Tough Starts

[ladner]

So I guess besides the obvious answer of just restart, how do you deal with tough starts? Started next to two rogue AIs, mutants, and two bug factions. Also raiders for good measure, the raiders at least seemed happy to trade or want military training for credits, guess advantage of fist profile.

Everything else, absolutely brutal.

I forgot, also decided, I must hate myself had alien life forms, which spawned some sort of horrors. Even with a starting army instead of militia it's brutal.

There are two farmer factions, but with all of the baddies it just about impossible to expand, and of course lousy starting economy.

[ladner]

Forgot to add, is the AI hard coded to just dogpile on the player?

[eddieballgame]

Multiple settings/planet types can determine (combined with 'rng) how difficult the beginning game can be...or what you want it to be. Stay away from 'Mayhem Mode' if you want an easier game, for example. After playing for hundreds of hours, mostly in multiplayer, I find the 'tougher 'the start is in a single player game; the more fun/challenging/educational the game can/will be...for me. Not so much fun in 'mp', however.
Per the AI 'dogpiling' on a human player; I don't believe so in the majority of settings...have not seen it. I will say, the 'AI' has been vastly enhanced over the many updates throughout the years...kudos to Vic, for that.