Hi guys, first time posting in this forum, so please forgive me if I'm missing some really obvious answers to my questions that have been posted elsewhere.
Bought the game, love it. Reminds me so much of my old MOO and MOO2 days. Making me think I might go back and play GalCiv2 someday, just for fun. I've played through the campaign. Not a huge campaign, kinda wish there was more, but it was good for now.
Anyways, my question is: is there a "best" way to start out single-player, non-campaign games? I almost always get out-built, out-influenced, out-colonized, and I'm not sure exactly what I'm doing wrong. Do the other races ignore everything but expansion until later on in the game? I've started 4 different games now, trying to improve my strategy each time, and I'm always dropping from being 1st or 2nd in strength to like 5th or 6th in a matter of like 20 turns. I don't know, but it always seems like other civs suddenly flip from being much weaker (or at least equal), to much more powerful than me.
I like to build. I usually won't start wars (though I am ok finishing them). I like to research. Influence seems kinda skewed. Somehow the Altarians can always spread their influence around my planets and starbases, even if they are focused on spreading influence.
I guess I'm just wondering how people typically start their games that they end up winning. Is there just some crazy expansion phase, and then once that's done, everyone settles down and does everything else?