How can I avoid a dictatorship? How can I resist the cravers who are twice as powerful? How can I avoid revolts? (I'm in beginner mode and it's hell.)

It's normal to restart a bunch of times to get the basics down for these games. This game has a lot of little things to pick up on, which is why I like it.

Cravers are one of the better AIs and will be harder to deal with in the start, honestly I'd wait before adding them into a round.

Happiness is pretty important to keep up in this game. The main way to do that is to not expand too far in the start. Instead focus on finding the best systems and take those, than fill inbetween as you have room to expand. It will show your colonization cap in the bottom left in the screen that lists your systems.

There are laws that boost happiness, buildings that boost happiness, a few techs that increase your colonization cap, leaders that give happiness bonuses (some have senator skills that can boost happiness empire wide).

Also trying to keep your systems in the right political party helps them be happier too.

What race are you playing?

Hello, I started the campaign simply and chose the first civilization that came along. I didn't choose to fight the Cravers. So if I understand correctly I have to increase happiness (the purple arrow) to avoid revolts and dictatorships. Against the Cravers I don't really see what to do since they have more powerful ships and in greater numbers so obviously every time the battle is lost.

By setting the minimum difficulty with the easiest AI, by attacking as many or more ships of equivalent class I lose all the fights in a game on minimum difficulty... There is something I did not understand...

There's a lot to understand in this game, and it'll take time to learn.

When it comes to fights, well... In any particular fleet battle, the weapons and tactics can matter - you'll notice some weapons work better at certain ranges, missiles aren't very effective if the enemy has a lot of flak, etc. Technology matters too, of course; maybe this AI has better weapon and armour modules than you. And you can pass laws in the senate to improve performance in battle.

But at the end of the day, Endless Space isn't about individual fleet actions. It's a strategy game, and you'll win it by understanding the game's mechanics and implementing better strategies.

We might be able to offer specific tips if we had more information - what race are you playing, why are your systems revolting, what government are you using, etc. etc. But at the same time, it might be better to just treat this run as a learning experience and come back stronger next time.

I started several games again to test. I take the scientists thinking that it will allow me to evolve quickly. but apparently it is not the case :D In the current game I came across another empire but this time it wants to make peace which suits me fine, except that it colonizes almost instantly all the neutral factions -_-

You know I'm on my 60th turn and I've colonized 2 systems while the beginner AI has colonized 7 >< and I've also set the difficulty to beginner. There must be something I don't understand yet I've read everything...

The Sophons, huh. Yeah, they can be a very strong choice. Getting ahead in the technology race is never a bad thing.

If you want to make friends with minor factions, it's good to invest in exploration ships early, to make contact with them before other people know they're there. Sophon ships get extra movement speed to help with this. Then you can start building up your relations by spending influence and revealing curiosities. On the easier difficulty levels, you should be able to outpace the AI pretty easily in terms of influence. Then you can unlock the quest to assimilate the minor faction once you're up to 50 relationship points.

Thank you, I followed your advice and I'm managing to progress well, but I have the impression that it takes me a long time to improve my planets, I quickly unlocked the technologies but the waiting lines are enormous, sometimes several hundred cycles :S

Originally posted by CuteWetKitten:

You know I'm on my 60th turn and I've colonized 2 systems while the beginner AI has colonized 7

Are you using the Outpost action to speed up colony creation for Dust? Is your game speed normal or slow?

Originally posted by CuteWetKitten:

but I have the impression that it takes me a long time to improve my planets, waiting lines are enormous, sometimes several hundred cycles

Colonies should build system improvements on Industry, colonize lava planets. Use Jadonix Luxury to raise the level of the system. Play more, you will succeed! It will come with experience.

Originally posted by Sloan:

Originally posted by CuteWetKitten:

You know I'm on my 60th turn and I've colonized 2 systems while the beginner AI has colonized 7

Are you using the Outpost action to speed up colony creation for Dust? Is your game speed normal or slow?

Originally posted by CuteWetKitten:

but I have the impression that it takes me a long time to improve my planets, waiting lines are enormous, sometimes several hundred cycles

Colonies should build system improvements on Industry, colonize lava planets. Use Jadonix Luxury to raise the level of the system. Play more, you will succeed! It will come with experience.

I think I set it to medium speed, I imagine that if I set it to fast it will be better... I'm not sure I really understand what the outpost action is...?

What worries me a lot is that on the one hand, even when everything is going well, the population comes to revolt, and on the other hand, the fleets that take several dozen turns to be built, when you are attacked, you never have time to build a fleet to defend yourself...

Yes, this is why Industry is the most important of the FIDSI (in my opinion). More industry means shorter build times, which means more of EVERYTHING. Of course, you still need to plan ahead, colonise systems, have fleets on station & ready to respond to enemy incursions, etc., but all of that is easier if you have a solid industrial base.

If your systems are revolting, that will definitely hold you back. It's vital to understand what's causing that, and address it. You should be able to hover over the 'system approval' in the middle-left panel on the star system management screen to see a breakdown of all the modifiers affecting happiness. Is it overpopulation? Overcolonisation? 'Planet' modifiers (nobody wants to live on an airless rock or toxic swamp. Except Riftborn)? Politics? There are all sorts of a reasons a system could be in revolt.

Outpost actions make your outposts turn into colonies faster. Very useful for expanding your empire, but usually not essential in the early game on lower difficulties.

Originally posted by CuteWetKitten:

I'm not sure I really understand what the outpost action is...?

You can spend Dust or Influence to speed up colony creation. If there is a competitor outpost in the system, you can “rob” it, slowing down development. https://www.gamepressure.com/endless-space-2/gfx/word/104010562.jpg

---

https://www.gamepressure.com/endless-space-2/colonization-migration-and-evacuation/z69c4f

Thanks, I've discovered more things. What technologies do you recommend for the beginning of the game? I feel like the beginning of the game is really very important... I also saw that some technologies are recommended by the game itself.