Year 2184
Preturn So lets take another look at where we are and where we are going. We have another 7 or so colony ships en route. (I actually note a Torian ship heading in the same direction as our colony ships). Research-wise, we are behind by a few techs in the weapons field to both the Torians and Altarians. Seeing as we are friends with both (friendly and close) this doesnt really concern me.
Available for social builds include the following trade goods: Aprhodisiac, Frictionless clothing, Gravity Accelerators, and Tri-tronium steel.
Wonders available: Galactic Stock Exchange
If we persue the military victory, we will definitely need gravity accelerators (speed) and tri-tronium steel (ship HP). However, even on our best planet (Earth), each of these will take 16-19 months apiece. In addition, I played my first game with the Galactic Stock Exchange and it made a HUGE difference. Id like to get that as well. In order to pull this off, well need some additional building capacity. I believe I will begin by putting up the manufacturing capital on earth. This doubles our production at the planet and should half the amount of time it takes for the wonders/trade goods. However, before we begin our social spree, Im going to research for a few months. I want as many planets building social as possible, so Ill give the colony ships a few turns to move before I begin spending.
January: Move econ exchange to bottom of governor. Queue up one notch espionage to Altarians/Torians. Tag a military resource to the NE. Research set to Nano Electronics, +diplomacy/trade. None of the majors have it. 100/120 * 120 = 100. The remainder set to the social build to keep our treasury to no movmenet.
Feb: Nano comes in. Set for instant communications: 500 * 100/120 = 416. 1 soil enhancement comes in. Set research to come in 2 turns.
Mar: Alva settled, no event. 2 research labs, 1 fusion, 1 man cener, 1 bank come in.
Apr: I come in contact with the Dren. A colony ship is heading east to the cluster of three stars over there. Its a shame I have 3 colony ships closer to the group than he does.
The Dren are up a few weapon techs, but nothing earth shattering. They do have the Diplo Translators though
Changing route for the colony ships to outpace the Dren ship towards the group of stars. Tag an econ resource scouted with my colony ship.
May: Weapons theory researched. ::sigh:: Thats ok, I needed it anyway, I guess. Fortunately, I didnt have the entire slider on research so some was wasted but not the whole farm. Freighters (2) diveted to the dren systems for trade. I hope to get there pretty quick to improve relations. I dont think Ill make it in time though. Apeori scouted. A 15/15 system. The Dren will lose out on this one as well.
June: Delfectors learned. Turn research to xeno trade for another trade route. Should be good for trading too. Speaking of trading, lets go back to the trading table and see what we have:
Torians: still up a bit of the weapon tree
Altarians: same
Dren: Same
Alex: none,
Caranoids: phasers for energy channeling. I accept.
Kwin: I trade Art gravity, int refining, zero grav research for photons, space mil, battle armor.
Not the best trade, but this puts us as tech parity with everyone (except Dren who are up Corvette) and up quite a bit of tech otherwise. Time to move on to pure social build I believe. I switch over to 100% social.
July: We meet the Yor. 1 hab, 1 soil, 1 res, 2 banks, 1 fusion, 1 entertianment completed. We settle Apeoria and beat the Yor to the system by one turn. We got the sea creature event, but only a 1% pop penalty for good. Went ahead and did it. The Yor had TWO colony ships in route to snag both planets in the system. We are up a TON of tech to the Yor.
August: Man capital complete on earth, 4 soil, 1 hab, 1 lab completed. Umeria scouted. Ship en route. Man capital completed on earth. We meet the Scottinglas. They have nothing to offer.
Sep: Earth set up for Galactic Stock exchange to come in 5 turns. The manu capital was a smart move. I am coming out AHEAD even with building the capital. Its amazing what happens when you think sometimes. Umeria settled, no event. And I believe our aggressive outgoing landgrabbing is officially over. All we have to do now is settle in the empty planets on systems we already own.
Oct: 1 bank, 1 hab, 2 ent centers. Moving ahead with social builds.
Nov: 1 bank, 1 hab complete
Dec: 1 bank, 1 soil, 1 ent center
End of year trades: Torians/Yor/Dren/Alexians, up corvette, Altarians/Kwil up turbo phasers. They are all down a ton of tech. I dont do anything right now.
For next turn: Galactic Stock Exchange due in 2 (+1). Then we can move on to trade goods if we like. Each one of those was coming in in 5 turns a piece or so from Earth. Ok, one thing I forgot to do, I have 3 colony ships in the vicinity of Umeria and I dind't send a single one of them to colonize the second planet. My bad. We currently have 22 SETTLED planets with another 3 or 4 to go. Not bad for an initial landgrab. Call me crazy, but I believe we've just about gotten to that 'winning position'.
Jan: 1 ent, 4 habs, 1 man, 1 soil. Rest is up to the next emperor.
Save:
So by the time I should be researching cultural trade, I am much too busy trying to complete the early wonders. And after cultural trade, I generally have such a surplus that I am in no hurry to get extra trade routes. I take my time and explore every system of a given major before choosing where to connect a trade route. 
Settle PQ15 Gladstone (SE corner), no event.
, I do like getting most of them.
on your choice to go down the research path. You could have had the manu capital up in a few months, grav accelerators complete and over halfway to Galactic Stock Exchange. The techs you researched did not give you any immediate benefit, so prioritizing them over pumping out the wonders/trade goods was not a good move.
Switch research to Nano-Frequency electronics (multimedia centers), and tailor spending to get manu capital and nano-frequency due next month.
