Epic game (120 planets, complex/realistic, AI 7)

[laxrulz777]

Playing my first AI 7 map. I started with Teleport Raiders at 120 planets (I prefer the big games). Map configuration is Complex-Realistic for maximum chaos

I quickly secured my back yard (a nice little resource rich dead end behind my starting area) and then began building up my defenses and scouting. Having played an AI6 120 planet map previously I know the importance of choosing a specific path and of research raiding (which is incredibly effective on the complex maps). I manage to locate one research lab that gets me Etherjets (which I find are a nice complement to my Teleport Raiders because they can quickly take out the turrets that the T-Raiders suck at).

Most fights are going similarly, Warp the main fleet in (group 1). Get them moving toward the nearest line of guard posts (after they wipe out the defenses at the wormhole). Once the defenses are down, I teleport in the T-Raiders (group 2). I warp them next to the guard posts around the map to draw out the defenses and then start cherry picking bombers and other things. The Etherjets (group 3) then warp in to help with turrets.

After another 5 planets or so, I've got the AI progress at about 210 (have only found one data core) but I've got three targets picked out. The juiciest is a IV that's going to be a deep raid target because it has 6 (yes 6!) data cores. That should knock the AI progress down by over half and make the middle part of the game much easier. I've also discovered the joy of Autocannon minipods (those things are frickin fast!).

I've also finally found an advanced factory so I'm pushing toward it as well. Resources are getting tight as fighting the AI lvl III systems is proving to be difficult (I think this is a result of the higher AI level and the lack of data cores that I've hit as compared to previous games).

More to follow...

[laxrulz777]

Built up a huge fleet to push for the Advanced Factory. Left the Warp gates up on the way there to keep my AI progress below 250 (at 230 currently).

With the advanced Factory, started building T-Raiders IV and Etherjets IV (for raiding the data center).

After about an hour of consolidation (I now have a nice long tough to defend string of worlds but it appears I'm against the AI opponent that doesn't send waves so that's not as big a deal). I start sending the Raiders and Etherjets towards the 6 Data Center system. In system I find a fortress an ion cannon and about a bazillion snipers. I start taking out roaming troops and send the Etherjets in for the Datacenters. It's a pretty brutal fight and I take out 4 data centers and several turret nodes before being decimated (the system was 3 hops into enemy territory so retreat just seemed silly).

While this is happening, my Scout IVs (Thanks for the advice Chris!) have found the enemy homeworlds.

Current status:
Flagship, Dreadnought, Raid Ships
Laser Turrets, Tractor Mk2, Missile, Basic Turret II, Engineer II
Etherjet III, T-Raider III, Bomber III, Scout III, Fighter II, Cruiser II, Autocannon II
Sitting on (I think) 7k knowledge. It'll probably go into Spider Turrets and reserve the rest for my next ship unlock (which looks like it's going to take a major push to get to.

I currently hold 10 planets, all with 4+ resources. My Starships are at their cap and waiting to push toward the next research station. My main fleet is on their way there. The AI Progress has been knocked back down to 140 (I finished off those warp gates) and I'm feeling a lot more comfortable (I have a stronger fleet AND the enemy attacks are weaker).