What is with influence?

[Lion Llew]

I just unlocked the alien affairs tech and because I was bordering the salesleins they started taking over my sector. I realised that I am still, after expanding so many sectors out, getting the base amount of influence from my home planet only! This feels terrible when I was expecting to be getting a decent amount extra by this point for taking over so many new sectors, but it seems that you need 18 sectors to get one extra influence?!

Immediately my neighbours take my sector, peacefully of course *ahem* and I can't send a team to stop them in time, it happens so fast. My own retaliation team with my only diplomat barely even dents their influence. I feel defeated already.

I realise that, until I do the research, the aliens are incapable of this intrusion (i think?) and thus I simply need to avoid completing this research until I have pushed out as far as my empire can go without it. This would feel both broken and a blessing at the same time, giving me time to get my armies recruited and trained up, and stockpiles of materials ready before making first contact.

[galadon3]

The real source of more influence are smaller alien races, claiming a world that has aliens increases you influence growth by +2.
Also not sure how you expected more, when the tooltip very explicity tells you how many sectors you still need to take to get more influence.

[Lion Llew]

Originally posted by galadon3:

Also not sure how you expected more, when the tooltip very explicity tells you how many sectors you still need to take to get more influence.

I didn't read the tooltip until I started getting taken over by the neighbours. until then I was just claiming territory as I was able.

[Fire Dragon Forever]

Solved, another case of ''I didn't took the time to read what the Dev put in the game to help me''

[Meligant]

Originally posted by Lion Llew:

Originally posted by galadon3:

Also not sure how you expected more, when the tooltip very explicity tells you how many sectors you still need to take to get more influence.

I didn't read the tooltip until I started getting taken over by the neighbours. until then I was just claiming territory as I was able.

My first 2 games were a learning opportunity. First was overspending and not writing enough patents (even 1 unit papers for 3-4k add up) and second was over hiring. During the second I learned more about influence and how I needed to generate (or trade for it) to capture sectors and cut other races off where possible (even friends).

By mid-game, money is almost meaningless as you'll be more interested in Ore/ingots to make gear and influence to capture tiles. Not having enough flak jackets for soldiers and defense/invasion teams when hostilities break out will also be painful.