Why this game is so difficult

[TENGU 12900k]

Maybe I am an idiot or The AI us super smart even in EASY mode.
Are there any cheat codes available for this game ?
And have they reduced the difficult with the new patch 1.0.25?

[Ratqueen]

I personally also find the game a bit too difficult for my taste on the easy difficulty. In my opinion, easy should be... easier. It would be nice if there were more options to customize the game settings to our liking. I haven't played the game for quite a while because I just get discouraged :\ (haven't tried 1.0.25 yet.)

To my knowledge, there are no cheat codes, and I really wish the developers would consider making some available for those of us who wish to use them.

[Sandwiches!!!]

You can just mod the game to whatever difficulty you like. Editing the rules is easy. If you want to know how I can show you.

[Sandwiches!!!]

Forgot to mension: turn off the pirates if you are having a hard time with this game. Damn pirates aren't balanced in this game. They tend to have huge fleets with high tech weapons for no good reason.

[Communist Squirrel]

You could try playing with fewer AI opponents in each game. Don't know about cheats, but modding is a possibility.

[bass400]

I have to agree with the difficulty issue. I've been playing ES for a couple of months now and love it ... or rather loved it. Something changed - it's simply too hard now.

Why should I have to drop the difficulty to the lowest setting, turn most (if not all) the victory conditions off, and switch off pirates, even to have a chance? Why is it possible for the AI to have massive fleets, and a heap of planets, in the same time that I have a fraction of both, on the 'easy' or 'newb' setting?

It's bizarre - and the style of play seems to have no effect on my chances (expansionist/militaristic/peaceful/trader ... nonw make any diffierence). I don't want to have to mod a game out of the box simply to play it, I simply like to win to occassional game!! If I want a challenge, I'll set the difficulty I want. Sorry if this is a bit ranty, but I'll be investing my time in other games.

[Prome]

I do think that playing against human players will be a LOT easier because you'll be playing against people who are at the same speed, however no one plays online, the best bet is to find people who do and start a server with them to have slight chance at winning. I too am finding it difficult to manage against the 'normal' AI, and refuse to turn the settings down.

[Sandwiches!!!]

If you aren't outpacing the AI like the hare to the turtle on the easiest difficulty, then you are doing something wrong. Be careful how you research and progress. Plan out your strategy in advance and designate a system (or 10) with a specific purpose. Use the dust (aka. gold) when you can, don't just let it sit in the bank. It's not gonna generate interest.

And don't forget to update your fleet once you've unlocked a new tier of weapons / defenses. Hire some heros too. This "why should I put in any effort" line of thought is BS. You should put in the effort because you paid for the game. You chose the game and you installed the game. If you want zero challenge then go play Freecell.

[Duke D'Wybourne]

Got to say I have to agree with the general thrust of the conversation here - I've tried several species so far (including one I designed myself) and out of nine different games, I've won one. All set on Easy I'm galled to say. The AI opponents do not behave in a way suggested by their racial descriptions - if the Pilgrims are apparently good guys, why do these little swines blocade my systems and declare war before the Cravers do? If the Automatons are isolationists, why do they always seem to expand like locusts? I've tried using diplomacy, expansion, and the only thing that seems to win against an AI is all-out genocidal war, and that drags on for dozens of turns.

What I wanted from this game is something where I stood a chance of winning through peace, or hitting my species's Singularity, what I did not want is a galatic facist simulator. I'm guessing it would be a very different story playing against humans (who make micromanagement errors unlike computers), but if this is the AI game, I will not be playing this game for much longer. Disappointed.

[Skyfallen]

I suggest setting your up your own race to your own play style. Or set the winning conditions to how you like to play. This is a strategy game, it make take you awhile to learn how to play better. I've only started playing recently and I am able to crush the AI's on normal and that is without altering the winning conditions or using cheats. I'm playing on playing against hard AI here soon and see how I do.

[stephangoodwin]

Not to generate hate, but I find this game pretty easy. I'm wondering what people are finding particularly difficult while playing, perhaps myself and others can offer pointers?

For those of you who want to play a game that isn't a massive war, note that the computer in this game tends to go to war if it feels it is being beaten by the human player. If you are too ahead in score, they AI opponents are likely to gang up on you. To play diplomatically, you'll have to manage fleet, technology and expansion to keep up with the computer, but not to outstrip it. Keep in mind that different AI opponents expand at different rates, so you may need to blockade the Cravers into a smaller part of the galaxy. Also, you can't negotiate with the Cravers, so be ready to crush them or just don't have them in your game.

If fighting fleet battles is a problem, remember to try and have a high income before going to war. You'll need to adapt your fleet to the opponents weapons and defense choices. On larger ships you can balance defense pretty well, but on smaller ones you'll have to specialize. Keep in mind that some ship designs are more suited for some roles than others. You can tell what that role is by looking in the tech tree or simply hovering the mouse over the ship type in design screen.

If pirates are a pest, remember they use beam and kinetic weapons and have no defenses. Good shields, deflectors, and defensive play cards are your friend.

[Prome]

For me tbh its the fact that the AI expand way too quickly, i was playing as the Sowers and before round 20 one race had managed to colonate roughly 10 systems and the other 2 had done the same, whereas i had 5 and was being ganged up on. (Amoeba, Pilgrim and the Horatio empires)

[Matthew]

Originalmente postado por FromTheJokerWithLove:

For me tbh its the fact that the AI expand way too quickly, i was playing as the Sowers and before round 20 one race had managed to colonate roughly 10 systems and the other 2 had done the same, whereas i had 5 and was being ganged up on. (Amoeba, Pilgrim and the Horatio empires)

Even on easy? Sounds like you are exaggerating. I haven't played since patch, so I could be wrong, but 10 systems before turn 20 seems a bit extreme.

However, that leads to what I was about to post: For those having difficulty, it is likely you are not expanding fast enough. This isn't a game where you get a good hold on your first system then maybe choose to expand. This is a game where you put all priority on expansion until all the systems are claimed. Then you worry about building your empire up.

It all depends on map size and number of opponents, but as long as you have a fairly balanced ratio, I find that 8 GOOD systems by turn 40-50 is ideal. Too many more than that, and unhappiness issues will be too difficult to deal with while maintaining fast growth and tech. Too few, and other empires will begin to greatly outpace you in FIDS.

By GOOD systems, I mean systems that have a large number of planets and preferably not too many lava/barren/gas or negative terrain modifiers. These are the systems that will end up as the backbone of your empire, producing FIDS in the thousands. The difference between having a few of these in your empire is game-breaking.

You cannot and will not be able to hold out with a few measly one-lava-planet systems. I'd go as far as saying to ignore these poor systems completely unless you are desperate.

[Prome]

Originalmente postado por matthewameluxen:

Originalmente postado por FromTheJokerWithLove:

For me tbh its the fact that the AI expand way too quickly, i was playing as the Sowers and before round 20 one race had managed to colonate roughly 10 systems and the other 2 had done the same, whereas i had 5 and was being ganged up on. (Amoeba, Pilgrim and the Horatio empires)

Even on easy? Sounds like you are exaggerating. I haven't played since patch, so I could be wrong, but 10 systems before turn 20 seems a bit extreme.

However, that leads to what I was about to post: For those having difficulty, it is likely you are not expanding fast enough. This isn't a game where you get a good hold on your first system then maybe choose to expand. This is a game where you put all priority on expansion until all the systems are claimed. Then you worry about building your empire up.

It all depends on map size and number of opponents, but as long as you have a fairly balanced ratio, I find that 8 GOOD systems by turn 40-50 is ideal. Too many more than that, and unhappiness issues will be too difficult to deal with while maintaining fast growth and tech. Too few, and other empires will begin to greatly outpace you in FIDS.

By GOOD systems, I mean systems that have a large number of planets and preferably not too many lava/barren/gas or negative terrain modifiers. These are the systems that will end up as the backbone of your empire, producing FIDS in the thousands. The difference between having a few of these in your empire is game-breaking.

You cannot and will not be able to hold out with a few measly one-lava-planet systems. I'd go as far as saying to ignore these poor systems completely unless you are desperate.

Not on easy, i was playing on normal, i guess im being stubborn in that department but i just simply refuse to change difficulty, and your post definitely does help, i did try what you said in that playthrough (or something to that affect) but as i tried to expand, the AI had already researched the wormhole trait and were boxing me into the 6-8 system constellation i had spawned in.

[TENGU 12900k]

I am playing this game in easiest settings possible which is newb, after like 40-80 turns AI comes out with enless FLEETS and start to invade all of my systems. Maybe I am not expanding fast enough early on. To me it seems like AI has tactically upper hand no matter what you do.

[spicyjazz]

FromTheJoker is right it's all about expansion at the start. To add on, one of the ways I started having a fighting chance is being smart at initial colonizing. Picked the farthest best candidate of a system/strategic placement, if done right can prohibit other civilizations from colonizing closer to you and "boxing in".

Also to note, since it's one of your first colonies, by getting the "influence" around the system later on solidifies your placement in the area helping in blocking any other civ that you've gained peace with from entering. Giving you time to colonize the systems from your initial colony back to your home system.

If lucky colonize close to another civ to the point where it weakens their position and they become an easy target for expansion once you've colonized the systems closer to you. Keep in mind they of course won't like that so be ready to juggle between keeping battle ready fleets and expansion.

So a "Two step forward, one step back" expansion seems to do the trick for me at least in providing a good position. Keep in mind this is done on Easy mode..trying to get a good grasp before going for Normal. Let you all know how that goes..