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Hardest game possible
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A while back a newby started a thread complaining the game wasn't hard enough. Several posters suggested ways of making the game harder, but I wondered what factors would make it hardest.
Besides, I am bored with lightning games.
I have tried several times with the following setup and restrictions:
1) one opponent, diametrically opposed alignment, incredible intelligence
2) gigantic map, rare
3) ironman rules -- no cheat keys, no ctl-n, no saving before dangerous actions. (saving after successes is OK for system crashes)
4) cannot initiate diplomacy with major. only transactions allowed are conceeding demands and accepting peace.
5) no terror stars, no cultural starbases, no alpha strike. Normal, multi-prong military buildup is acceptable, but you cannot distribute forces calculated to take out opponent in 1-2 turns.
Of 6 or 7 starts I just won my first. Rating was "simple" hehe and metaverse points were around 15K. I started with econ 20, range +1, speed +1, sensors +2. I didn't have time to build a single production starbase -- we were at war from battle cruisers through rangers, when I finally got an advantage and he sued for peace. my infrastructure was solid and I had 80% of the resources, so I cranked research to avatars, then cranked out combat transports and avatars and swept him into the ashbin in the corner. He only had 8 planets and I had around 30, and I was lucky to have won.
Ways to make it harder -- leave UP, don't take starting bonuses, no diplomacy at all
Thoughts on a challenge like this?
        
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I tried something like that on a smaller map, but allowing myself some diplomacy. It was very difficult because I was permanently short of cash.
Some more ideas for self-imposed restrictions in standard games:
Keep social spending at zero throughout
Keep military spending at zero throughout (You could probably win by trading for ships, as long as you didn't need to expand too far)
Declare war on everyone as soon as you meet them
Give all techs you research free to all the AIs on the turn you research them (or sell them for a token price like 1 influence point, since gifts aren't always accepted)
Or all of the above (might be possible, on a low enough difficulty?)
    
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vincible
yeah, abundant would be vastly harder, now that you mention it. I have been playing rare so long it was automatic hehe
I think abundant gigantic with one opponent would take *months* hehe
The game I won I felt guilty about accepting peace, though I did wait until his third offer and took some techs so I could declare victory. Maybe arch enemies -- no peace with Major and no exploiting minors in peace deals.
The biggest problem I am having with scattered is the AI getting stuck in a corner with three planets but you don't find him for 3 hours.
Next try will be abundant / non-scattered.
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Maxtipherous:
Why not first play a game at maso with abundant, Gigantic, scattered, all aliens, all victory conditions allowed and no others limitations (so you can trade, exchange tech ..) to see how difficult is this setting? After that, you can think how to make it harder and still winnable.
     
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I've been playing abundant gigantic for quite a while. It is very difficult, with most of the major decisionmaking occurring in the diplomacy screen. For that reason, I usually start with Speed +1 and everything else in diplomacy. I prefer to play scattered so that I won't have to build extra starbases for range. I would think that clusters would be harder for the player, but I suspect that the human player is better at dealing with the range limitations than the AI. However, the AI gets the research boost, and will get better range earlier. It could go either way.
It sounds like you have noticed the lower Metaverse scores associated with longer, slower games. As always, the scoring system could use a little work. I can't wait for the Metaverse upgrades coming soon!
To make the game harder, you can always just not spend your starting ability points at all. That's what I used to do on MOO2, since it gave you extra scoring points for not using the ability bonuses.
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jmforhan
| Why not first play a game at maso with abundant . . . |
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I have -- I usually use a cultural type style with this setting, because you can flip numerous planets at once.
| Mod the colony ship range to 0 |
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ouch! lets say hardest without mods.
Update: gigantic, abundant, scattered with one opponent is ugly. I am setting these criteria for phase 1 (first contact):
30-40 colony ships
research to corvette (cheapest maintenance)
100% military to build corvettes
My major issue is I cannot create a remotely deffensive position, and my military is only 10% of his. He inevitably declares war shortly after making contact.
I will try production bonuses to bump colony ships to 1 turn, which I hope will help.
Suggestions?
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I am wondering if on gigantic, abundant, maso, 1 opponnent, scattered is hardest than tight cluster: with scattered, the galaxy will be full of empty sector so cultural flipping will be harder since it must propagate through lots of empty sectors.
Sure you will be have more time to build a strong military before the war declaration, but does it mean that victory is easier?
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jmforhan --
the rules I have set up for this challenge include no cultural starbases *wink*. With clusters you get limited, channelled growth, natural lines of defence, and as you said, time to guild up military. With scattered the AI just grows until he envelops you.
LDiCesare
amm's? I can't get to battleships hehe. I am going to try shifting to about a 30 planet expansion and live with the cultural pressure from all sides. Yeah, like that's gonna work.
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LDiCesare wrote:
| Don't research any military and pray for someone to get dreadnought |
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I'm wondering if this can be done with only 1 major AI.
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Maxtipherous wrote:
| jmforhan -- the rules I have set up for this challenge include no cultural starbases *wink*. With clusters you get limited, channelled growth, natural lines of defence, and as you said, time to guild up military. With scattered the AI just grows until he envelops you. |
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I understand defense is easier in cluster. But it should be the same for the AI. So trying to put a foot in the ennemy territory shouldn't be an easy thing. And trying to keep it without cultural flip too. Maybe the AI isn't bright enough to succeed in invading your terrory with military only. I'm wondering with this setting if the AI could do a tech win. Which is another way to loose a game.
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