Some things I noticed in my current run - and asking for advice

[Tom D.]

Most of the megastructures use a lot of energy once completed, so if you are going that route, you will probably want to start with the Dyson Sphere. I wouldn't bother with a ring world myself. If you have Megacorp, I'd go for the Strategic Coordination Center, as it gives a big boost to fleet cap and other bonuses for your fleets as well. The matter Compressor is good as well. You'll be rolling in minerals with that.

Unfortunately I don't have MegaCorp so I only have the option between Science Nexus/Dyson Sphere/Sentry Array and the Ring World. The Ring World is basically to have somewhat of a feeling I reached the top, because I doubt I'd actually play much after I defeated the endgame crisis. But the thing about the Dyson Sphere does make sense, although I wonder how necessary it is to build that one first before repairing the Sentry Array if that will be the only energy-consuming megastructure I will build in the first place...

You may want a Dyson Sphere and a Matter Decompressor. That way you have pretty much all resources covered.

The SCC, as @Bryartuck suggested, is always the one I go for first as long as my resource needs are covered for the moment. The Interstellar Assembly will make sure that the entire galaxy loves you unless you blow up their planets, but I'm pretty sure you need to build it in your home system for it to work (or so I've heard, so I do it that way just to be sure).

The Art Installation is great if you want to keep a lot of Unity Ambitions running, but generally you are able to do so without a dedicated megastructure.

Ringworlds can be your friend if you want to get rid of all agriculture districts on every planet you own, and the building slots can be utilised for whatever you need at the time.

And the Sentry Array is nice, but honestly I don't usually need to know what species X is doing at the opposite end of the galaxy. Though to be fair, once you own the L-Cluster no empire is too far from your borders, so that's a valid point.

Finally, the Science Nexus may come a bit late, but you only need to finish it, and don't underestimate the power of repeatables on economics and fleet strength shouldn't be underestimated.

A shame I don't have MegaCorp, cause especially that Matter Decompressor would've been useful to get a lot of minerals, my income of that dropped quite fast after I build some Arcology Districts on my Ecumenopolis. I'll probably repair the Sentry Array first, than build a Dyson Sphere and if possible repair that Science Nexus. That also reminded me that I want to build a Colossus, even if it doesn't really fit a xenophile, democratic UNE but I guess I can Palpatine it (and now that I wrote this, it should actually be a legit verb ).

How to prevent Priate Spawns:
Do not have unprotected/insufficiently protected trade routes.
Or at least do not get current Piracy exceed maximum trade protection.

That reminds me, the piracy is bloody annoying! I needed all my fleets to combat the Gray Tempest and Marauders so I had to leave my space unprotected, luckily only one system at a time spawned pirates but I think I lost a lot of energy/unity by piracy, it's also so annoying to split all your fleets in tiny bits to guard all of the space necessary, and having to merge them all back in one fleet is such a hassle.

 

[Tom D.]

Most Event Countries have no or very limited, Event based reinforcements. At least prior to 2.2, I could often win a War of Attrition against them.
With the new way you pay for miltiary ships this might be a lot harder.

My allied neighbours who had an L-Cluster actually did quite well for themselves, except one who I think was actually one of the few who could face one of their fleets head on but for some reason decided to stay in their capital, whilst half of their empires was taken out without much resistance. That was some weird AI behavior. Allows me to quickly claim their systems which had an L-Gate though .

 

[The Founder]

That reminds me, the piracy is bloody annoying! I needed all my fleets to combat the Gray Tempest and Marauders so I had to leave my space unprotected, luckily only one system at a time spawned pirates but I think I lost a lot of energy/unity by piracy, it's also so annoying to split all your fleets in tiny bits to guard all of the space necessary, and having to merge them all back in one fleet is such a hassle.

The primary way to combat piracy is Trade Protection from stations. If you are using Fleets for that, you are doing it wrong.

 

[Tom D.]

The primary way to combat piracy is Trade Protection from stations. If you are using Fleets for that, you are doing it wrong.

But I only have so many amount of stations I can have, and I did actually built up a station because of piracy. Also, for some reason the station at Sol protects systems from piracy up to 2 systems away from Sol on the trade lane, but other stations don't seem to do this for some reason. There is only one system between my Ecumenopolis and another system with a planet and station and it was exactly in this one system that pirates spawned twice. Why did those two stations not project their power to this one system separating them? I don't get it

 

[Bryartuck]

For each weapons module (guns/missiles/hangers) a station will protect system out to one additional jump. So with a full bastion, you can protect systems out to 6 jumps away.

 

[The Founder]

For each weapons module (guns/missiles/hangers) a station will protect system out to one additional jump. So with a full bastion, you can protect systems out to 6 jumps away.

^^That

Come on guys, read the Module Tooltips

 

[Tom D.]

^^That

Come on guys, read the Module Tooltips

Tbh I forgot I put those modules in the starport on Sol, I never read the tooltip and there's no suggestion anywhere that says that building those modules will protect neighbouring systems from piracy. But that's the purpose of this thread in the first place, to learn all the new stuff since 2.0. so I'll be replacing one anchorage with such a module, that should ease my problem.

 

[The Founder]

Tbh I forgot I put those modules in the starport on Sol, I never read the tooltip and there's no suggestion anywhere that says that building those modules will protect neighbouring systems from piracy.

"Trade Protection Range: +1"

 

[Brian Bóroimhe]

For each weapons module (guns/missiles/hangers) a station will protect system out to one additional jump. So with a full bastion, you can protect systems out to 6 jumps away.

To add to this a bit, the hanger bays provide +10 trade protection per system, +5 for the other two. So hangars are best for protecting trade. And trade protection from different stations stacks. It is also projected through jump gates (same for trade collection). So once you get a network of jump gates set up you can almost just fill your capital with trade modules and have jumpgates placed around your empire to collect all trade within 5 lanes of the gate and fill a bastion in the gate's system with hangar bays. The trade collection range will go from your capital and extend through each of your other gates. While each of those other gates which you fill with hangars can extend stacking protection 5 lanes out from every single one of your other jump gates. This way, all of them are protecting each other.

 

[Tom D.]

To add to this a bit, the hanger bays provide +10 trade protection per system, +5 for the other two. So hangars are best for protecting trade. And trade protection from different stations stacks. It is also projected through jump gates (same for trade collection). So once you get a network of jump gates set up you can almost just fill your capital with trade modules and have jumpgates placed around your empire to collect all trade within 5 lanes of the gate and fill a bastion in the gate's system with hangar bays. The trade collection range will go from your capital and extend through each of your other gates. While each of those other gates which you fill with hangars can extend stacking protection 5 lanes out from every single one of your other jump gates. This way, all of them are protecting each other.

So a good and extensive network of gateways will help very well to protect trade? Sounds like a plan, cause I still have some issues despite building those modules in starbases.

 

[The Founder]

So a good and extensive network of gateways will help very well to protect trade? Sounds like a plan, cause I still have some issues despite building those modules in starbases.

Absolutely even. Piracy does not appear in Systems with a Starbase.
And both the Capitol Collection, Trade Protection and Routes pass through them.

And then there is minor effects like reducing the "distance to capitol" to 0 for Ethics attraction.

 

[Brian Bóroimhe]

So a good and extensive network of gateways will help very well to protect trade? Sounds like a plan, cause I still have some issues despite building those modules in starbases.

Yes it should. Even before trade routes were added I felt that a good jump gate network was absolutely essential for strategic mobility alone. Trade just doubles down on this.

Also, you might want to dedicate a starbase in a jump gate system to being an all out ship factory that can pump out mass reinforcements that then quickly rendezvous with their fleet through your gates.

 

[Brian Bóroimhe]

And then there is minor effects like reducing the "distance to capitol" to 0 for Ethics attraction.

Ooh, I totally forgot about that factor!

 

[Tom D.]

Yes it should. Even before trade routes were added I felt that a good jump gate network was absolutely essential for strategic mobility alone. Trade just doubles down on this.

Also, you might want to dedicate a starbase in a jump gate system to being an all out ship factory that can pump out mass reinforcements that then quickly rendezvous with their fleet through your gates.

I basically have that system already, I build the star system where my L-Gate was located as a full shipyard because reinforcements had to come quicker than I could although I replaced one or two with guns for the trade protection (I might replace those though again). It was very funny though to see how the L-Cluster quickly became de facto a galactic highway even whilst the Gray Tempest was still around. It is very useful and efficient though to be able to build 6 ships at once in one place, with gates it would be even better. I hope I'll be able to get a decent gate system up and running before the endgame crisis comes in 50 years, as I need that Dyson Sphere first.

 

[Brian Bóroimhe]

I basically have that system already, I build the star system where my L-Gate was located as a full shipyard because reinforcements had to come quicker than I could although I replaced one or two with guns for the trade protection (I might replace those though again). It was very funny though to see how the L-Cluster quickly became de facto a galactic highway even whilst the Gray Tempest was still around. It is very useful and efficient though to be able to build 6 ships at once in one place, with gates it would be even better. I hope I'll be able to get a decent gate system up and running before the endgame crisis comes in 50 years, as I need that Dyson Sphere first.

You can also put a regular jump gate in the same system as the L gates to link them up.

And the jump gates aren't on the same "one Galactic wonder at a time" ranking as the Dyson sphere etc. So you can build them simultaneously, you shouldn't have a problem with the time. Also if that 50 years you are counting is until the "end game crises start date" then you probably have 100 years before an extragalactic crisis will appear. In the first 50 years a war in heaven may break out between two fallen empires. Unless you've already destroyed them.

 

[Tom D.]

You can also put a regular jump gate in the same system as the L gates to link them up.

And the jump gates aren't on the same "one Galactic wonder at a time" ranking as the Dyson sphere etc. So you can build them simultaneously, you shouldn't have a problem with the time. Also if that 50 years you are counting is until the "end game crises start date" then you probably have 100 years before an extragalactic crisis will appear. In the first 50 years a war in heaven may break out between two fallen empires. Unless you've already destroyed them.

I actually don't know for sure, I used a mod that modifies the endgame crisis and I initially put the date at 2400 without any delay, but due to the Gray Tempest I postponed it 50 years (and I hope it worked, I'm at exactly 2400 now). And I'm more concerned not because I wouldn't be able to build the gates due to being a megastructure (which it isn't apparently so that's great) but due to the cost of it, it's probably going to cost thousands of alloys and I already sell quite a lot of them to stay afloat in energy, hence why I want that Dyson Sphere ASAP. And no, the 4 FE are still around, I don't think I'll be able to defeat one of them yet, even if I had the whole backing of the Federation I'm currently in (probably encompassing around 70/80% of the galaxy by now).

 

[The Founder]

Also, you might want to dedicate a starbase in a jump gate system to being an all out ship factory that can pump out mass reinforcements that then quickly rendezvous with their fleet through your gates.

I basically have that system already, I build the star system where my L-Gate was located as a full shipyard because reinforcements had to come quicker than I could although I replaced one or two with guns for the trade protection (I might replace those though again). It was very funny though to see how the L-Cluster quickly became de facto a galactic highway even whilst the Gray Tempest was still around. It is very useful and efficient though to be able to build 6 ships at once in one place, with gates it would be even better. I hope I'll be able to get a decent gate system up and running before the endgame crisis comes in 50 years, as I need that Dyson Sphere first.

Early to midgame I used a bunch of Distributed Shipyards, usually in the border posts.

But as the game progresses I go for a few mega-shipyards. 6 Shipyard Modules, Academy, and any Colossus/Titan Buildings. Connected via Gateways.

 

[AlanC9]

The primary way to combat piracy is Trade Protection from stations. If you are using Fleets for that, you are doing it wrong.

That burns a lot of fleet cap. Why reduce your total military strength when you can build ships and use the ships for fighting when a war comes? I don't see the upside of bastions.

 

[Brian Bóroimhe]

That burns a lot of fleet cap. Why reduce your total military strength when you can build ships and use the ships for fighting when a war comes? I don't see the upside of bastions.

Because unused naval cap is useless. If you don't have the economy to fill to the new cap/afford upkeep on the larger fleet, then what good is it? Better to boost your income, you can still go over the cap for a small penalty when you need to. In fact i don't think I've ever had a game where i wasn't many times over my naval cap by the late game anyway.

Besides, fortresses are very good at adding fleet cap now and often seem to have less opportunity cost than dedicating space stations to the same end.

Not saying the anchorage is never worth it, but I think it's less essential now than it was before 2.2.

 

[The Founder]

That burns a lot of fleet cap. Why reduce your total military strength when you can build ships and use the ships for fighting when a war comes? I don't see the upside of bastions.

If you are really smart, you just build hte Anchorage on the main Trade Line. There is 0 current piracy in Systems with a Starbase.