"Overall debt isn't a problem"

But it is because it effects my budget.

These guys are spending like politicians in front of an election. WTF? Yoo dawg, you got any of that special water for sale?

Suddenly out of the blue I get massive budget issues. Multiple zones in debt 1000-2000 credits every turn.

I dig in to try and figure out whats going on, and I am seeing things I don't understand. Why is my population spending so much on materials from traders when I have surpluses? Especially food ...

<t> I sometimes feel adding some logistical complexity to the game would make it more fun. Add a couple of extra fuel tanks to my ships and I can fly across the galaxy? More fuel consumption would make refueling/star bases more useful...as well as make strategic positioning more relevant.<br/>
<br ...

<t> Yes, building gas stations and giving military refueling to your allies is a good way to support your AI friends during war time.<br/>
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I also tend to build large long range scanner equipped bases in sectors that are mostly gas clouds, to keep an eye on pirates. Ill put one or two ...

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<QUOTE><s>[quote]</s>ORIGINAL: jpwrunyan<br/>
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Very few is still too many for me. Later they turn into obnoxious spam. Actually, the guy who said "just pay them" is also someone I agree with. I wouldnt mind paying them except that extorsion becomes yet more spam. If there was an option ...

As mentioned, they have their uses in the early game. End game on big maps they are just an annoyance. I end up gas mining every fuel-available gas giant I can find to keep them from respawning. Even on low, they respawn much too quickly.

<t> I spam escorts to deal with pirates. I make larger escorts and pretty much don't use frigates. I create large numbers of small fleets of 2-3 destroyers for system protection, raiding during wartime or pirate base busting. I build larger fleets of cruisers/carriers and capitol ships for war time ...

I despise pirates. They stupidly attack well guarded systems, sacrificing themselves just to get a few pop-shots off on a gas station. They also re-spawn much too quickly. If it weren't for the reputation bonus, they'd have no value whatsoever except to slow down your game.

They should not prevent sublight approaching...but its a bear to deal with.

Its happened to me as Ackdarian. Its hard to play certain races "evil."

Good stuff, keep up the good work.

<t> I generally concentrate all military ship building in my homeworld system.&nbsp; Its the most likely to have all the resources needed. Its the most likely to have troops my ships need to load, etc.&nbsp; I use smaller spaceports over colonies for refueling, repairs, and def bases, and eventually ...

<t> There are many bugs in the game with regards to this, and its not very well documented how its even supposed to work.&nbsp; Engage system targets sometimes will still take your fleets out of system, or they will wait until after troops have landed on your colony or after a pirate has blown up ...

<t> Yep.&nbsp; My early expansion is driven almost entirely by taking independents by force.&nbsp; Can't wait for a colony ship.&nbsp; Also, I don't waste them on second planets in a system until much later. I hadn't though much about considering the resources within the territory ring, that's a ...

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<QUOTE><s>[quote]</s>ORIGINAL: ASHBERY76<br/>
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There does not seem to be any motivation for the player to subjugate when you might as well annex the whole empire.Subjugate in my view is to dominate without the busy work having to mop up.In my view the player should get at least 35% of ...

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<QUOTE><s>[quote]</s>Great argument. It's you who exhibit 2-dimensional thinking.<br/>
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If a area weapon causes friendly fire and all other weapons in the entire game do not, then there's something wrong here. Why want it to realisticly cause friendly fire yet all other weapons ...

<t> I dont use any AoE weapons on any of my ships...too easy to blow my own stuff up or hit friendly aliens.&nbsp; What I do like to do however, is load up a single one-off ship design for raiding purposes with AoE weapons, and fly it to enemy space ports.&nbsp; BLAM BLAM, smash up all their ships ...

Taking homeworlds is hard, as it should be.&nbsp; Taking the Shakturi HW is even more fun.&nbsp; The last time I played, I decided to just blow it up instead.&nbsp; Shakturi dont make good slaves anyways.

<t> Yeah subjugation needs some work.&nbsp; Basically they give you 10%, and you can see what they see...but they continue to start and fight wars, continue to colonize (who the HELL gave you permission to Colonize that world on the other side of MY empire you subjugated chumps?) and do other things ...