AI cheating to Colonize?

[BoogieMan]

I've been enjoying this game so far, however, I was curious how the AI seemed to expand so rapidly. So I decided to monitor it. Very early on into the game with minimum tech and starting status (less than an hour) the AIs have many colonies. They fully colonize their home system, including worlds they do NOT have the technology to colonize. I used the editor to check their technology and it shows them having the basic colonizer. So how are they grabbing up all the volcanic, ice world and all that?

I don't really see the point of them being able to do this. Even when I try to start the game as far back as I can, it jumps forward very quickly because of this.

EDIT: I restarted a new game and let it run full speed for awhile, and it's not happening this time. I don't know if they got a curious number of independent colonies or what, as only two of six AI empires appeared to be doing this upon closer inspection.

[Wade1000]

Without cheating, they must have aquired the appropriate race to colonize the harsh worlds(volcanic, ice, water). Desert and swamy marsh can be colonized by anyone once the appropriate technology is researched and used.
 
Check their worlds and see what races are there.

[forsaken1111]

Indeed, some races can naturally colonize harsher worlds from the beginning.

[Wade1000]

I like it how it is. There are 3 other planet types(Ice, Ocean, Volcanic) that some races can colonize from start but the other races can never colonize, unless they have and use those races. Other planet types and objects(Asteroids, Barren Rock, Frozen Gas Giant, Gas Clouds, Gas Giant) can't ever be colonized by anyone but can be mined.

I think of it as, Continent planets have all environments thus it is the standard for most races. Marshy Swamp and Desert are extreme versions that need more technology to colonize.

According to the manual the planet types have percentage bonuses for maximum population. I'm not sure if this is applied to a race native to the three special planet types(Ice, Ocean, Volcanic).

Continent: 100%
Marshy Swamp: "...almost as high as continental planets." (70% ?)
Desert: 40%
-----
Ocean: 20%
Ice: 15%
Volcanic: 8%
-----
Asteroids: NA
Barren Rock: NA
Frozen Gas Giant: NA
Gas Clouds: NA
Gas Giant: NA

Though, I do hope an update adds the ability to research further high terraforming technology to allow colonization of water, ice, volcanic, barren and gas giant by all races.

http://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=2420461&mpage=1&key=volcanic?

[Fishman]

I have not seen any evidence to suggest the AI cheats at colonizing. In fact, he's quite bad at it, and tends to do so in a way that makes you want to kill him more, since he keeps colonizing YOUR systems even when he is on the other end of the galaxy. At this point if I so much as SEE a colony ship, near my space, I declare war and open fire immediately.

[JonathanStrange]

At this point if I so much as SEE a colony ship, near my space, I declare war and open fire immediately.

Why not wait and let him colonize a planet first and then attack and take the colony? You could always send them a thank you card later.

[Wade1000]

As I've read, a far away empire that colonizes in your established systems will almost surely loose his new colony to your empire via a culture flip; and vise versa, you will lose yours if you do the same.

[Fishman]

ORIGINAL: JonathanStrange

Why not wait and let him colonize a planet first and then attack and take the colony? You could always send them a thank you card later.

You have any idea what a pain in the ass it is to invade a colony? So much more work than rightclicking on the colony ship and watching it go boom.

[JonathanStrange]

Fair enough; I was thinking more of the difficulty of an enemy actually sustaining a grip on a colony when an established rival is nearby. As Wade1000 points out - and what I was thinking too after I posted - it's risky to colonize in such a fashion.

But if experts say it's better to destroy a colony ship in your solar system than take over a colony via invasion or culture flip, I'll move on.