Some Issues With Knowledge Gain

[PhortyTwo]

In smaller games (10-30) I'm noticing that it's actually considerably harder to gain knowledge than in larger games, considering the fact that you reach homeworlds much faster but in trying to keep the AI Progress down you've also denied yourself a ton of knowledge. Is there anything in-game I can do to prevent this?

[dlcooper]

That's one of the things that makes small maps considerably harder than large ones.

[KDR_11k]

I believe 10 is considered too small to be balanced properly. Not sure what the lower limit for sane matches is but I think it's 40.

[Diazo]

In my opinion, I can't read the developers minds unfortunately, 80 planets is the "design balance".

On a 10 planet map things go off track very fast from the developers intentions.

Yes, it is considerably harder to get knowledge and so on, but you reach the AI Homeworlds much faster so the forces the AI has built up are considerably smaller also.

It is a matter of opinion which map size is more difficult, but depending on game settings you can find a challenging game at any map size.

D.

[@B0FH]

I used to play 10 planet a lot, however since AS I've found I just can't play a game that small and win now - 15 seems to be the minimum for me to win (with my skill level). However since AS I also find more enjoyment in playing larger (comparatively) games (40+)

[keith.lamothe]

In my opinion, I can't read the developers minds unfortunately, 80 planets is the "design balance".

Yea, 80 is the default in our minds.  That said, anything as small as 50 should be ok, and even 40 isn't too bad.  Less than that and you could get into various problems if you tried to play it the same way you would an 80-planet map.

That's not to say we just leave 10-planet and 15-planet and so on out to dry: it's just a different balance, and generally rewards different strategic and tactical choices.  Not entirely unlike playing multi-HW (though in a different "direction"), where it'll never be the same balance as single-HW but lots of people enjoy playing it (in some cases, never playing single-HW).  Or in other words: variety

That's the Arcen way: Many varied ways to die.

[TechSY730]

That's the Arcen way: Many varied ways to die.

That should be Arcen's catchphrase, or at least yours. 

[keith.lamothe]

That's the Arcen way: Many varied ways to die.

That should be Arcen's catchphrase, or at least yours. 

It is.