How big is your galaxy and why do you play it?

[HsojVvad]

I have played my longest game so far in a 400 star galaxy. and I am finding it too big LOL. I don't see what the big deal about having 1000 or 1400 stars, I find 400 stars to much right now. I am thinking of starting a new game and stick with the 100 stars like I originally planned to. Not shure if I should try 100 or 250 but thinking, since I restart all the time, I have no idea why I have restartitice, I do this in all my games I buy. I guess when you learn new things, you want to restart and try something different.

So I am just wundering, how do you guys and girls, (are there any girls here? [X(]) is, what size galaxy you guys play in and why.

[ASHBERY76]

1000 stars 20 Empires with very slow research.I like the the long expansion,exploration phase with large empires that you do not meet until much later.The new patch will help with some issues that hurt large galaxy playing.

[Athalian]

Its not the size that matters, its how you use it [:D]

[HsojVvad]

ORIGINAL: Athalian

Its not the size that matters, its how you use it [:D]

LMFAO

[freeboy]

 current 1000. I enjoy tghe expansion and growth phases...
 

[Wade1000]

My galaxy is huge and I play with it to release its potential.
 
Don't try to say that you don't play with your galaxy for a similiar reason. Everyone plays with their galaxy for similiar reasons.

[fabio80mi]

250 stars is fine for me though too spammy.

I'd definetly play 100, however since the scale is always the same (it seems) distances on a 100 star galaxy are quite vast.
Problem with 250 on the other hand is the colonization spamming you get from the very start.. you have so many planets to colonize after a while u colonize everything. (15 years into the game= around 40-60 colonies starting with 1 and basic tech)

I cant really imagine how it is with 1000 stars

[Shark7]

1400...if you going to go big...go BIG!

I like the epic games for one reason they go on a long, long time. It's not about winning or losing, its about having fun. I don't even set victory conditions, I play the 1400 star galaxy in sandbox mode.

[Wade1000]

That's what she said.

[Barthheart]

ORIGINAL: Shark7

1400...if you going to go big...go BIG!

I like the epic games for one reason they go on a long, long time. It's not about winning or losing, its about having fun. I don't even set victory conditions, I play the 1400 star galaxy in sandbox mode.

Same here - Go Big or Go Home! 1400 sandbox.

[mightili]

100 stars first playthrough, I don't want to 'live' in my game. This will be enough for a few days of play for me. MAYBE second playthrough, but I kinda doubt it. I think by the time I reach the goal I'll be already bored as hell chasing my construction ships all over the 100 star systems...

[taltamir]

maximum size galaxy, no victory conditions.

[sarjen]

For learning the game i tend to play with a 100 star galaxy with 4 to 5 AI races. Thats the way i play SOTS and its a fun thing to learn a lot. And its not so easy to become a major power.

[Korvus77]

1000+ I prefer a bit of breathing room before being annoyed by other races. [:D]

[BigWolfChris]

I will try larger maps once more patches are out that make the opponent AI abit more efficient

[HsojVvad]

I was having fun on 400 stars, met 3 races destroyed 1 pirate, one pirate joined me and 2 or 3 pirates left. I was finding the game a bit boring, because now that I have met races I wanted to interact with them more, by sending ships to thier systems. Problem is I couldn't find them since I didn't know where they were. I loved expanding, but got tired of being in the red, all the time.

It didn't make any sence, being in the red, then I did what I could to get out of the red, then I be like + 12000 then all of a sudden be in the red again. This is with the 1.02 patch. So I thought maybe I am expanding to fast too many ships, so I thought I would start a new game, smaller so I can see what is going on an not worry about colonizing every planet I see. That can come later.

[Interesting]

I played the advanced tutorial game (dont know how many systems it had) and found it very short, after one day playing I already had explored 80% of the galaxy, and got a 2500K economy and 3000K credits and had finished research on 70% of the items. This didnt felt epic and long term enough. I like stuff that can last more than I can calculate properly even if its likelly that I will quit before finishing the game. Im one of those that like to "live" the game. I like sandbox games, regardless of genre.

When I played "Spore", I spent hundreds of hours in the same game, with the same civilization and didnt even got to see 10% of the milkway, but that game was shallow, made for 12 year old kids learning about the solar system.
In GalCiv IV, it always concerned me that the games would eventually end, besides the turn based system.


So, the galaxy I plan to start now that I think I know most of the game mechanics details and AI automation behaviors, custom designs for every ships, every automation on manual (because the AI is inferior more grievances than help, have a different "play style" than me and because leaving stuff with automation takes away my feeling of accomplishment and control) except explorers when there are no more Colonial planets to be taken and then only the explorers again.

I noticed in my first game (advanced tutorial) the research went way too fast. I HATE REACHING CAP TECH. Another thing is, even when I was the top dog on the universe with "The Way of the Ancients" government type and racial bonuses to research and a bunch of specialized research station on a BlackHole, I noticed one thing: the technological gap between me and the other civilizations wasnt very big, only really noticiable thing was "Construction" and "Habitat", one for the size of ships, the other for the types of colonies you can grab. And then, every other technology difference between me and the other factions was negligible. This made the whole research aspect of the game unappealing, besides the "upgrade" and "retrofit" one by one every 15 minutes problem.

So, for my next game, Im looking for the slowest research development.

Another thing that pisses me off a lot, is the AI considering my armed freighters, miners and passenger ships as "Military" and reducing my reputation with them everytime one of the private ships of my faction enters their territories! (God I hope they fix it, really, its not acceptable that freighters cant defend themselfs and at the same time being considered a treat, the player CANT EVEN CONTROL THEM!) This is so much of a pain that I decided to increase the hostility of the universe to the maximum, lots of Pirates/Aliens that once killed give me positive reputation (besides helping an ally in need, wich is rare and troublesome, this is the ONLY WAY to get a positive generic reputation bonus).

[HsojVvad]

I know what you mean about having fast reserach, I don't like it as well. I clicked on the lowest setting of research by accident. No wunder I coudln't research anything, it was soooo slow. . I might like it in a longer game, when I have a good grasp of this game. Right now I only have a small grasp, so I want to have regular research. I can see, I will like the 400 star and slow tech game, once I know how most things work here, like how Interesting likes his games too. But not right now.

[ASHBERY76]

ORIGINAL: Interesting
Another thing that pisses me off a lot, is the AI considering my armed freighters, miners and passenger ships as "Military" and reducing my reputation with them everytime one of the private ships of my faction enters their territories! (God I hope they fix it, really, its not acceptable that freighters cant defend themselfs and at the same time being considered a treat, the player CANT EVEN CONTROL THEM!) This is so much of a pain that I decided to increase the hostility of the universe to the maximum, lots of Pirates/Aliens that once killed give me positive reputation (besides helping an ally in need, wich is rare and troublesome, this is the ONLY WAY to get a positive generic reputation bonus).

The state is ment to protect the private ships from pirates and empires,it is part of the gameplay.

[JosEPhII]

3 400 star games and 1 700, all sandbox.

700 game is the most intense. And I finally have some MONEY to spend Where and When I want!

I think too many ppl are complaining about the Economy fix being too lenient. I totally Disagree right now. (I do reserve the right to change my mind with more play time.) I still have problems with early spending and getting stuck in the RED too often. Then it takes several years not months to get thing righted. This in turn causes me to lose ground in the race for Most colonies. And so far colony Rush is a Big Deal. Maybe it won't be after I have a month of play under my belt. But right now Colonies Are the Main ticket.

JosEPh [:)]