Best EMP Set Up.

[Atrocities]

What in your opinions is the best way to set up a 2k, 3k, and 5k empire?

What advanced traits, culture, and characteristic settings would you use for all 3?

What is the best possible set up for 2k, 3k, and 5k?

[Kamog]

The best advanced trait must be Advanced Storage Techniques to get more facility spaces on your planets. The second best one is Hardy Industrialists to get the faster contruction rate. Beserker culture gives the nice combat bonus. For characteristics, it's good to set physical strength low and increase aggressivness and defensiveness. If you have extra points, it's nice to raise contruction aptitude and mining aptitude. If there are points left for racial techs, I think religious is the best (for the Talisman and shrines), and second best is probably crystalline, and third choice would be Organic.

[Renegade 13]

For characteristics, don't forget about Maintenance reduction. Sending it up to +10% must be the best use of non-advanced trait racial points that you can use.

[Fyron]

There really is no absolute "best" setup... Personal playing style will cause some traits and charactersitics to be more valuable to one person than they are to another...

If you want my personal view, you can see it here:

Min-Maxing Article

[Raging Deadstar]

I saw the thread title and thought...

Oh god...What is SJ building Now???!!!

Lol, then i realised you meant EMPire files and Not Electro Magnetic Pulses. I can go to college now feeling much safer...

[NullAshton]

Maintenece reduction helps you a lot, so you probally would want to get 20 mainence reduction to get only 5% maintence costs. It multiplies the ships you can support by 5, and thats a whole lot of ships : ) In mods though, this probally won't work.

[Alneyan]

Above all, settings alter the respective values of traits. For example, in a 1vs1 game, you will want to pick the KOTH Clone, and add a few variations if wanted, while such a setup would need a few tweaks for an epic game. I am not sure where the Clone is presented, but I could upload the common setup found in KOTH (and other similar games) if you wish.

For advanced traits, I will often go with Propulsion Experts (+1 to speed for early expansion and outrunning), Ancient (knowledge is too valuable), and Advanced Storage if the game is expected to Last long enough, with population trades. The Berserker culture is the only one I will ever take if an optimal setup is sought (vanilla game that is).

[Alneyan]

The problem of going above 110 in maintenance is the cost; 2,000 points isn't nothing to laugh at. Maintenance is also not much of a factor until the late game, as your economic growth and warring should lower the part of maintenance in your budget.

As the game draws on, Maintenance becomes nicer and nicer, especially if the galaxy is quite peaceful. You will have the time to reach your maintenance limits, giving you quite an edge over the neighbourhood. Likewise, if most of your income comes from treaties, a low maintenance will allow you to build a much bigger armada than otherwise possible, while still being able to maintain it. (Taking 119 rather than 120 may be better as well, for the sneaky players among us)

[NullAshton]

Take the merchants trait. You get 5% mainence reduction for free, and only minor reduction in other areas. That means you only have to have 15% in mainence, and thats a lot of points saved : )

[Alneyan]

You do not get the Merchant culture for free, as it means foregoing the Berserker culture. Merchant gives the rough equivalent of 1,000 points (if you have 110 maintenance or more), while Berserker gives +10 in both offence and defence, a virtual bonus of 2,000 points if you were already at 120 or above (and you should not be anywhere lower than 120).

The reductions are more or less the same for both cultures (mainly minerals and research for Berserkers, space combat for Merchants), but while going above 120% Maintenance is useless, Berserker is the only way to have Aggressiveness/Defensiveness above 125, making this culture the most appealing of the lot. Merchant is, of course, a strong second, along with Warrior.