Imperium 16 - sargon too generous

[sargon0]

Nice relaxing holiday Imperium, Humans on Average and gifts are encouraged! I’ll play peacefully with score (not for score) but probably not all the way to 2500. We are central and no-one close on small map. Send Colony ship to NE red, one scout to SE purple, one to E green and order another. New scout goes to SW green and next to SE red. Colony red finds Zhardan (Desert 50) settled and 14 sent from homeworld. In 2306 my first new scout arrives at SW green:


Too generous! Some additional rules: I will gift this key tech and every other tech except early expansion tech on first contact. I will not attack unless to defend or counter. I will (eventually) pursue high tech rather than many techs (counter score) but only while advancing economy.

Artifacts planet is Endoria (Ocean 70). Open tech and choose DSS, II9, IT10 & R5, seed R5. Early contacts are Silicoids at SE Ajax, Alkari at SW Endoria, Psilons at NW Vox, Klackon at NE Tau Cygni and Guardian at red S of Endoria. In 2318 Silicoids chase my scout from E green Moro and GNN announces their third planet. Next turn Range 5 pops (seed IT10) and I welcome 3PE Silicoids (Agg/Ind) and start max 50 BC trade. Of course they have no use for my IER (I hold onto R5). Then I visit my new friend’s second planet, fertile Neptunus, I hope they don’t mind. In 2325 IT10 pops (seed II9) and I give my first gift to the rocks. I settle artifacts planet Endoria in 2328 sending 19 from home re-filling from Zhardan then SW Ajax in 2331 sending 13 from Zhardan. Next year II9 pops (seed IT20) for another rock gift. Northern Tau Cygni settled in 2336 with 11 from Zhardan meets 1PE Klackon (Agg/Eco). I set up max 50 BC trade with my new friend and give him IER, IT10 & II9. GNN announces my sixth planet SW Vulcan in 2341 sending 13 from Ajax and agree NAP with Silicoids.

Then in 2344 I settle N Aquilae (sending 9 from Tau Cygni) and NW Vox (sending 9 from overworked Zhardan). Settling Aquliae meets 2PE Psilons (Hon/Diplo) whom I give IER, IT10 & II9 to and set up 100bc trade. Next year IT20 pops (seed II8 then Warp2) and I give this to my three friends who are all very pleased. I increase trade periodically where it will at least double. DSS and DS2 are seeded also but cheap Hand Lasers are next tech in 2352, gifted to all known and choosing AMR. Same year I settle S Proxima kicking off vote, me against brains. Klackon, Alkari & Silicoids abstain with 2 votes each. Psilons vote themselves 2 and I add my 4. If I had allied with Klackon & Silicoids I could have taken diplo win in 2352! Next year II8 & Warp2 pop, then DSS next then DS2, all gifted to my 3 known friends as they arrive. Start pushing RC3 & II7 plus IT30. The Alkari in west seem slow to expand so in 2359 I settle Rhilus north of them to meet their 1PE (Agg,Tech) leader. I have less excuse next year for settling NE Pollus, north of my Klackon friends and GNN warns of my growth. Gifting IER, IT20, II9, II8, Warp2 to Alkari, everyone is still friendly but my size could become a problem. So I now gift Range5 to all 4 and ally Psilon, Klackon & Alkari but not rocks to give others chance at SW hostile planets.


Things are mostly quiet from now on and my friends just visit occasionally to see my impregnable shields then re-ally with the help of my regular gifts.

2365 RC3+II7 to all 4
2366 IT30 to 2 (A/S)
2368 PDS to 3 (A/K/S)
2371 R7 to all 4
2375 Vote: A/K/P vote for me with 2 each, Sili vote themselves 3 and I must abstain my 8 instead of taking Diplo victory
2377 AMR to all 4
2378 ISS to all 4, PS-V to 3 (A/P/S)
2381 Radiated to all 3
2385 Replusor+WD to all 4
2388 Merculite to all 4
2391 Zortium to all 4
2393 PAS to all 4
2394 AER to all 3
2399 BC5 to all 4
2400 Vote: As 2375 except Silis now have 4 and me 10, avoiding domination win
2402 Warp5 to all 4
2403 Stinger to all 4
2404 Adv.Soil to all 4 (yes, even rocks)

Around this time I decide to chase finishing the three best fields before the 2450 vote.

2405 II5 to 2 (K/S)
2407 DS7 to all 4
2410 Rocks cancel alliance
2413 IT60 to 3 (A/K/P)
2414 PS-XV to 2 (A/P)
2418 Silis launch for North Pole in 5 with 7 huge!
2420 Silis send 2 more huge
2421 ASS to all 4 and IT60+PS-XV to Silis and ally Silis for 725 BC
2422 IT80 to 2 (P/K)
2424 PBS to all 4 and IT80 to Silis
2425 Vote: my allies are 2+3+3 against Silis(4) and my 18 abstain
2425 Stargates to all 4
2431 Adv.Cloning to all 4
2432 HEF to all 4
2435 BHG to all 4
2437 Warp7 to all 4
2442 R-unlimited to 3 (K/P/S)
2447 IT120 – all refuse tech gifts
2449 DS15 – all refuse tech gifts, Displacement Device at 12%

Well with my friends snubbing my gifts there is only one thing left -

2450 Vote: Silis 5 v. Psilons(3) Klakons(3) Alkari(4) and my 19/34 for domination win with all races still around.
Score is 268,784 * 2 = 537,568

[RefSteel]

Wow ... an absolutely amazing game! Silicoids with an armed ship (taking Moro) in 2318? I wouldn't have thought it possible! And Improved Eco was huge of course - even more so than usual with no early cleanup in our tree - but even so, your final tally is jaw-dropping. In spite of stopping 50 turns early and losing any chance at holding Moro (Silis as noted plus your variant) you not only have the highest score, but would have even if you'd somehow lost the chance to double it!