway you get some help.

I've never really been able to team up much with the AI... but the last co-op game I played, my friend, who was my federation mate as well, managed to tick off an awakened empire. But even though it was more powerful than either of us alone, it never attacked him because it was not as powerful as both of us combined... and the AI must have done the computation and realized (correctly) that while it was in his empire pounding him, I'd have had troops all over its territory getting revenge.

 

[Magnificent Genius]

As near as I can tell, no. Every war is Win or Die.

 

[Derp]

If you can save your fleet, I imagine it's possible. Make alliances, take worlds from weaker neighbours, etc.
If you lose your fleet and don't have powerful friends, you're easy prey for every opportunist eyeballing your defenceless world.

 

[Paulus Leto]

Possibly. I recently lost an early war to an advanced neighbor and got protection from his rival. Admittedly it's better to pre-empt it in negotiations. I try to mitigate losses in the surrender by dancing ships between systems, building up fleet remnants with whatever I have left, and laying siege.

 

[Zavaleta]

As near as I can tell, no. Every war is Win or Die.

I feel like the war mechanics still need some more work. Importing war weariness and some other mechanics from EU4 might be a route towards improvement.

 

[Pavane]

I have done it often with a larger economy, but my "lost" wars are usually draws because I outlast my opponent. You can reject a peace proposal for 100 PI per occasion. Each proposal by the AI has fewer demands than before until there are no demands (and then you accept). Between wars expand your economy, ship capacity, and rebuild your fleet.

In my current game I "lost" two wars to an awakened FE, but I just won the third earlier this evening. I was outnumbered 2:1 in the first war, 1.5:1 in the second war, and was equal in the third. Make sure you retreat from battles that you cannot win to keep as much as possible of the fleet intact. When the AI conquers one of your planets and moves on to the next, that is your opportunity to sweep in, liberate it, and immediately withdraw. If the enemy fleet returns before you complete the mission, then retreat again. I have been at -50% in each of the first two wars because of the unequal fleets and the enemy's unopposed conquests, but "white peace" is a win for me as I only get stronger during the truce period.

 

[nfmarque]

I have done it often with a larger economy, but my "lost" wars are usually draws because I outlast my opponent. You can reject a peace proposal for 100 PI per occasion. Each proposal by the AI has fewer demands than before until there are no demands (and then you accept). Between wars expand your economy, ship capacity, and rebuild your fleet.

In my current game I "lost" two wars to an awakened FE, but I just won the third earlier this evening. I was outnumbered 2:1 in the first war, 1.5:1 in the second war, and was equal in the third. Make sure you retreat from battles that you cannot win to keep as much as possible of the fleet intact. When the AI conquers one of your planets and moves on to the next, that is your opportunity to sweep in, liberate it, and immediately withdraw. If the enemy returns before you complete the mission, then retreat again. I have been at -50% in each of the first two wars because of the unequal fleets and then enemy's unopposed conquests, but "white peace" is a win for me as I only get stronger during the truce period.

This.
I can also give humiliate so it can be over quickly.

 

[Oscot]

Most of the times when I get a war declared on me the demands usually seem to involve immediately taking my home world and the core systems surrounding it so if I do end up losing its pretty much a GG.

I have bounced back during a losing war but has anyone actually completely lost a war and was still able to go on and become a power again?

Although you never actually state it, the implication in your post is that you're talking about a super-early war? Like, pre-2230?
Because post-2230 you should have like 10 colonies, so losing 3 shouldn't really destroy you.
If you don't have like 10 colonies post-2230, then you only have yourself to blame when you get rekt.

 

[Ace_of_Spades60]

Although you never actually state it, the implication in your post is that you're talking about a super-early war? Like, pre-2230?
Because post-2230 you should have like 10 colonies, so losing 3 shouldn't really destroy you.
If you don't have like 10 colonies post-2230, then you only have yourself to blame when you get rekt.

This particular game was only about 20 years in, though there was another game where I was playing the commonwealth and did have a substantial amount of colonies ( was a little bit after 2300) and they still wanted my capital. Didn't really matter too much as I won that war through spamming ships out as fast as possible through every single one of my space sports.

 

[henzington]

I have actually won defensive wars against 2 to 1 fleet strength wasn't easy had to use hit and run attacks

Also I allowed them to occupy a couple of my planets so i could occupy the empire to my west and then swing back east.

I did get my revenge attacked later when they were involved in another taking out the western empire.