 |
|
 |
 |
 |
Realms Beyond
|
 |
|
 |
 |
|
|
#76
by Citizen JaxomCA - 2/10/2004 8:40:43 PM
Here is a short AAR of a game on a weird map.
The setup.
Populist party, +2 speed, +20 diplomacy, on a gigantic map with rare habitable. All AIs to their max level and default alignment.
The location.
A rare pq20 Earth (at least for me), located in the middle row halfway to the right edge of the map. On gigantic maps, I like to be near the center of the map as this improves the chances of getting trade from the AIs. So it's not a great location but it's decent. However, I can already see Yor's influence toward the center, so I won't hold the center in this map.
The galactic map.
At least 85% of all stars are located east of the center. The NE quadrant has a lot more stars than the SE quadrant. The NW quadrant is almost completly empty of stars, having a total of 5, all of them in the 3 sectors forming the NW corner. The SW quadrant has a medium cluster out that will remain out of reach from the center for anyone without the use of a starbase. It also has a smaller cluster around the SW corner.
Hmmm, this may be a gigantic map, but it will be quite crowded with so many stars in the right side of the map.
The early years.
I don't do any influence scouting, so besides the very visible Yor's influence I have no idea how is where. Since I can't move toward the center, I choose to go south where there is the biggest concentration of stars within my reach. There is a small cluster to the North, but it is out of range for the Yor for now. I send two more colony ships to the south, followed by two going north. My survey ship busily scouts the southern area, only going for anomalies standing in its way.
I beat the Carinoids by one turn to a PQ16 in the south and find that they have 2 systems to their name. Fortunatly, no more yellow stars are available to them and there are still plenty of stars to explore further south, so hopefully I will get a bigger share.
Meanwhile one of the north colonizer lands on a pq15, extending my range enough to reach the bigger cluster of northern stars. The following colony ships finds a pq 16 a bit further north and both northern colony send 2 more colony ships to explore the northern cluster.
A few turns later, the situation looks bleek. I have spotted Drengin and Torian influence to the north, meaning I probably can't find any more yellow stars that way. I have also spotted Arcean influence at the edge of the biggest cluster to the southeast, so I am probably too late for that too. Further souting reveals many pq14 worlds, about 5 of them, so the situation is not desperate. There is also a small cluster at the left edge of the SE quadrant which I might reach if I land on the closest worthless planet. I do that and  , the worthless pq10 gives me a 40% pq increase, raising it to pq14. My Hero moves on and finds a couple of pq16 still unclaimed which I manage to settle, each only one turn ahead of the Yor, with one of the 16 turning into a 20. Sorry robot, these worlds are mine, mine, MINE! MUAHAHAHAHAHA!
It's a crowded galaxy, get used to it.
In the late 70s, a teleport anomaly brings the Altarian survey ship within sight, completing the contact list for the majors. The are located in the NW corner of the NE quadrant. With the Drengin in the middle of the NE quadrant, the Torian in the NE corner of the NE quadrant, and the Yor in the SW corner of the NE quadrant, that is one busy quadrant! I share the SE quadrant with the Arcean, but I have more planets than they do. Speaking of planets, time to take a tally and see where we stand.
I have 2 pq20+, 4 pq15+ and about 8 pq14+. Toria has 5 planets, Arcea has 4 planets, the Ape and Netromancer holds on 3 each, while the robot owns a pitiful 2 planets, both below pq20. So my nick-of-time steal of 2 planets gave me the edge, otherwise it would be a very balanced playing field. What about the minors you ask? Hmm, I have met only with the Carinoids, who have 2 planets. Further scouting reveals the Alexian owns one planet between Yor and Altaria, the I-League has a single planet between Altaria and Drenginia, and the Scots managed to get 2 planets in the extreme NE corner of the map.
In case you missed the subtilities, here is a recap. 4 out of 6 majors are in the NE quadrant, sharing it with 3 out of 4 minors, effectively turning a gigantic map into a small playground. 
It took a long time to get my economy up and running, having 14 planets without spending a dime in social is borderline crazy. My last few colony ships put my treasury in the red, but I managed to build 5 freighters on Earth, who were heading for each majors. Spending was capped at 30% for a long while, with taxes capped at 35% so I wouldn't have any planets under 50 morale. Eventually, banks were built and some of my freighters reached their targets. In one turn, I received 2 robot's freighters, 2 from the Cari and 1 from the Ape. All this allowed me to start wonder building at 80% spending with a small budget surplus. I didn't have high hopes of getting all the wonders or even half of them. To my surprise, I build all of them except the galactic stock exchange and the Tri-steel. Without any help from minor's money, since I had finished the wonder building part before meeting the other 3.
The race for the SW.
I had many colony ships in flight, and some constructors too, during the wonder building phase. After meeting with the Altarian, it became obvious that the SW quadrant was either the minor's corner or completly lifeless. By the mid 80s, my survey ship completed the mapping of this remote area, thanks to the range extension of a couple of starbases. The last words of the survey ships captain, before he finally began his survey mission, was "Oh my god! It's full of yellow stars!"
So my countless colonizer hordes headed for the wild west with all haste, having reached speed 8 by now. I grabbed all the yellows, and a few 14 as well, many just a couple of turns ahead of blue, purple, red or yellow colony ships. It was time to take a new headcount. After the final colony ship landed, I had a grand total of 31 planets, including 4 pq20+ and 3 pq18+ and 17 pq14. I have seen my highest pq event ever during that rush, a 50% pq boost on a 16, raising it to 24. Darn, there were as many yellow stars in the SW quadrant than in the NE quadrant, but there were no majors assigned to start there.
Time to say good night.
By 2187, I had a budget surplus of 1500BC per month at 100% spending, thanks to 2 freshly spawned minors you were providing 500BC a month each for the right to use my trade goods. I was the owner of more planets than all the majors and minors combined, so I decided it was time to wrap this up.
Arcea had recently discovered dreadnoughts, the Altarian were cranking out death knights, but everybody else was still using frigates and battle hammers. I bought all the transports and all the warships from all the majors while still keeping a 20k treasury and a 300bc surplus at 0% spending. I then proceeded to eradicate the alien infestation, which was completed before the year was over.
The downside.
This was my 2nd easiest maso victory to date, however you will not see it in my profile. I thought any military victory on a gigantic maso would give 60k points. I was wrong. This game would give exactly 30k metaverse point. That is the reward for overwhelming domination.
Oh well, I hope you find this interesting. It was a fun game until the scoring screen. 
           
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
#97
by Citizen Sirian - 2/13/2004 2:55:32 PM
| The hole you start in in maso GalCiv is even deeper than it typically was in 1.29 Deity Civ3 ... but the walls are easier to climb. |
|
Hmm. I kind of see it the opposite. The hole is not as deep, but it's harder to climb out in GalCiv.
In Civ3, the AI's usually leave you alone. You can buy allies for pennies. The extortion demands are negligible. In GalCiv, the strong make a point of picking on the weak, the sooner the better in their view. The two things GalCiv has easier are that you CAN make more hay from less terrain, due to trade not being territory dependant and small wonders having more total bang for buck; second, the trade goods you can miss and still buy into while Civ3 wonders are one shot. Civ3 wonders can be captured, though. Perhaps the biggest thing going for Civ that makes it SO much easier is the game's predisposition for oscillating war. After a certain time period, it is easy to win peace if you have put any hurt at all on the enemy's units. In GalCiv, they go for the jugular, therefore you cannot dig out of nearly as deep of holes as is possible in Civ3.
At least that is my take on it. GalCiv still beats me, even if it has only been the "snuffed in the cradle" variety. Civ does not beat me unless I'm playing a crippled variant, and then even rarely. That also factors into my assessment.
- Sirian
  
| |
|
|
|
#99
by Citizen Zed F - 2/13/2004 3:51:56 PM
My view is that you start at a bigger disadvantage in terms of AIs researching important early techs and getting their economies and military going way before you can. They usually get frigates while you're still struggling to complete the most basic social infrastructure. At this point, you're still in the hole, and if they hit you you'll fall down into it. That's like the equivalent of starting nearly an age behind in tech in Civ3, every game.
However, in Civ3 the game can still be in doubt late in the game; the AI doesn't have to dislike you to win. In GalCiv, all it takes is for the AIs to go to war with one another and not you, and you win. This is usually pretty easy to achieve once you get your economy going, one way or another. In Civ3, the Industrial Age is often the turning point, here it's more like the equivalent of the early Middle Ages. Considering the AIs start in the equivalent of the late Ancient era, that doesn't say much for them.
  
| |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
 |
Copyright 1995-2024 Stardock Corporation. All rights reservered.
Site created by Pixtudio and Stardock, designed by Pixtudio.
|
 |
Having had a few dominating military wins myself, I would much prefer that the game reward one with a good score rather than a lousy one, but dem's da breaks...
Heck on that. 
