AI on intelligent...

from Stardock Forums
As I understand it, when the AI is on Intelligent, it is level playing field time, the AI gets no bonuses or penalties beyond the player.. is that right??

How is the world does it develop so fast?? I am playing a Gigantic, Abundant, scattered game.. And I expand as fast as money and production will allow, investing mostly in ship building and research and colonizing like made, yet in every game (umm, well, five games now at this level) every other race is way bigger than mine at first contact in population, number of systems and military...

Any hints for someone moving from easy/beginner games (which I always win) to a hhigher level???

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Reply #1 from Stardock Forums Top
It don't have any bonuses, with the exception that it knows locations of yellow stars.

1/2 of the comps has better than your respawn, 1/2 - worse respawn -> 1/2 has more systems, population and military.

~SDC~
Reply #2 from Stardock Forums Top
I wouldn't respawn as much as Ellestar suggests. It's fun to pick up the challenge and try to pull off the win, even when you're behind in the beginning. And it's possible too.

The game is about fun, not just winning IMHO.

I would recommend to make sure you give yourself a chance by picking a reasonable starting position. Enough planets and expansion possibilities that is. I only restart when my starting position is really bad. After that it's a fair fight between the CPU and you.
Sins of a Solar Empire II
Reply #3 from Stardock Forums Top
Do you build anything but colony ships? Except for one or two scouts?
Do you max out production? Fill the farther systems first?
Reply #4 from Stardock Forums Top
"It don't have any bonuses, with the exception that it knows locations of yellow stars."

From my understanding, this is an incorrect statement. The AI "notices" everything that happens in the galaxy. It doesn't necessarily interpret it as a problem, but it has full knowledge.

As the levels increase, the chance that it takes action on what it notices increases, too.

/ds
Reply #5 from Stardock Forums Top
From LDiCesare: Do you build anything but colony ships? Except for one or two scouts?
Do you max out production? Fill the farther systems first?

Yes I just build Colony ships except a couple of scouts, I set spending at 60% Military, 10% Social, 30% Research.. No I don't fill the outter systems first, is this a good idea? Also, what is a good number of colonists to put on a colony ship.. I used to add loads, but now limit it to 250 Million so as to not depopulate the mother planets to severly...
Reply #6 from Stardock Forums Top
There are some good early game stategies in the strategy forum (look to the left), you might want to check out some of those ideas.

I typically by the time I've met all there races, and almost all the good planets are taken, have an edge in most categories, except military, and sometimes a bit lower pop (which I quickly catch up on).

At least, up to intelligent I can do this. LOL

fleabitfox
Reply #8 from Stardock Forums Top
Forget about 10% Social.

~SDC~
Reply #9 from Stardock Forums Top
That's right. With a small economy, u want big percentages to minimise wastage through rounding. Use 100% when possible.
Reply #10 from Stardock Forums Top
I rarely have any of the 3 spending fields below 40%. I try my best to develop in stages. For example...

- 50/50 Military and Research early on. Planets build Colony Ships and Constructors, warships as needed. I focus research on what are to me the basic improvements... Manufacturing, Banking, and Research Centers, Fusion Power Plants, the Habitat improvement and the Manufacturing and Economic Capitals.

- Once those techs (plus Trade) are researched I've usually colonize the good worlds. I then put all my military spending into social so my planets can build up the improvements noted above. There's usually a trade good or two worth getting by this time too.

- After that I shift back into military spending, dipping back into social when:

a. A new improvement comes along that I want or need (Anti-matter power plants, Stock Exchanges, etc.)

b. An important wonder or trade good becomes available. Even though only one planet builds it, and the rest go to waste, I set my social spending very high so I at least build it quickly, then can get back to business.

c. A new group of planets (often me backfilling <15 planets) are colonized and need to be improved.
Reply #11 from Stardock Forums Top
Min-Maxing

Also, you are delaying your 'advantages' (be it colony ships or buildings produced at all planets). It's more efficient to get 1 advatage first, then second than get both of them in the same time.

Say, every advantage gives 20% overall empire bonus (just virtual number). In second case, it's 1+0.2+0.2=1.4 bonus or 40%. In first case, it's (1+0.2)*(1+0.2)=1.44 or 44% bonus. So, 1.44/1.4=1.02857 or 2.857% bonus gained just because of min-maxing. (This is not how exactly things are working, but this is true in general.)

~SDC~