Just curious if anyone has tried playing a game with the new DLC with research turned way down. I typically play with 60-65% player (100% AI) and I know others have played games with research as low as 25%. But it seems to me that several of the evolutions might make this problematic. -Cerixx can buy research with BC. -Palaceans can recruit space monsters. As it is, they can 'rush' another civlization early. This might make the rush strategy viable even longer. -Sulak have benefits specifically tied to frigates and destroyers. -Several evolution options give bonuses to SCP, which further changes the balance between culture advances and research.
I play at 25% research and 75% production. In addition I have 50% population growth and I use the Emperor setting, meaning no good worlds to colonize nearby. This has the effect of making the starting research advantage held by the AI far more significant, and to make sure it can't be overcome, I give them a 20% cheat as well to their own research/production rates. I did this before evolutions, and while I've only been playing sporadically I've done it with the Evolutions DLC as well. So how did it change things? Well, not much really. I win this game in Space. Yes my ships are inferior tech, and usually fewer than what the AI can field, but they are designed far better and I take advantage of ship leaders where the AI does not to the same degree. (My tactics are also better though the AI has improved in this area. operationally they are way behind what I can pull off). So the game for me is the same with just slightly more casualties suffered by my side than in the past. There are three things to keep in mind. Monsters are set to low, not to deprive the alliens, simply because at these science/production rates you can't handle them if you meet them early on. (Keep in mind it takes 14 turns for my first research product to complete, it's a very long time before a star base can be available). If the rate of Monster offspring spawn were controlled by a conditional statement reflecting research/production or how early you encounter them, I would go with a normal setting, but it seems it is not. If you meet an AI early, do whatever you have to do to keep the peace for as long as you can, accept tribute, whatever. Only once you can start designing and producing credible warships can you get belligerent. Also build warships as soon as you can, even if they are little better than the starting designs. The AI will respect numbers to a degree and this will offer you some safety. It's one thing if you meet them and all you have is your two starting Frigates, quite another if you have close to a dozen ships including a Cruiser or two. (This also offers an advantage in that once you have good designs, it's quicker to refit ships compared to building from scratch) That's the main strategy in dealing with those settings. But you can also help yourself by generating and hoarding cash early, it allows you to pick up the free cruiser from the militia event. (Also remember that any found ships will be useful a lot longer, even the crappiest ship you can find, will be a help). Edit I almost forgot, the star spread is set to uneven and X2, maximum. I do this as I find the starting range of ships far too liberal, I like to have to work at getting out there. As a result, meeting an ai will take a bit longer, but only marginally so.
I play with only 8% research and 50% production (AI gets 10%research and 75% prod). Yes Palaceans have a real advantage here but I still got a diplomatic victory 2 times (I usually play human). Though, I play with distance set to 1.75 on max sized map so most of the time I have at least battle pods and fusion blasters for my first combat ships before bad things start to happen. The monster offspring that blockades me early on is something I have learned to live with...
That's very interesting, I'll have to try something similar and see if I like it. May I ask, what are the rest of your settings and are you using the stock humans?
