Hardest games ever

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Oberlus
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Re: Hardest games ever

#31 Post by Oberlus »

Another hard game. Really hard for Trith at least.

SPOILERS
You'll get little pressure from enemies at start, probably because they can't see a stealthy Trith planet until they get some detection. But you'll find absolutely nothing to colonise until you can do hostile environments (and by then there will be little free planets). And as soon as you start the many neighbours you have will make your Trith absolutely paranoid, making them loose their self-sustaining pop boost.
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EricF
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Re: Hardest games ever

#32 Post by EricF »

Why is Oberlus still allowed to give advice?

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Re: Hardest games ever

#33 Post by Oberlus »

EricF wrote: Thu Aug 15, 2019 11:52 amWhy is Oberlus still allowed to give advice?
Do you mean you tried some of my "hard" games and found them easy?

Also, are you joking or mad at me? If it's the later, I'd like to know why; if it's the former, I'd like you to join some multiplayer game so that we can beat each other to death.

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swaq
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Re: Hardest games ever

#34 Post by swaq »

I found this initial position to be quite difficult. No good planets anywhere close and only one adequate. Second adequate planet is well out of early supply line and surrounded by enemies. Important choke point system only has asteroid belt and gas giant and was pummeled by the biggest AI in the mid-game. It took me four serious attempts to win this game (in 401 turns) and I feel like part of the reason for my success was knowing what to expect. I'm sure one of you veterans will look at it and say it's easy though. :P
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Re: Hardest games ever

#35 Post by Oberlus »

Knowing what to expect is a great help when starting a new game. From your hints, I made sure to get ASAP to Xenological Genetics (i.e. unlock poor environments) and Exobots, and any surpluss RPs go to get to Quantum Computation (I'm scylior and the galaxy is relatively sparse, more than 20 systems per player, so I should not expect any serious attack on my starting are for at least 50 turns). Turn 40 I got Adaptive Automation and Xeno Gens, on turn 45 I got Exobots. By turn 60 I have more planets than anyone else. Turn 90 I have more research (by far) and more population and industry (but close) than the most powerful AI, and I've starting pumping out robo hulls with plasma guns, diamond armour and deflector shields. Next stop is Self-grav. hulls with some bombers. But my current military strength is rather low, maybe a 10% of the most powerful AI. Maybe I've been lucky.
swaq wrote: Sat Aug 31, 2019 12:53 pmSecond adequate planet is well out of early supply line and surrounded by enemies.
Enemies are almost as far from that system than your own homeworld. Plus you only need the first supply-boost tech to get there. I got it around turn 60 (instead of around turn 30) because I was wary of if getting attacked sooner than I could defend it, but eventually I got surpluss PPs before getting to the military techs I wanted for my first armed ships and took the chance. Only enemies attacking it has been rogue krakens.
Important choke point system only has asteroid belt and gas giant and was pummeled by the biggest AI in the mid-game.
I'm on turn 90 and no enemies got interest on that system. The system next to it with one GG and two planets (or was it one planet and one asteroid belt) has been colonised by Trith (pale blue) to pump out krakens from a nest on that GG. In turn 90 I've just conquered that system and the krakens' nest. Monsters and monster nest does not appear on the same spots even when you reuse the same RNG seed, so maybe I'm playing an easier game than you did (e.g. because the AIs got strong monsters in key positions that have delayed their expansion).

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swaq
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Re: Hardest games ever

#36 Post by swaq »

Thanks for trying it out! Sounds like you've got a good start on it. If the AI doesn't push you back before you get your military up you've probably got it won. Looking at my save from turn 100 I had not yet colonized Tycho α and the AI also had not shown much interest in it. But it became a huge standoff in the mid-game.

On turn 100 I was up to 93 production and 42 research (third place relative to AI) but had the most powerful military. I took Vhilinyar (second adequate) as early as possible (I think I used a colony ship so I could ignore supply lines) and then pumped out military to make sure I could hold it. By turn 100 one AI had colonized Goth β, Regis α, and Regis γ. And another AI was camping at Khama β. With the later stalemate at Tycho α that made for three fronts that split my defense forces. I did not have plasma cannons by this point but I did have diamond armor.

Interestingly in my game the AI never colonized Airy β (left from choke point with two planets and gas giant). I have no idea why, there were no monsters there or anything. Instead all the pressure came from Tycho γ (up and left). I had to use my military superiority to take systems and overtake the AI. Your strategy of securing production and research first may go smoother/faster.

In my first failed game I experimented with focusing on the energy hull line and ignored self-grav because all my previous games had used the robotic line. I found out too late that I needed a system with a blue star and the closest one was behind enemy lines.

My second failed game I tried too hard to colonize Vhilinyar before improving the supply line and was slow by all measures (production, research, military). The third failed game had a similar start and I abandonded it early.

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Oberlus
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Re: Hardest games ever

#37 Post by Oberlus »

My research queue was:
Artificial Brain
Algorithmic Elegance
Planetary Ecology
Nascent AI
Robotic thingy
Laser
Subterranean Han.
Simbiotic Biology
Xeno Gens plus prerequisites
Xentronium Armor
The first shields
Orbital thingy (+1 supply)
Nanotech thingy
Adaptive Automation
Exobot
Quantum Computation plus prereq.
Plasma Cannon
Shields 2
Diamond Platting

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Re: Hardest games ever

#38 Post by o01eg »

Oberlus wrote: Thu Aug 15, 2019 12:45 pm
EricF wrote: Thu Aug 15, 2019 11:52 amWhy is Oberlus still allowed to give advice?
Do you mean you tried some of my "hard" games and found them easy?

Also, are you joking or mad at me? If it's the later, I'd like to know why; if it's the former, I'd like you to join some multiplayer game so that we can beat each other to death.
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