Gameplay

The three rules of one-planet style (OPS) Rule 1. Expand, Expand, Expand with Frontier Outposts

In addition to having all the usual resources like Energy and Fleet Capacity, OPS has another resource: Frontier Outpost Capacity. Anything over +0 Influence a month means you're not maximizing your resource input. Build frontier outposts everywhere possible to gain the most territory and to sieze juicy-looking planets that the AI might want. As a general rule of thumb you want to build an outpust every 3rd star away from an existing frontier output, and claim as many star systems around it as possible. You will be looking to have around 20 or frontier outposts to provide the economy for your empire to keep you relavent with everyone else.



Rule 2. Diplomacy and Opinions are important

This is critical on highler difficulty settings and more aggressive AI. You will want to keep everyone in moderately good opinion of you. Trade resources, share star charts, keep attention to their demands and watch that border-friction! Your immediate concern is the first 3-4 empires next to you. You want to have a Defensive pact with them so they can help defend you against any warmongers - that 20-30 fleet cap for first 50 years makes you an easy target without any friends. Later on you can easily turn the tide with your super-plasma-shield fleet vs their rocks and harsh language.



Rule 3. Play carefully and play smart

This rule further embraces of importance of the previous two rules. Pay close attention to how you are spending resources and where you are expanding to. You dont want to anger a Fanatic Xenophobe by accidently blocking his expansion path, and you dont want to get cornered by your neighbours stealing planets within your territory. If you accidentally get pulled into a war, defend as best as you can and settle for white peace even if it means losing an outpost or two. Don't expect to be a galactic contender whatsoever until you get your Science Nexus - focus on being the quiet scrooge in their own little corner of the galaxy, rapidly rushing techs and traditions until they can dominate late game.

Technologies to Rush

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Key technolgies Automated Curation Algorithms

Gains access to the Auto-Curating Vault which will keep our empire relavent in terms of Unity output. Additonally, this path provides some good alternative research cards while we hunt for the relative cards.

Galactic Markets

Gains access to Galactic Stock Exchange to keep your empire's energy needs in check. Shares many techs with Automated Curation Algorithms and should be available around the same time.

The Collective Self

The completed path increases the max influence your factions can produce and allows more frontier outposts. Self explanatory.

Synthetics

The final tier of robots are important to keep our Unity production relavent through the use of a special trait they can receive with Robo-modding called Propaganda Machines which allow +15% Unity on top of their native +20% boost to all production.

Mega-Engineering

Allows you to pick the Galactic Wonder ascension perk, granting access to the Science Nexus. A bit of a pain to get since it requires three other complete tech trees, namely:

Battleships

Deep space installations (Fortress)

Zero Point Power

Unity Production

Key unity buildings

Empire Capital-Complex - unlocked via Galactic Administration tech



- unlocked via tech Auto-Curating Vault - unlocked via Automated Curation Algorithms tech



- unlocked via tech Ministry of Benevolence - unlocked via Galactic Benevolence tech



- unlocked via tech Art Monument - bought from Artisan Troupe



- bought from Ministry of Culture - random event reward from Artisan Troupe . You get the event by subscribing to their newsletter, and being lucky.



- random event reward from . You get the event by subscribing to their newsletter, and being lucky. Cyto-Revitalization Center - unlocked via Cyto-Revitalization tech.



- unlocked via tech. Visitor Center - unlocked via Alien Tourism diplomacy tradition



- unlocked via diplomacy tradition Energy Nexus - unlocked via Planetary Power Grid tech and The Pursuit of Profit prosperity tradition Additonally, any other event unique buildings like Leviathan Trophies are a very welcome addition.

Traditions & Ascension Perks



Key Traditions In order: Discovery : To Boldly Go → Science Division → Planetary Survey Corps → Finish



: Finish Expansion : Galactic Ambition → Finish



: Finish Diplomacy : Alien Tourism → Finish



: Finish Prosperity : The Pursuit of Profit → Finish



: Finish ... etc Key Ascension Perks In order: Technological Ascendancy : Faster research, yay!



: Faster research, yay! The Flesh is Weak : Better leaders that wont die until much later (or become immortal), saves potential influence costs.



: Better leaders that wont die until much later (or become immortal), saves potential influence costs. Galactic Force Projection : From here you become less of target from warmongers since they see you as Superior.



: From here you become less of target from warmongers since they see you as Superior. Galactic Wonders



... etc

The following section will outline how you will be playing this one-planet style. It is a very different experience than playing wide, and even moderatly tall (4-5 planets). Keep in mind that not everything is set in absolute stone, so feel free to try out different things, and adapt to your game at hand.A key part of OPS is to rush down the Tech-tree to get specific research cards that will boost the overall performance of your empire and get you to that end goal of an early Science Nexus. In terms of importance: Society > Engineering > Physics , since the key technologies are down those paths. I recommend keeping this tech tree guide handy so you can ensure you focus these techs down ASAP.Unity works different to technology since the base cost increases as your complete more Tradition trees. Remember we are trying to unlock enough Ascension Perks required for. To do this we need to optomize our buildings and our pops. The pops for the most part are easy, they will be Synths with the Propaganda Machines trait, however the buildings are little trickier since some of them can only be received through theTraditions, just like technologies, form a key part of OPS. Since you will be getting traditions at a regular pace they will become an important part of building towards theascension perk.