Approval rating on planets

[WollieG]

I have played loads and loads and loads of space strategy games since the 80s and this game frustrates the living crap out of me. I cannot recommend this game at all and have always had issues with Galactic Civilizations series.
Does not matter what i do, the approval rating drops on the planets so fast and i keep getting rebellion and lose planets.
I have never had this problem on any other game.
i do not know if this is intended or bug but this just made me rage quit and will uninstall and never play any GC game again.
I am pulling my hair out and have no idea how to stop the approval dropping and it takes forever to research buildings to try and push up appoval.
Anyway done with this game and cannot recommend this game.

[Vrais Tuvokian]

Never had this problem, except maybe when I conquer enemy planets deep into their field of influence.

There are few things to keep in check - population level compared to planets capacity, usually controllable with building city or two in proper spot.

Market center and entertainment network in proper spot as well.

Eventually starbase that will help your influence on critical spots (borderlines with other empires).

[Airmaster]

You might also consider selecting a government with no colony limit. Colonies that are at their pop caps should be colonizing other planets. Lower populations under the pop caps keep your keep approval ratings high.

[pete]

Lower your taxes - build financial improvements
Build things like stadiums and entertainment improvements.
Remember to include in your 'I don't recommend' review the fact that it is because you can't play it well rather that it being the ridiculous bug you suggest

[Airmaster]

Instead of rage quitting, why don't you ask for help from the more experienced players here?

Some of have already given you good game play advice. Its not a bug, its your lack of experience and inability to ask for help how to sustain approval on your colonies. Galactic Civilizations III isn't your run of the mill strategy game. Your going to get your butt handed to you several times before you fully understand how to play it. The learning curve is quite a bit more involved that other 4X strategy games and take some time to learn. I've been playing this game for 7 years and still get my butt handed to me every now and then.

Don't be afraid to ask questions.

[WollieG]

Originally posted by Airmaster:

Instead of rage quitting, why don't you ask for help from the more experienced players here?

Some of have already given you good game play advice. Its not a bug, its your lack of experience and inability to ask for help how to sustain approval on your colonies. Galactic Civilizations III isn't your run of the mill strategy game. Your going to get your butt handed to you several times before you fully understand how to play it. The learning curve is quite a bit more involved that other 4X strategy game and take some time to learn. I've been playing this game for 7 years and still get my butt handed to me every now and then.

Don't be afraid to ask questions.

I have stopped asking questions because of the toxic people on Steam, like the Pete person above and how he responses.
So now i just say what i want and feel and do not ask any help anymore because of this.
I was amazed that i got my first 2 people responding were actually trying to help or say something positive and then came Pete.

Anyway thanks for the first 2 people that replied.
I tried playing a bit more and then the AI hit me with wave after wave will loads of ships, so AI is clearly cheating even on Normal and its so obvious, one planet versus my 3 planets and still pump out loads of ships.
Nope this game cheating and not good at all.
My first time playing GCIII and will NOT be buying no 4.

[pete]

Originally posted by WollieG:

Originally posted by Airmaster:

Instead of rage quitting, why don't you ask for help from the more experienced players here?

Some of have already given you good game play advice. Its not a bug, its your lack of experience and inability to ask for help how to sustain approval on your colonies. Galactic Civilizations III isn't your run of the mill strategy game. Your going to get your butt handed to you several times before you fully understand how to play it. The learning curve is quite a bit more involved that other 4X strategy game and take some time to learn. I've been playing this game for 7 years and still get my butt handed to me every now and then.

Don't be afraid to ask questions.

I have stopped asking questions because of the toxic people on Steam, like the Pete person above and how he responses.
So now i just say what i want and feel and do not ask any help anymore because of this.
I was amazed that i got my first 2 people responding were actually trying to help or say something positive and then came Pete.

Anyway thanks for the first 2 people that replied.
I tried playing a bit more and then the AI hit me with wave after wave will loads of ships, so AI is clearly cheating even on Normal and its so obvious, one planet versus my 3 planets and still pump out loads of ships.
Nope this game cheating and not good at all.
My first time playing GCIII and will NOT be buying no 4.

Post silly things like 'oh there is a bug in the game that only stops me from winning' - and what do you expect? Toxic - really?? Some players don't like the truth

[pete]

Besides - I don't tolerate tantrums in my 8 year old - and a rage quit and rage post - that's a tantrum - but its worse - it by an adult - an by the way - I gave you two suggestions on how to combat your problem - but probably for the best that you aren't playing any more - so you can lower your stress levels - it is only a game and is made for entertainment

[jonnin]

Approval is difficult to manage at first.
high population and low entertainment will make it fall, as will taxes, as will too big for your government if you have that DLC, and events as well.
Do not build extra city until your approval is very high, or it will tank on that planet!
early game, pull colony ship loads off grouchy planets and it will improve for a while until they grow back.
robotic race ignores approval entirely, and aquatic has a couple nice buildings that increase it. You can also take a perk in your faction designer to increase it globally for your guys, and that is a HUGE help.

as for being swarmed, the AI prefers many ships to good ships early game. On good medium hull self healing and nothing but guns/self heal/maybe an armor will flatten a stack of 10+ of their tiny pest ships. This is a hint on what to study first... (get R&D buildings, then healing medium hulls and weaponry!).

Custom races are a big help when learning the game to crutch out the stuff that you struggle with until you get better at everything -- ask if you need some help doing that. There are a small # of perks that are overwhelmingly good and can catch you up to the AI while you learn*. This game IS hard. That is part of its appeal, the AI does not cheat much on normal (trade ships have full map vis, for one small cheat) but it does spend all its cash rushing and it does make a lot of military. This game is far more militaristic than some other civ style games. Being able to beat it on normal is actually an accomplishment that means you are starting to get the basics down, and that can take losing 10+ games before it starts to come together.

*xenophobic: much faster research
* scavenger, DLC, much more resources
* vigilant, fast access to healing hulls AND massive hit point ships AND better starbases
*certain, rapid R&D caused by ideology
* time travel, start knowing several key techs that you can use rather early if you beef up your ship production facilities, which you can also do in the faction designer.

in the upper section: clever, content*, fertile*, militant, fast are all potent as well.
* not needed for robot race.
the races: synthetic (overpowered, but takes skill to use), aquatic (very strong all around), carbon (average/weakish), silicon (weak).
a synthetic OP race:
clever 2, content -2, fertile -2, dense +2, militant +2, traders -2*, farmers -2, courageous -2*, tough 2, accurate 2, agile 2, resilient 2, fast 2 and round it out with your own ideas to zero sum the points.
xenophobic (fast baby making), scavenger (mats for baby making)
* courageous because you defend with ships, traders because I don't bother with that.

-you can set tax to 100% and exceed government limits. You are not TOTALLY immune to morale, but you get a giant bonus to it and can exploit a lot before it kicks in. This faction has higher population than others without cities, happy population, more perk points than others (because the negatives have zero effect!), much faster R&D. I would take the 3 free constructors from neutral ideology asap and get the key resources for making population, and kick scavenger up asap as well. Then build like normal. You have time to branch a bit in your early R&D due to xeno.

[WollieG]

Originally posted by jonnin:

Approval is difficult to manage at first.
high population and low entertainment will make it fall, as will taxes, as will too big for your government if you have that DLC, and events as well.
Do not build extra city until your approval is very high, or it will tank on that planet!
early game, pull colony ship loads off grouchy planets and it will improve for a while until they grow back.
robotic race ignores approval entirely, and aquatic has a couple nice buildings that increase it. You can also take a perk in your faction designer to increase it globally for your guys, and that is a HUGE help.

as for being swarmed, the AI prefers many ships to good ships early game. On good medium hull self healing and nothing but guns/self heal/maybe an armor will flatten a stack of 10+ of their tiny pest ships. This is a hint on what to study first... (get R&D buildings, then healing medium hulls and weaponry!).

Custom races are a big help when learning the game to crutch out the stuff that you struggle with until you get better at everything. This game IS hard. That is part of its appeal, the AI does not cheat much on normal (trade ships have full map vis, for one small cheat) but it does spend all its cash rushing and it does make a lot of military. This game is far more militaristic than some other civ style games. Being able to beat it on normal is actually an accomplishment that means you are starting to get the basics down, and that can take losing 10+ games before it starts to come together.

Thank you for the reply, info and suggestions. I will see if i get a chance test this, i do not get much time to play.

On a side note, i cannot wait for Distant Worlds 2

Some of my best favourites are:

Stardrive 1 and 2 (apart from all the bugs), love the ship designing and combat, RTS
Sword of the Stars 1 and 2 (again pity no 2 had so many game breaking bugs and they never fixed this), i love the combat.
Master of Orion 1 and 2. Not so much the 3rd and also not the latest one.
Imperium Galactica 2 (not so much 1)
Reunion (very old game, wish they could remake this but keep the game mostly the same)
Endless Space 1 and 2
Homeworld games but not the last one.
Polaris

[jonnin]

be sure to check that you read all the above. I was editing it in and out of the game and back and forth to get the details in. Esp the crutch/OP robot example ... use that to crush the AI and once that is boring, drop back to a more normal and fair aquatic.

[Airmaster]

Originally posted by WollieG:

Originally posted by Airmaster:

Instead of rage quitting, why don't you ask for help from the more experienced players here?

Some of have already given you good game play advice. Its not a bug, its your lack of experience and inability to ask for help how to sustain approval on your colonies. Galactic Civilizations III isn't your run of the mill strategy game. Your going to get your butt handed to you several times before you fully understand how to play it. The learning curve is quite a bit more involved that other 4X strategy game and take some time to learn. I've been playing this game for 7 years and still get my butt handed to me every now and then.

Don't be afraid to ask questions.

I have stopped asking questions because of the toxic people on Steam, like the Pete person above and how he responses.
So now i just say what i want and feel and do not ask any help anymore because of this.
I was amazed that i got my first 2 people responding were actually trying to help or say something positive and then came Pete.

Anyway thanks for the first 2 people that replied.
I tried playing a bit more and then the AI hit me with wave after wave will loads of ships, so AI is clearly cheating even on Normal and its so obvious, one planet versus my 3 planets and still pump out loads of ships.
Nope this game cheating and not good at all.

My first time playing GCIII and will NOT be buying no 4.

Dude we all go through this as new players but you need to have a thicker skin and not let it get to you. Pete is actually a great guy once you get to know him but he does have a point.

Your not trying to learn how to play by asking questions of how this and that works. Your frustrated and mad because you haven't mastered how to play this game quickly and you think it's bug but it actually your lack of experience with playing this version of Galactic Civilizations. It's not the kind of game you can win quickly. You need to develop you own strategy, learn the different mechanics and how to use them to your advantage.

Jonin is one of most knowledgeable players here and can give you great advice. He is very good on how the mechanics work. There are also player made game play videos to watch here and on you tube that are very helpful.

Don't get mad because your not winning right away. THIS game is designed to hand you your butt until you learn how sustain your colonies, counter your AI opponents and dominant them. That takes time and many games to learn. It's a thinking mans game.

Don't get mad. Don't rage quit. Ask questions ask for help. This is how you get a better understanding of how to play and eventually win.