What's a good build order to start with strong planets and economy?

It would probably be nice to create your own, I never created my own but, I usually build all the Galactic Wonders and dont build anything with too much maintanence cost and build all the economic stuff.

Takes a bit of experimentation

Hrm. So what builds/techs are the smartest to get first?

The best tactic seems to be to set military spending at 100% and total spending at 100%. Couple this with tax rate as high as you can get it while still maintaining 100% morale.

My initial build order is...
1. Comm. Theory
2. Univ. Trans.
3. Diplomacy
4. Trade
5. Ind. Theory
6. Med. Theory
7. Basic Env. Control
8. Propul. Theory
9. Cold Fusion
10. Weap. Theory

From there on, I go only for the quickest yellow tech's until I get to Zero-G Research (green), Phasers(red), or Interstellar refining (Brown/Orange/Tan?).

At the top of the tech tree you will see a header with arrows on either side. I keep mine set at "months left" (or something like that). Basically I go for the quickest yellow tech I can after the list I gave above...but I do make exceptions depending on what I can trade for etc.

List of tech's that are "powerful" when used as bribes with AI. (If you give these tech by themselves you will usually see the AI improve relations with you.)

1. Nano-Frequency Electronics
2. Instant Communications
3. Alliances
4. Advanced Trade
5. Cultural Trade
6. Trade Organizations
7. Conglomerates
8. Extravaganza
9. Any ship tech...(Corvette, Battleship, Dreadnaught, Ranger...)
10. Morale improving or PQ improving (if you're running Mod's) green techs...(Virus Elimination, Molecular Medicine)

Using this tech order, my build order is Earth to build a colony ship every couple of turns (if at 100% Military & Total Spending and tax rate I high as I can push it). As soon as I have built all my colony ships...never rush buy them...I switch my spending to 40% military, 20% social, and 40% research.

Military build order for all planets EXCEPT for Earth is Constructors until I've researched trade. Once I've researched trade...switch to freighters on all planets except for the ones you want to build constructors to grab a resource or expand to contact another race.

My Social build order is Ent. Network, Banking center, Soil Enhancement, Man. Center, Hab. Improv., Fusion Pow. Plant, Research Center, Multi-Media Center, then either build wonders/Trade goods or Morale improvements as needed. (I do not use this social build order for Earth though. I'll usually sneak in economic capital just before research center, and will usually build fusion Power plant as soon as I get it).

The biggest trick is to manage your spending sliders during the early part of the game. I keep spending at 100% until I get below 200BC then I drop it down to between 50% - 60% (whatever % at which I am making 2 - 4 BC/turn). In addition, I will alter the Military/Social/Research sliders. As I mentioned above, I alter them when I have built my last colony ship (any new colonies started before my last colony ship is built are set to build Constructors and Ent. Networks). I also alter them when my last freighter is built (I build 7). After all freighters are built, I switch to 10% Military, 30% Social, and 60% Research. (If I do not need anymore freighters or constructors, I set military to 0%, Social to 34%, Research to 66%.) The tough part is to "hover" around 200 - 300 BC. I will usually check my spending rates every couple of turns after the last setting (10%, 30%, 60%). As trade routes become established your income will go up. You want to lower your tax rate gradually (a few percentage points, whatever you can afford to do every few turns to keep total income positive by 5+ or so) until you lower it to 30%. Once I get to 30% tax I will start raising overall spending (again gradually keeping a little buffer for things that I'm building) until I get to 100% spending and 30% morale. Occasionally I have a tough game that requires that I go down to 25% or 20% tax rate. As I said, managing the spending sliders is the tricky thing in the early part of the game.

BTW, this is a ZERO warship alliance victory at January 2190 strategy. It requires bribing the AI to "Close" then allying with them in January of 2190 all on the same turn. That having been said...I have also used this same strategy (even with the handicap of the Research INC. party) to win Military victories by 2205.

Good luck and happy hunting!!!


(Emoticon used {I hope} with the approval of the MiB)
[Message Edited]

Are you rushbuying them?

Most maso players are now pretty much like Chipperoo (and yes, permission granted for the emoticon!) Allow me to add my older strategy - you could bail out at any time to get the alliance victory as suggested. This was conceived for a maso cultural victory and applies equally to Chip's strategy.

I play on ABUNDANT maps. Yep, abundant. Most maso guides call for rare, but I think you need the resources yourself, and you wont be warring with anyone - you'll win as long as you stay out of trouble. Tight clusters allow the dropping of culture bombs in planetless sectors BETWEEN civs - allowing you to take them over without upsetting anyone!

I choose Populists Dip +20/Morale +20 and spend my ten points on straight Dip +60, Influence +30. I start with the usual colony rush at 100% spend and 50% tax but often end up only colonising my home sector. I find 4-5 planets enough to form a manufacturing base; I do cntl-N enough to get a yellow star in my home sector in addition to Earth - usually doesn't take too long. Thus, I only end up building 4-5 colony ships and when the 'rush' is over I switch to 100% research. Thus, I don't bother save/loading to find out where the yellow stars are - it's easy enough just to play this way.

The task now is to build a manufacturing platform. I research the following:

Comm theory
Univ Trans
Diplomacy
Trade
Med Theory
Propulsion Theory
Cold Fusion
Industrial Theory
Interstellar Refining
Nano-Metal Composition

By this point, I've sent out my Hero and found all the other civs - time to trade techs where possible.

I then switch to 100% social and build the following:

Soil Enhancement
Habitat Impr
Manufacturing Centre
Fusion PP
Banking Centre
Research Lab
Entertainment Network

...on EVERY planet. On my highest PQ planet, I build Manufacturing Capital after Fusion PP and when the Man Capital is finished, I switch that planet to building Diplo Translators. I manage to build this myself at least two-thirds of the time. You are way behind in tech at this stage so when you have Diplo Trans (either this way or trading tech for it) stop and think a bit.

I throw myself back into 100% research in this way:

Research: Interstellar Business - Interstellar Marketing then stop, switch to 100% social and build the Restr of Eternity (+15% Influence).

Then 100% research: Interstellar Capitalism - Xeno Propaganda, stop and 100% social build the Propaganda Machine (+20% Influence).

Those four techs (and two wonders) alone can win a game by adding 35% to influence. The AIs tend NOT to research these, so now AFTER you've built the wonders you can trade them off for others you want/need. It is likely you will get one, if not both - the AIs tend to go for the Restr, leaving the Prop Machine for you - which is better, it's worth more.

While you're doing this, flip back into the relations screen to grease the palms of those slippery aliens on a regular basis by trading techs and also by accepting INFLUENCE points yourself as payment. Trust me, try trading techs sometimes JUST for IP payment - the relation screen seems to become easier. At times, you will need to accede to requests for money/free techs to stay out of war. YOU MUST STAY OUT OF WAR. I have never been able to bribe a civ OUT of war against me at maso level no matter WHAT I offered. Give them whatever it takes to keep your nose clean - you'll get it back from them, with interest.

If you're trading for techs, look ahead to try and trade for those that give you the influence and diplomacy boots you need, or failing that look to boost your production, population and morale. High populations drive your economy and high morale boosts your population. I'll often add - Harmony Generator, Anti-matter PP, stock market, economic exchange, stadium, and perhaps eventually galactic research centre to the general build queue; other planets build these things while my primary producer builds wonders and trade goods. I'll occasionally have a little catch up social build phase during the mid game. All through the game I'm monitoring morale, spending etc as any player would.

Your next task is the 100% research drive to Cultural Maximising. You can trade this off for other techs/influence to then focus on this sequence:

Zero Grav Research
Brain Wave Mapping
Nano-Electronics
Nano-Freq Electronics
Terra - Hyper - Omni Computers
Interspecies Philosophy

You will probably be able to trade for at least the first four of those with the techs you've already researched. You may need to hunker down and research the others personally - they lead you to the next research signpost: Cultural Conquest.

This is the point at which you have the win in clear sight. You can immediately switch to 100% social build and get the Hyper-Distribution Centre (+33% to Influence) and it is surprising how often you can be the first to reach this point, even when the AIs have Avatar technology - they just aren't interested in this stuff. I am rarely able to get Galactic Exhibition or Monument, as they DO seem to chase those ones early, and Historical Preserve requires a LOT of techs and I am usually too far behind in tech at to get there first at that stage.

You can embellish this as much as you wish; after Cultural Conquest try resarching or trading for:

Organic Piercing
Genetic Mapping
Molecular Medicine
Regeneration

...which will let you build Pain Amplifiers (+20 Influence). I definately prioritise WONDERS over TRADE GOODS, however.

Once your influence is high, you should have little trouble in the latter stages staying out of war. Go back and get all those 'yellow' techs that add to your Diplo rating - every bit helps. Using your techs to send civs to war with each other can be a very important part of an influence win - keep em busy, off your back, and using up THEIR precious resources. Trade is the other factor that keeps you alive in terms of spending - trade techs for freighters; they appear right next to the AIs planets and you can dock them next turn for income.

Hope that helps!