Overview
Looking for a challenge, I've recently been playing games where I am on a team alone against 2 other teams each with 2 Apollo computer players. Since there aren't that many Beyond Earth guides posted, I thought that some of my learnings would be useful. The game is also really interesting because diplomacy becomes really important (more on that below).
This guide is NOT a 'follow this and you are guaranteed to win' guide. Winning on this setup requires a good plan, good decisions throughout the game, and some luck. Hopefully, this will help though. Also, this strategy is heavily based off the academy spam guides. I'd advise trying a game on those guides before trying this one out.
You don't have to play domination, since when I've won, I've got to level 15 affinity before the computers, but domination makes it more challenging and more fun.
Game Setup
Sponsor: Polystralia. Internal trade routes are key to this strategy. None of the other civs have a worthwhile bonus.
Colonists: Artists. The early culture is key to getting your early settler and early affinity virtues.
Spacecraft: Techtonic scanners. Just to be able to see titanium - the best early resource.
Cargo: Free worker. So you can start improving tiles immediately.
Planet: I did all random settings, but up to you.
Size: Dwarf (so we're a bit more bunched up)
Speed: Quick (I'm not sure if quick is easier/harder than standard. I usually play quick so I can play more games.)
No advanced game options
General Strategy
Get to level 6 affinity ASAP
Academy spam
Keep one team friendly while the other is at war
Get to level 3 military ASAP (6+6 or level 12 affinity)
Early Game
Worker should improve the tiles your city is already working (usually food/production), then build farms.
Build Order
Explorer
Relic
Explorer
Trade depot
Colonist (unless you are about to gain a population. In that case, start work on the next thing until you level up, then switch)
Trade convoy
Clinic
Trade convoy
Lab
The main key here is to build Trade Convoys before other buildings since they give much better bonuses than regular buildings. The best timing is to do it when your outpost finishes building since the +50% growth speed isn't nearly as good as the +4 hammers+food.
Explorer role
First, you should scout for your next two cities. There are plenty of guides on this, but in addition, you should try to pick locations which are easily defendable. Mountains often create great bottlenecks and always settle on a bay rather than a peninsula (ideally just one tile touching water). Also, whenever possible, settle on land, not the ocean (even if its a one tile island). Water cities have lower hit points so are harder to defend. For artifacts, you're looking to get warp spire. Also, drone control is pretty good.
Aliens
You have enough enemies as it is. Never attack them. Then, they won't bother your trade routes.
Virtue Order
Frugality
Homesteading
Colony initiative (get that worker)
Foresight (not sure how useful this is here, but its good to delay doing might a bit since otherwise you hit free affinity too fast)
Adaptive tactics
Military industrial complex
Public security
Adaptive science (need that affinity bonus)
Martial mediations (need that affinity bonus)
From here on, I usually go up the left side of technology and then make my way to +1 science for academies. Then go industry. You can get some of the higher might bonuses at some point too. No strict order.
Tech Order
Pioneering
Chemistry (lab+recycler)
Genetics (health)
Affinity tech (engineering or alien lifeforms)
Cognition
Affinity tech (highest affinity per cost available)
Affinity tech
Affinity tech
etc. until you have enough affinity for level 3 military
The only exception is defense grid which is really useful for improving city strength which you can get when you need it.
Personality Traits Order
Go +health first and max out. Then go for military production or military maintenance costs. Next, I do the trade route ones. The politics ones don't matter as much. Consider spending your diplomacy on agreements for respect though.
Diplomacy
Diplomacy is incredibly important to this strategy. You can usually hold off two opponents, but not four. In general, the computer players hate you because they think you suck at this game (since you don't have 10x bonuses for everything). So, you must make at least one of the teams not go to war with you. Pick whichever seems friendliest, and try to do whatever you can to stay friends. Some suggestions:
⁃ Add an international trade route (even if it's not optimal for you)
⁃ Sign agreements with them (the ones that cost 25 are great even if they have useless bonuses)
⁃ Don't settle close to them
⁃ Return cities that you capture to them (seems like this is always +9 respect!)
⁃ Don't do ANYTHING for the other team. If you do, they will downgrade your relationship (you'll get the don't trust them message). This includes agreeing to peace. So, whoever goes to war with you first...you may be at war the rest of the game :/
Remember, you need to please both computer players on the team. If one has +9 respect and the other goes to war, then they both go to war.
Affinity
I think you can pick either harmony or supremacy. Purity just doesn't have good enough techs early on (maybe it's possible though). Affinity is the most important thing in these games. You must improve at approximately the rate of the computers or you'll get overwhelmed with higher leveled units.
Mid Game
You need to build military a bit earlier than other games. Usually expect war around when you finish cognition. You should probably have ~6-8 military units to fend off an attack. Pay attention to your affinity levels compared to the computers.
Your first priority should be to make sure you have unused trade routes. All of them should be filled, even if you need to trade with some stations (the culture/science ones end up very good actually).
You should try to get to 5 cities relatively quickly and start academy spamming. Don't forget to keep you military sharp. I usually get master control so I can spam some workers since academies take so long to make. Add an extra city or two if you feel like it.
For technology, every technology should aim to get you affinity until you have level 3 units. Remember that level 3 units can be done with hybrid affinity. In my games so far, I've always done just one affinity, but I think that hybrid would actually be faster.
New City Build Order
Trade depot
Relic (because its so cheap)
Recycler
Lab, then whatever you need most
Don't build useless buildings
Only build buildings that will actually help you win. Launch complex does not do that. If you have no buildings to build, build military units. Don't waste production on 25% science or something.
Late Game
By this point, you should be starting to feel in control. Your military should be pretty epic and you should be easily winning wars. Next priority is to expand a little. You'll need ~8 cities to support all of your trade routes (possibly you can take these cities from opponents). With all your internal trade, you can start pumping out military units. Most basic units take 2-4 turns to build and the elite ones take ~6. Start spamming and go on the offensive.
Resilience
This is not an easy game to win (at least not for me). I haven't won without losing a city, and often lose cities multiple times. Don't panic. You are smarter than the computer. Just keep fighting.
Notes
Titanium: It's the best resource. Always build your cities next to it if possible. Rush buy the tile if you're more than 1 away.
Rush military units before they upgrade: If you have level 5 affinity, start building as many cutters as you can. They cost less hammers before they get upgraded.
Recyclers: In the past, general knowledge was to rush buy recyclers in new cities. I no longer think this is necessary because trade routes give way more than 2 production to new cities. If anything, you should rush buy trade convoys (which I advise if you have some free energy).
Don't get surprised: The computers love to drop 6 units onto your cities. Subs make great outpost units to see when enemies are approaching. They can also slow them down (computers never attack invisible units, but will stop in front of them and end their turn).
Spy Network: Mostly useless for offense. It's incredibly hard to get even to level 1, so you can delay getting computing. However, in a recent game, I suddenly noticed my capital got to 4.5 intrigue by turn 100...so don't wait too long.
Looking for a challenge, I've recently been playing games where I am on a team alone against 2 other teams each with 2 Apollo computer players. Since there aren't that many Beyond Earth guides posted, I thought that some of my learnings would be useful. The game is also really interesting because diplomacy becomes really important (more on that below).
This guide is NOT a 'follow this and you are guaranteed to win' guide. Winning on this setup requires a good plan, good decisions throughout the game, and some luck. Hopefully, this will help though. Also, this strategy is heavily based off the academy spam guides. I'd advise trying a game on those guides before trying this one out.
You don't have to play domination, since when I've won, I've got to level 15 affinity before the computers, but domination makes it more challenging and more fun.
Game Setup
Sponsor: Polystralia. Internal trade routes are key to this strategy. None of the other civs have a worthwhile bonus.
Colonists: Artists. The early culture is key to getting your early settler and early affinity virtues.
Spacecraft: Techtonic scanners. Just to be able to see titanium - the best early resource.
Cargo: Free worker. So you can start improving tiles immediately.
Planet: I did all random settings, but up to you.
Size: Dwarf (so we're a bit more bunched up)
Speed: Quick (I'm not sure if quick is easier/harder than standard. I usually play quick so I can play more games.)
No advanced game options
General Strategy
Get to level 6 affinity ASAP
Academy spam
Keep one team friendly while the other is at war
Get to level 3 military ASAP (6+6 or level 12 affinity)
Early Game
Worker should improve the tiles your city is already working (usually food/production), then build farms.
Build Order
Explorer
Relic
Explorer
Trade depot
Colonist (unless you are about to gain a population. In that case, start work on the next thing until you level up, then switch)
Trade convoy
Clinic
Trade convoy
Lab
The main key here is to build Trade Convoys before other buildings since they give much better bonuses than regular buildings. The best timing is to do it when your outpost finishes building since the +50% growth speed isn't nearly as good as the +4 hammers+food.
Explorer role
First, you should scout for your next two cities. There are plenty of guides on this, but in addition, you should try to pick locations which are easily defendable. Mountains often create great bottlenecks and always settle on a bay rather than a peninsula (ideally just one tile touching water). Also, whenever possible, settle on land, not the ocean (even if its a one tile island). Water cities have lower hit points so are harder to defend. For artifacts, you're looking to get warp spire. Also, drone control is pretty good.
Aliens
You have enough enemies as it is. Never attack them. Then, they won't bother your trade routes.
Virtue Order
Frugality
Homesteading
Colony initiative (get that worker)
Foresight (not sure how useful this is here, but its good to delay doing might a bit since otherwise you hit free affinity too fast)
Adaptive tactics
Military industrial complex
Public security
Adaptive science (need that affinity bonus)
Martial mediations (need that affinity bonus)
From here on, I usually go up the left side of technology and then make my way to +1 science for academies. Then go industry. You can get some of the higher might bonuses at some point too. No strict order.
Tech Order
Pioneering
Chemistry (lab+recycler)
Genetics (health)
Affinity tech (engineering or alien lifeforms)
Cognition
Affinity tech (highest affinity per cost available)
Affinity tech
Affinity tech
etc. until you have enough affinity for level 3 military
The only exception is defense grid which is really useful for improving city strength which you can get when you need it.
Personality Traits Order
Go +health first and max out. Then go for military production or military maintenance costs. Next, I do the trade route ones. The politics ones don't matter as much. Consider spending your diplomacy on agreements for respect though.
Diplomacy
Diplomacy is incredibly important to this strategy. You can usually hold off two opponents, but not four. In general, the computer players hate you because they think you suck at this game (since you don't have 10x bonuses for everything). So, you must make at least one of the teams not go to war with you. Pick whichever seems friendliest, and try to do whatever you can to stay friends. Some suggestions:
⁃ Add an international trade route (even if it's not optimal for you)
⁃ Sign agreements with them (the ones that cost 25 are great even if they have useless bonuses)
⁃ Don't settle close to them
⁃ Return cities that you capture to them (seems like this is always +9 respect!)
⁃ Don't do ANYTHING for the other team. If you do, they will downgrade your relationship (you'll get the don't trust them message). This includes agreeing to peace. So, whoever goes to war with you first...you may be at war the rest of the game :/
Remember, you need to please both computer players on the team. If one has +9 respect and the other goes to war, then they both go to war.
Affinity
I think you can pick either harmony or supremacy. Purity just doesn't have good enough techs early on (maybe it's possible though). Affinity is the most important thing in these games. You must improve at approximately the rate of the computers or you'll get overwhelmed with higher leveled units.
Mid Game
You need to build military a bit earlier than other games. Usually expect war around when you finish cognition. You should probably have ~6-8 military units to fend off an attack. Pay attention to your affinity levels compared to the computers.
Your first priority should be to make sure you have unused trade routes. All of them should be filled, even if you need to trade with some stations (the culture/science ones end up very good actually).
You should try to get to 5 cities relatively quickly and start academy spamming. Don't forget to keep you military sharp. I usually get master control so I can spam some workers since academies take so long to make. Add an extra city or two if you feel like it.
For technology, every technology should aim to get you affinity until you have level 3 units. Remember that level 3 units can be done with hybrid affinity. In my games so far, I've always done just one affinity, but I think that hybrid would actually be faster.
New City Build Order
Trade depot
Relic (because its so cheap)
Recycler
Lab, then whatever you need most
Don't build useless buildings
Only build buildings that will actually help you win. Launch complex does not do that. If you have no buildings to build, build military units. Don't waste production on 25% science or something.
Late Game
By this point, you should be starting to feel in control. Your military should be pretty epic and you should be easily winning wars. Next priority is to expand a little. You'll need ~8 cities to support all of your trade routes (possibly you can take these cities from opponents). With all your internal trade, you can start pumping out military units. Most basic units take 2-4 turns to build and the elite ones take ~6. Start spamming and go on the offensive.
Resilience
This is not an easy game to win (at least not for me). I haven't won without losing a city, and often lose cities multiple times. Don't panic. You are smarter than the computer. Just keep fighting.
Notes
Titanium: It's the best resource. Always build your cities next to it if possible. Rush buy the tile if you're more than 1 away.
Rush military units before they upgrade: If you have level 5 affinity, start building as many cutters as you can. They cost less hammers before they get upgraded.
Recyclers: In the past, general knowledge was to rush buy recyclers in new cities. I no longer think this is necessary because trade routes give way more than 2 production to new cities. If anything, you should rush buy trade convoys (which I advise if you have some free energy).
Don't get surprised: The computers love to drop 6 units onto your cities. Subs make great outpost units to see when enemies are approaching. They can also slow them down (computers never attack invisible units, but will stop in front of them and end their turn).
Spy Network: Mostly useless for offense. It's incredibly hard to get even to level 1, so you can delay getting computing. However, in a recent game, I suddenly noticed my capital got to 4.5 intrigue by turn 100...so don't wait too long.
