F***ing finally!!!

[Elok]

http://img88.imageshack.us/img88/2348/2011081000002.jpg

Had to abandon my first 2 game, then stopped playing for almost a month. I wasn't sure I would play the game again, but I guess I was able to finally beat it.

But I'm not only creating this thread to brag, I also would like some thought of experienced player about the way I played. Here's my map : http://img30.imageshack.us/img30/9678/2011081000001.jpg

I would like your opinion about the way I played the game. Basically, most world outside my "core" have been captured either because of Rebel Colony, to get Advanced science vessel or to create place to build scout/transport to explore the remaining sector.

[Orelius]

Well, first of all, we'd need more information about your game before we can comment on it, sorry.

From the little I can discern from the map, you seem to play a high-expansionist style of gameplay.  I wouldn't suggest ever taking that many planets unless starting with more than one planet, because of command station caps.

When I expand in my games, I often do not get more than 17-25 planets because of limits on the mark II and III command stations.  Any more than 17 or so planets will have diminishing returns (because your command stations will be subpar and have miniscule resource returns).

If you could give us more information such as the AI difficulty level, AI type, minor factions, and any other settings, it would certainly help in getting your more useful advice.

[Ozymandiaz]

Seems like you capture more planets then usual, but as long as it works

[Entrenched Homperson]

Cap em all! I generally a very large portion of the map. Just keep pushing back bottlenecks. I try to make it my policy not to lose battles, so bottleneck to bottleneck right until I'm in striking distance of the homeworld.

[FarAway Warrior]

That style of play depends, I think, on the difficulty levels you set for the AI.  With higher difficulty levels, you simply can't take that many planets most of them time--the AI will rise up and smite you.  You still have bottlenecks, but I'm not sure it's so common to have a "front" like that--I think it's more common to have pockets of systems in AI space that you use as stepping stones to get where you want to get.

I haven't been playing the game that long myself, but I definitely appreciate the utility of transports.  They're a great way to bypass dangerous but relatively valueless enemy systems to focus on what you need most.

[Nalgas]

Eh.  Totally depends on a lot of things, from difficulty to play style to map type to AI type to personal preference, and a lot of other things.  With my multiplayer group, we tend to just take little pockets or even single planets here and there where we need them, especially on maps that are more interconnected, but when I'm playing on my own on the maze maps with the Fallen Spire stuff enabled, sometimes I'll just say screw it and conquer two thirds of the galaxy if I can fortify things well enough at a couple chokepoints.