Not Ready for War!

[Slynx]

What i found very annoying is that practically every single time i play the AI gets combat upgrades before i do.

but that's great. when you kill him you'll get his technologies for free(or at a huge discount)
also techs are overestimated. you can win even if you have starting weapons. you'll just need a little bit more corvettes.

That campaign was normal AI aggressiveness.

that's not difficulty.
difficulty settings are below aggressiveness

 

[WandererRTF]

If the enemy has shields and you don't you need a lot rather than 'a little bit' more corvettes... But, yes, it is possible to win. However if the aim is just to loot better tech then it would probably be smarter to trigger the pirate event and get it from them.

 

[stumason]

Console commands make a solid way to get out of trouble. Sometimes just 'yesman' and then asking for a white peace can let you keep your game on track.

You know, until you're experience enough to want to pull yourself out from under a crushing defeat.

Aye, done the same myself - usually when I spawn next to some arsehole of an FE who wants me to cleanse my homeworld or 1st colony in 2101!

It can actually make for an interesting game, as it happens. Using the console, you can switch to the FE and accept any peace offer - I've forced them to liberate parts of their own Empire (especially ones which have "exclaves") which then turn into some uber powerful normal species with FE tech and ships.

 

[Slynx]

pirate event

there is barely any useful tech.

If the enemy has shields and you don't you need a lot rather than 'a little bit' more corvettes...

shield and thrusters are usually my first pick when i see them. but even without them it's possible to win. even empty corvette with just 3s mass drivers can bite hard...if you have 100 of them in a first war (not very hard to get cuz they cost only 50 minerals)

 

[WandererRTF]

there is barely any useful tech.

True, but that has couple of times been the difference between having none vs. having some useful tech. The RND in technologies can hit quite hard.

shield and thrusters are usually my first pick when i see them. but even without them it's possible to win. even empty corvette with just 3s mass drivers can bite hard...if you have 100 of them in a first war (not very hard to get cuz they cost only 50 minerals)

No arguments there, even though usually by the time i actually get the economy healthy enough to sustain that many corvettes the risk of the 'AI rush' is already receding.

 

[PaulMClem]

that's not difficulty.
difficulty settings are below aggressiveness

Agreed, but it's still a factor

 

[lilsaihah]

Plant a warp interdictor next to your capital's starport. Abuse the power of your starports, especially when you have chokepoints available to you because of Hyperlanes.

 

[MaarekStele]

Build spaceports, they up your fleet cap. Is also possible that they are an advanced start.

I always end up with an advanced AI on my doorstep in almost every game. I find it annoying especially when they are hostile to me right from the start.

 

[Emraldis]

I always end up with an advanced AI on my doorstep in almost every game. I find it annoying especially when they are hostile to me right from the start.

You can turn that off in the game settings when you make a game.