<t> I played as the Human Union, using the settings for the Flaviusx challenge:<br/>
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500 turns, 24 factions (default factions), 250x250 map, play as humans<br/>
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INITIAL STRATEGY:<br/>
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On a large map such as 250x250, it is important to recognize the major threats: Hoon Yon ...

<t> By turn 292, I had taken five more Walden planets, increasing my colony count to 30.&nbsp; On turn 293, I started seeing more rioting messages.&nbsp; I checked the popularity value for one of the rioting planets...<br/>
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AAAAAAAAAARGGGGH!!!!! Bureaucracy does hit -4!!!!&nbsp; <br/>
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<r>
<QUOTE><s>[quote]</s>ORIGINAL: Flaviusx<br/>
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If you can win with the humans on this map, my hat's off to you. This is hard mode Armada.<br/>
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As you can see, it's the buro races that are going to be the problem. As I've said elsewhere, I believe that the Walden are hands down ...

<t> I'm on turn 217, and I've crushed the Fork.&nbsp; I am trying to attack the Walden, but I'm having trouble getting into contact with them, and it may take hundreds of turns for me to catch up even if I destroy all of their planets.&nbsp; They already have 1.23 million points, and I only have 530 ...

<t> I'm attempting FlaviusX's challenge (250 x 250, 24 players, 500 turns, play as Human Union) to me as detailed in the 'AAR: Humans' thread in the After Action Report subforum.<br/>
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My strategy in succeeding with the challenge depends largely on successful diplomacy with AI empires ...

<t> Oh, I think I could have.&nbsp; All I'd have to do is sell or give away enough colonies to have decent cash flow, then blast the heck out of them with fleets.&nbsp; [:D] <br/>
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And in a future game, I would definitely be more careful about which planets I would colonize, and I would sell ...

<t> One other thing I noticed: the description of the PGTC says that they have ancient artifacts for trading, but I couldn't figure out how to access them. I didn't see them in the diplomacy screen, and I didn't see them when clicking on trade stations (neither mine nor my rivals' stations).<br ...

<r> <br/>
THIS WAS A BLOWOUT. I mean, it wasn't even close. Either the Pan Galactic Trade Corp may need some nerfing in the next patch, or I was really lucky to find the two good planets. I won the 200-turn game in less than 90 minutes with 2,014,000 points, and the 2nd-place race, The Hoon Yon ...

<t> <br/>
I played as the Human Union on the default settings for a random map. I had played several practice games, but this was the second game I played to completion, and the first one I won.<br/>
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I won on turn 200 with 502,870 points. 436,900 points were from Population Happiness. 65 ...