In my really big game it is now turn 60. I am posting a Winzip zip file with turn 60 in Scenario/Mod Archive Space Empires IV Maps and Scenarios. Politics are as follows - turn 30 score/ rank/ percent increase in score per turn 30-45, then turn 45 score/ rank/ percent increase in score per turn 45-60, then current score/ rank, then current/turn 45 number tech levels, then current systems/ planets/ colony ships with turn 45 systems/ planets/ colony ships in parenthesis, then units/ ships/ bases, then wars-w/ no treaty-n/ treaty-t, then my relation with the race. My score does NOT include 250+ mothballed bases worth 1250k+. The actual increase was above 5% per turn.

Clays(me) ---- (845/01/7)(24xx/01/3)37xx/01-331/191-30/039/00(30/39/2)-26393/107/360-2w/0n/17t-myself
Amonkrie ----- (616/04/3)(0945/04/3)15xx/02-084/073-08/091/04(07/63/3)-00925/142/012-1w/6n/04t-TR Ang
Sergetti -------- (719/02/3)(11xx/02/2)14xx/03-099/085-05/069/04(05/49/3)-01916/128/028-2w/6n/06t-TR Warm
Eee ------------- (595/05/3)(0980/03/2)14xx/04-075/060-15/095/12(14/76/3)-00813/071/000-0w/6n/07t-to P Bro

Abbidon ------- (636/03/2)(0866/05/2)12xx/05-064/060-08/059/03(07/49/3)-00649/123/000-1w/0n/02t-TA Mod
Pyrochette --- (479/10/3)(0729/09/3)11xx/06-093/079-05/065/07(05/46/0)-01569/051/011-1w/2n/07t-MA Bro
Cryslonite ---- (533/07/3)(0823/06/2)11xx/07-079/068-06/040/04(06/34/4)-00360/101/005-3w/2n/09t-P Rec
Sallegra ------- (428/14/3)(0718/10/2)10xx/08-084/070-06/067/08(06/36/2)-00836/098/004-2w/2n/13t-to TR Murd
Piundan ------- (453/11/3)(0709/11/2)0957/09-089/076-06/040/04(06/30/0)-02377/119/003-2w/1n/11t-MA Rec

Drushocka --- (488/09/3)(0731/08/2)0916/10-085/062-11/101/01(06/52/5)-00578/070/006-2w/0n/16t-MA Murd
Toltayan ------ (587/06/2)(0733/07/1)0877/11-083/075-05/049/00(05/39/0)-00433/068/000-1w/1n/11t-P Bro
Rage ----------- (453/12/2)(0611/13/2)0845/12-084/071-11/051/03(09/39/2)-01501/085/009-2w/4n/06t-War Murd
Krill ------------- (517/08/1)(0639/12/1)0759/13-081/061-06/035/00(05/23/2)-00171/086/000-2w/1n/15t-MA Murd

Colonials ----- (384/18/2)(0491/17/2)0658/14-100/081-06/031/00(06/25/1)-02022/051/004-1w/2n/15t-P Bro
Xi Chung ------ (439/13/2)(0597/14/0)0624/15-083/065-09/032/04(08/22/2)-01829/087/000-2w/4n/10t-TR Murd
Narn ------------ (422/15/1)(0517/16/0)0550/16-091/075-10/024/00(10/20/0)-01697/050/003-2w/0n/11t-P Bro
Cue Cappa --- (399/17/1)(0480/18/0)0529/17-084/066-07/038/01(06/32/1)-00371/037/003-1w/3n/10t-War *Bro*
Toron ----------- (410/16/2)(0559/15/0)0523/18-119/086-05/027/02(06/24/0)-01458/037/002-2w/1n/14t-P Bro
Phong ---------- (378/19/0)(0359/19/2)0517/19-076/060-05/028/00(05/20/2)-00162/055/001-0w/0n/12t-P Bro
Ukra Tal ------- (243/20/1)(0301/20/2)0431/20-071/065-07/018/01(06/17/2)-00108/057/000-3w/3n/12t-P Murd

Net change ships/bases - was 423 now 277 per 15 turns definitely down, but ships are bigger too.
LOST Toltayan -5/0, Drushocka -1/0, Xichung -2/0, Toron -1/-1, Cue Cappa -2/0
<=10 Abbidon 5/0, Cryslonite 1/3, Krill 1/0, Narn 5/1, Colonials 7/2
<=20 Rage 19/2
<=30 Eee 27/0, Pyrochette 22/2, Sallegra 30/0, Phong 26/1, UkraTal 30/0
<=40 Sergetti 24/8, Amonkrie 40/0, Piundan 34/1
more Clays 35/72(and mothballed 250+ more bases)

Net changes units was 3658 now 3880 per 15 turns - about the same
LOST Xichung -89, UkraTal -1
<=80 Abbidon 37, Cryslonite 65, Toron 64, Cue Cappa 72, Phong 42
<=160 Eee 130, Colonials 115, Toltayan 95, Krill 90
<=320 Amonkrie 297, Drushocka 276, Rage 205, Pyrochette 310
<=640 Sallegra 343, Piundan 545, Narn 356
more Clays 9163, Sergetti 928

Colonizing - the rate has picked up! Was 169 now 264 per 15 turns :
Clays none but 17 spheres in the next 15 turns
<= 6 Toron 3, Narn 4, Cryslonite 6, Colonials 6, Cue Cappa 6, UkraTal 1
<= 10 Abbidon 10, Toltayan 10, Piundan 10, Xichung 10, Phong 8
<= 20 Sergetti 20, Eee 19, Pyrochette 19, Krill 12, Rage 12
<= 30 Amonkrie 28
more Sallegra 31, Drushocka 49!
All empires see at least 400 colonize with breathe except :
Abbidon 20, Amonkrie 57, Pyrochette 85, Rage 166, and Sergetti 68

Races as they are seen by other races - not as they see the other races. Relations after the *** are those who see Clays as Moderate rather than Brotherly. They are ALL empires 14-20! A bug or a feature???? This data was taken with ALL races not under computer control for the examination. Possibly the player who is normally NOT under computer control can only be seen as Brotherly by the first dozen ??? Is this for a special distrust in the slots used by Neutral empires???
Clays TA-Bro TR-Bro P-Bro War-Bro MA-Bro P-Bro MA-Bro P-Bro P-Bro MA-Bro MA-Bro *** War-Mod TR-Mod TR-Mod P-Mod P-Mod P-Mod TR-Mod
Abbidon TA-Mod MA-Ami War-Murd ***
Amonkrie TR-Ang War-Mod TA-Warm TA-Warm none-Mod TA-Mod *** none-Mod none-Mod none-Mod none-Mod
Colonials P-Bro none-Murd MA-Bro P-Bro TA-Dis P-Bro TA-Rec P-Bro MA-Bro P-Bro TA-Mod *** none-Mod TA-Cool TA-Bro P-Bro War-Murd P-Bro TA-Bro
Cryslonite P-Rec War-Murd TR-Murd none-Murd MA-Dis P-Mod none-Ang *** MA-Mod War-Murd TA-Murd MA-Mod War-Murd P-Warm
Cue Cappa War-Bro MA-Ami TA-Mod none-Warm P-Warm P-Bro P-Mod *** none-Murd TA-Bro none-Dis P-Rec P-Bro P-Rec
Drushocka MA-Murd TA-Ami TR-Murd TA-Mod TR-Murd War-Murd MA-Murd TA-Ang TA-Murd TA-Murd *** TA-Murd TA-Murd TA-Murd TR-Murd P-Murd War-Ang NA-Murd
Eee P-Bro TA-Ami none-Bro none-Warm TR-Bro TR-Bro none-Warm TA-Ami *** TA-Ami none-Rec none-Rec none-Mod
Krill MA-Murd MA-Murd P-Murd War-Murd TR-Murd TR-Murd TR-Murd TA-Murd MA-Murd ***TA-Murd P-Murd TA-Murd MA-Murd P-Murd TA-Murd War-Murd
Narn P-Bro War-Murd P-Bro MA-Bro TR-Bro P-Bro *** TA-Rec War-Murd P-Bro P-Bro P-Bro TA-Bro
Phong P-Bro P-Bro TA-Bro TR-Bro P-Bro *** TA-Bro TR-Ami P-Bro P-Bro P-Bro NA-Warm
Piundan MA-Rec P-Rec TA-Mod none-Cool TA-Warm P-Rec P-Rec *** War-Murd War-Murd MA-Rec P-Rec P-Rec TA-Rec
Pyrochette MA-Bro TA-Mod none-Mod TA-Rec TA-Warm MA-Murd *** none-Ami War-Murd MA-Bro
************************************************** ***************
Rage War-Murd MA-Mod none-Dis TA-Mod TA-Warm TA-Warm none-Warm *** TA-Warm TR-Warm War-Murd none-Warm
Sallegra TR-Murd none-Bro War-Murd TA-Mod TA-Murd TA-Murd P-Murd TA-Murd TR-Murd War-Rec *** TA-Cool none-Warm TA-Murd MA-Murd MA-Murd TA-Murd
Sergetti TR- Warm none-Mod none-Warm TA-Mod none-Warm TA-Warm War-Murd War-Rec *** none-Dis none-Mod TR-Warm NA-Warm none-Dis
Toltayan P-Bro TA-Warm TR-Bro MA-Bro P-Bro P-Bro MA-Bro *** TA-Bro none-Bro P-Bro P-Bro War-Ang
Toron P-Bro none-Murd MA-Bro P-Bro P-Bro P-Bro P-Bro P-Bro P-Bro War-Murd *** TR-Bro MA-Bro TR-Bro P-Bro TA-Bro TR-Bro
Ukra Tal P-Murd none-Bro War-Dis P-Dis War-Ang none-Warm TA-Ang P-Bro P-Rec P-Dis MA-Murd *** war-Bro MA-Murd NA-Warm P-Murd TA-Bro none-Bro
Xi Chung TR-Murd P-Murd P-Murd NA-Murd none-Mod War-Murd TA-Murd NA-Murd TA-Murd *** none-Murd TA-Murd none-Murd War-Murd TR-Murd none-Dis

Okay I see some obvious patterns
1) Brotherlies - Clays, Eee, Phong, Toltayan, Colonials, Narn, Toron
2) Murderous - Sallegra, Drushocka, Krill, Xichung
3) My relations are improving from initial Murderous with Amonkrie, Abbidon, Pyrochette. But they fell rapidly with Ukra Tal and Krill after they demanded I break treaty with each other and I tried to interfere in their war by demanding they make peace with each other....
4) See my previous post at turn 31 for data from the anger files.


What has been accomplished in the Last 15 turns :
1) All colonies now have 14 yard bases above them. You will note that half of them are mothballed. This is due to a lack of minerals to run them, and also to avoid the 5000k point MEE level. All the bases have been retrofitted from the level built to the final design. That was expensive!
2) All but the Last two of 28 warp points leading to home space have been mined. Minelayers are finishing up those two.
3) Battle cruiser yard ships have been deployed to all 28 warp points and are building seven yard bases for each warp point.
4) Cloaked surveillance satellites have been deployed above all colonies. Mine/satellite laying battle cruisers are in the process of placing sats in all homespace systems.
5) All tech has been learned by a blitz colonization of almost all ruins planets within one warp point of all colonies. There was a lot of waste because I was not sure how many new techs I could get off of each world. Leftover colony ships are mothballed.
6) There is a BC yard ship and a minelayer parked above each of the 17 uncolonized sphereworlds building bases. This is to prepare for a blitz colonization.
7) All the colonies have built or are almost done with seven missile/pd large weapon platforms. The nexus colonies are doing eight.
8) 200 mines are in stock on all colonies. The nexus colonies have mines in stock for the 17 sphereworlds to be colonized. The colonies will each get 3000k population from the nexus world closest to them. Then each fleet returns for a second batch of population if possible.
9) Lots of fighters have been built, but I now doubt their value. Mainly they would be okay against other fighters or to send to the warp points, which cannot have weapon platforms of course. The number units in space is at the 5000 absolute limit. There are over 500 mines scattered about during colonization early in the game to be blown.
10) Minerals and radioactives production has been increased to exceed ship/base maintenance costs. With trade they are in excess of usage. Organics are not a problem.
11) Cargo facilities and value improvement plants are being built on homeworlds. Sphereworlds are building several value improvement plants.
12) The base storage was increased from 500k to 5000k to fix a problem with the AI not building ships a couple of turns back. I read about the problem on a thread in the forum. The effect was immediate for some empires. So the scores are not as high as they could have been due to stopped production by the AI.
13) Yard battle cruisers have been built and deployed to the planets with moons and a good production rate for m/o/r. Most are aleady building the starbases. A five step retofit sequence is designed for the minerals bases. Rads and orgs just change the mining components.
14) The game can be won on score at any time simply by having all yard bases build starbases with only a master computer on board. Then demand surrender from all. That would be amusing but not a real challenge.....

I am done with this game. For me it will not be a challenge. For a less experienced player (or one empire versus all other players) it could be really interesting. See the bottom of this post for suggestions on what to do next. There are three major reasons why I am going to move on to another map :
1) The AI has colonized only 7 of the 51 sphereworlds. There are 17 unclaimed, which I have BC yard ships over building bases. The next map should provide something besides rock/none sphereworlds. The AI are simply not interested in colonizing them for some reason.
2) The map does not have enough shortcuts in it. About half the races have met only about a dozen of the available. I really had expected all races to have met all others by turn 60 at the latest. The next map will fix it so that no system is more than 3 warp jumps from the central nexus. Also only 141 systems have been colonized by the AI. I expected them to have all but a few at this point in the game.
3) I want the next map created with LOTS of double moon planets for mining! Now that I have discovered the profit in double moons I am REALLY greedy. The production from remote mining is NOT included in what is traded to the AI and NOT included in score. So the only downside is the score for the starbase....

Besides flaws in the map there are some development mistakes I made, but those are not the major factors. This map BORES me now. I also want to change my race character for lower maintenance and better politics, with somewhat lower population growth rate. Also at the game start I made a mistake on adding the players by not having them use style from race as the default. So empires such as Xichung and Rage are making treaties they are not allowed. So the empires are not really behaving according to their design even when full AI on under computer control. A bug/feature which I have reported.


To play this map6 scenario use the files in the zip and change settings.txt lines below. Since it is a ten planet start and a 7000 planet map, you have to scale up by a factor of ten.
Maximum Number Of Systems := 255
Minimum Empire Minerals Generation := 2000
Minimum Empire Organics Generation := 2000
Minimum Empire Radioactives Generation := 2000
Minimum Empire Point Storage := 5000000
AI Mega Evil Empire Threshold Score Thousands := 5000
Default Number Of Units Per Player := 5000
Default Number Of Ships Per Player := 5000

The 17 colony fleets should be composed entirely of battle cruisers for speed and retrofit flexibility. To move population you need three cargo ships for each colony. To get there and back safely you need two fully loaded minelayers and two minesweepers. You also need a battle cruiser size colony ship to move fighters or weapon platforms in addition to the colony module. It only costs a little extra for the cargo space and hull. That makes 8 ships (@6 points score each) at the base yards of each of the 17 nexus colonies. Departure is set for turn 71, which is 15 turns after the yard ships departed for the new colonies. That gives just enough time to build 7 yard bases on each. The build schedule/allocation is given below.
Through Ein - Ejo fleet by Central II starts build at turn 61, Jest by Ein @62
Through Nizzarum - Huju by Nizzarum @62, Odd by Yak @61
Through Hen - Ain by Hen @62, Jinook by Zanthris @61, Jut by Ike sphere@60, Net - Uwin - Wurtuy by Central all three start 61
Through Red - Ah by Red @62
Through Osteo - Jog by Osteo @62
Through Oil - Etc by Oil @62
Through Ivy - Ape by Ivy @62
Through Ike - Eze - Equal - Eve by three Ike homes start 62

Also building are the seven yard bases at each of 28 warp points, and 25 remote mining starbases for m/o/r surplus. This puts you in a severe bind to avoid MEE until after the colonies plant. Yard bases are five points and starbases are 25. What you can do is mothball ALL excess colony base yards (except those on the 17 nexus colonies which build the fleets) as soon as they build their weapon platforms. As yards 4-7 are built on each warp point, mothball all but one and the yard battle cruiser. The yard battle cruisers need to retrofit to cargo to haul pop off the homeworlds, or as warships for the Cue Cappa warp points. As each RM starbase builds, let it run while doing the retrofits, then if necessary have the yard BC temporarily mothball it. But you are going to NEED those resources if the trade treaties get cancelled due to colonization, so get them built! You can also mothball bases at the new colonies as each gets 4-7 built, keeping one to unmothball the others and the yard BC. You have to clear the cargo out by having the minelayer lay mines, or just shift it into the yard you keep. Another problem is that mine sweeping by the Cue Cappa is getting serious. You NEED a starbase hull to retrofit up to a heavy beam station ASAP. It should be a five to seven turn build and only a turn or two for the retrofit sequence. But first you need a free yard, which may take up to four turns - I have not checked. In the meantime either build another minelayer at Ephandra or Vote or use those near Ulp. There are plenty of mines in stock. There is a minelayer on the way to Central for Ein, I forget just where it is. Of course ALL ships run cloaked, and retrofit to the latest quantum reactor yard ships for the obsolete design ones. You will notice that it has been a LONG time since I did an attack ship design. This is because my partners are allied with my enemies, and would share designs. Do NOT design a warship until you NEED it! Also in case you did not know, you must uncloak your yard BC to build anything.

The sphere worlds need to get as many value improvement plants built as time allows, preferably six or seven. You can do more m/o/r/int ONLY if you scrap a spaceport somewhere to avoid adding to the MEE score. Of course you get all the production back when you rebuild the spaceport later. Do NOT build the system robotoids etc until AFTER you go MEE. That way you can get a 30% production boost within a few turns. As soon as each homeworld gets one value improvement and a couple of cargo facility III built (scrap research facilities), it should start building a warp point closer with a repair bay on it. With Central XVI that gives you 11 to work with. There are large patches of uncolonized systems available, check out around Oil, Zanthris, Osteo, and Ivy. The claimed systems include all within one warp of a colony. So if you see no overlap between empires (empires - systems to avoid maps), then there are at least two systems uncolonized between them. Use the warp point closers to cut off swathes of systems, preserving the links to the nexus systems to shift population and ships. Close the homespace warp points only as a Last resort. If the enemy cannot attack through a warp point, he may decide to open his OWN! That would be very BAD! The warp point yard bases should be able to stock fighter starbases with fighters enough, if not then build more yards. In the meantime at MEE all warp points get at least one beam starbase. Fleet the yard bases with the beam starbase as fleet leader to get them to cluster. Build PD BC in case of attacks by carriers and fleet them with the bases as leaders one per base. You also need lots of warp point openers after you get the closers built. Basically, the enemy cannot open a warp point into any system which already has 10 warp points. So make it so, and improve transit times too.
All of this is very expensive and a quick back of the envelope shows that you CANNOT get resources fast enough or in large enough quantities with just the sphereworlds and the homespace atmosphere none planets. What you NEED is population for all atmospheres. You will note that the XiChung(methane) and Drushocka(methane) have boldly planted colonies in my homespace. Just before things go sour, either demand those worlds as a gift, or trade worthless ships for them....
Also you can get some easy surrenders at MEE from the seven weakest empires above simply by unmothball of the base yards and demand surrender. That still leaves a dozen to chew on, and provides lots of population to work with. It would be REALLY nice to have the 17 colony fleets available to shift pop out of them before the others blow them away!