How do I avoid getting ROFL-stomped by the AI.

[EnglishGigaChad1---8]

I only build three colonies, as that's the maximum limit, or else I have set up sectors. Unfortunately, this leads to me getting stomped out through science and military power. How do I get around this? Just create more colonies and sectors?

I prefer to play the conquest/exterminatus game and never been able to pull a single victory in a war.

[HugsAndSnuggles]

Originally posted by Like a Boss:

Just create more colonies and sectors

[jimbo]

Pretty much just more colonies and sectors.
Your fleet capacity is enhanced by having more spaceports (and levelling up those spaceports), among other things - so in order to have a fleet of a similar size, you have to be colonising constantly.
It's a bit annoying, especially if you want to build 'tall', but it's not terrible.

[Tewa]

You need to expand quickly. The game is all about the "land grab" at the start. Here are some tips for going fast.

You want to use almost all your minerals for colony ships. The only exception would be in #1, below:

1. Don't build anything on your planet at the start except a unity building.
2. Don't clear blocker tiles until you're done expanding.
3. You probably have a lab. Deactivate it and move the worker someplace useful, ideally a mineral tile if one is open on your homeworld. Otherwise an energy tile.
4. Take your 3 starting corvettes and split them up into 3 fleets of 1 corvette each. Send each out on a separate path looking for planets. Zig zag them around so they hit every system near them. All they have to do to look for planets is enter the system, then move to the next one.
5. Use your construction ship to explore the systems near your homeworld, also looking for planets. What else is it going to do? Don't build mining stations - you have a minerals shortage, remember? Mining stations won't pay for themselves for years.
6. Go Expansion for unity traditions. Get the one that reduces influence cost for colonization by half as your first, then go for the one that reduces tradition cost second. Cap out the Expansion tree last. Pick up Imperial Prerogative as your first ascendance perk. That (along with the Expansion bonus) gives you +7 core systems.
7. Build colony ships on cooldown. Run up an energy surplus, then run that surplus down when you have early colonies going. You should be able to have a nice energy buffer that goes up, and down. As long as it doesn't hit zero.
8. BLOCK YOUR NEIGHBORS. When you find somebody, look at what kind of homeworld they have. Are they Arctic? Is there an Arctic/Alpine/Tundra world near them? That's where they want to go. Take it first. Surround them with your colonies, if possible. Then they won't be going anywhere and you can pick them off later.
9. Prioritize big planets, even if the climate isn't ideal. You can terraform them later.

This is easiest as a Machine empire, since they can settle any planet equally. Play as Machine if you have Synthetic Dawn.

Otherwise, pick up the Extremely Adaptive trait for +20% habitability.

[Gromov]

How to avoid the ROFLSTOMP?

Uninstall Stellaris. Read books.

[JJ]

Originally posted by Gromov:

How to avoid the ROFLSTOMP?

Uninstall Stellaris. Read books.

That, and what helped me is to go into a random game and type "observe" (There are other commands you can use too). Watch and learn how the AI adapt and play, do what they do.

[Icemania]

Originally posted by Tewa:

You need to expand quickly. The game is all about the "land grab" at the start. Here are some tips for going fast.

You want to use almost all your minerals for colony ships. The only exception would be in #1, below:

1. Don't build anything on your planet at the start except a unity building.
2. Don't clear blocker tiles until you're done expanding.
3. You probably have a lab. Deactivate it and move the worker someplace useful, ideally a mineral tile if one is open on your homeworld. Otherwise an energy tile.
4. Take your 3 starting corvettes and split them up into 3 fleets of 1 corvette each. Send each out on a separate path looking for planets. Zig zag them around so they hit every system near them. All they have to do to look for planets is enter the system, then move to the next one.
5. Use your construction ship to explore the systems near your homeworld, also looking for planets. What else is it going to do? Don't build mining stations - you have a minerals shortage, remember? Mining stations won't pay for themselves for years.
6. Go Expansion for unity traditions. Get the one that reduces influence cost for colonization by half as your first, then go for the one that reduces tradition cost second. Cap out the Expansion tree last. Pick up Imperial Prerogative as your first ascendance perk. That (along with the Expansion bonus) gives you +7 core systems.
7. Build colony ships on cooldown. Run up an energy surplus, then run that surplus down when you have early colonies going. You should be able to have a nice energy buffer that goes up, and down. As long as it doesn't hit zero.
8. BLOCK YOUR NEIGHBORS. When you find somebody, look at what kind of homeworld they have. Are they Arctic? Is there an Arctic/Alpine/Tundra world near them? That's where they want to go. Take it first. Surround them with your colonies, if possible. Then they won't be going anywhere and you can pick them off later.
9. Prioritize big planets, even if the climate isn't ideal. You can terraform them later.

This is easiest as a Machine empire, since they can settle any planet equally. Play as Machine if you have Synthetic Dawn.

Otherwise, pick up the Extremely Adaptive trait for +20% habitability.

+1, some excellent advice there!

For the OP I would add, don't forget the diplomacy system, it could help you expand for longer before there is war. If you have a very aggressive neighbour, guaranteeing their independence can delay them from declaring war on you for ages (just be careful about not overdoing it due to the influence cost). If you have excess energy, trade for minerals using diplomacy, and use that to fuel your expansion. More sure you get some defense pacts going as soon as you can which will massively reduce the risk of AI declaring war on you, allowing even more time to expand. Make sure you sign-up to 30 year research agreements whenever you can, if the cost isn't too high. Guaranteeing independence also can help with improving relations and enabling access to research agreements.

If an AI declares war and you are weaker ... don't panic. The AI is very slow at invading. Avoid their superior fleet. When they invade and move out of a system, reinvade. When you realise you can almost always kite the AI this way, the worst case scenario becomes a white peace.

Otherwise, the only thing I do differently is build mining stations early, yes they take time to pay off, but it's about building the best empire long-term.