This can be done by using your resources, proper exploration, outpost placement and effective fortification to keep your borders safe.
When expanding rapidly, it’s important to make sure you have the space you need to grow and build, while limiting any potential rivals’ ability to do the same. ..
Why Quick Border Expansion is Important
An excellent early game can help you set up well for the mid-game and late game. ..
You can’t really do this if your territory is restricted. It’s still possible to have a good mid game, but your options are limited.
Your capital is the first star in your playthrough. The rest of the stars in the galaxy are prime real estate.
Each system in the game has the potential to give you vast resources, strategic advantage, and even special event chains that can give you powerful artifacts.
The game’s success comes from its ability to quickly populate and develop new star systems, which in turn allows for more interesting and engaging gameplay. This is especially important because it means that players are constantly on the lookout for new opportunities to explore and conquer.
Step 1: Exploration
You need to know what resources are available, and how much you can extract from them. You also need to know the political landscape, and where your rivals are.
This is an important point, as exploration and surveying can help scientists learn more about the world around them.
To explore or survey a planet or star system, you’ll need a crewed science ship. This is made easier because you already start with one in your capital system. ..
One cannot do it all.
You will need to build more from your Shipyard in order to continue expanding your empire.
Building a science ship is essential to your exploration efforts. You should build a second or even a third or fourth one as soon as possible. ..
The first science ship should be assigned to survey neighboring star systems around your capital. This will take time. ..
The second science ship should be sent exploring and mapping out further star systems and finding the quickest routes to them so that we can find new planets and civilizations.
If you build a third science ship, it should be used in the opposite direction of the other two. If you have a fourth science ship, it should be used to survey. ..
- The president of the United States is in office for a four-year term.
- The first lady is in office for a two-year term.
- The Senate and House of Representatives are both unicameral legislatures with two chambers each.
- The president and first lady are elected by popular vote, while the Senate and House of Representatives are elected by individual members.
- The president is the head of state, while the first lady is head of government.
- There is a bicameral legislature, with one chamber representing the people and one chamber representing the government
A chokepoint is a star system that is connected to multiple systems. This can make it easier to defend against enemy fleets by bottlenecking them. Systems with a large number of celestial bodies – More celestial bodies (planets, moons, black holes, asteroids) can potentially mean more resources. Habitable planets – Colonized planets are your economy’s bread and butter. More planets means more buildings and more resources.
Step 2: Expansion
Once you have explored your surroundings and noted the points of interest, it is time to expand your borders.
Exploration is key to expanding your business. While you are surveying and exploring, you can start expanding as soon as you have the resources.
You start the game with a Construction Ship, which you can use to expand your empire. ..
Expanding your borders is easy by building outposts in unclaimed star systems. ..
Outposts are a new type of structure that can be built in fully-surveyed star systems. Outposts provide a safe and secure place for colonists to live and work, and can be used to expand your colony’s reach.
Don’t Overextend
This is a dangerous strategy.
This is a cost that will increase by 75 for each hyperlane jump outside your border to the target system.
Building up Influence Points is important early in the game, as it will help you get better deals and access to powerful allies. ..
If you leave gaps in your borders, another empire may block your access to star systems by capturing the “corridor” between it and your border. ..
If you want to expand your borders, the quickest way to do so is by finding the quickest route between your target star system and your border. Then, annex the star systems one after the other. ..
This will let you annex the most star systems necessary to still reach your target system as fast as possible.
Step 3: Fortification
Once you’ve secured your desired star systems, it’s time to fortify and consolidate your borders. ..
You have contacted a number of other alien civilizations, and are now in the process of exploring their worlds.
AI in Stellaris can be unforgiving, which can lead to some frustrating moments.
If they notice that you have a weak navy, a weak army, or they feel they have an advantage over your empire, they will wage war on you.
For this reason, it’s best to start fortifying your borders. You can do this through your Outposts, or by improving your fleets.
Improving your Outposts
Outposts can be fitted with defense platforms that allow them to protect their individual star systems. ..
As you expand your empire, your Outposts will eventually be able to support more platforms. Upgrading them to Star Bases will give you more space to build and manage your fleets. ..
Your empire has a Star Base capacity of 10. You can build up to 12 star bases, but each one will cost you significantly more to maintain.
You can increase your Star Base capacity by owning more systems, through technology, or a combination of both. Every 10 systems you own increases your Star Base Capacity by 1. ..
Outposts that have not been upgraded since the game’s release do not count towards the limit.
If you have strong enough defenses, it is possible for your Outposts to repel enemy ships on their own.
By forcing your enemies to end the war in a status quo, you effectively gain a defensive victory. ..
Improving your Fleets
Building more ships is a simple way to improve your fleets. Just build more ships and you’ll be able to fight more battles and protect your territory better.
You can build ships in Shipyards. You start with one in your capital, but you can also build more by upgrading your Star Base with the appropriate modules. ..
When expanding your borders quickly, it’s likely you have few ships early on, or they are spread too thin. ..
You’ll need to make some tough choices early on in the game if you want to field a large fleet. ..
Your Outposts are the key to your success early on in the game. Use your ships to support them, and you’ll be able to keep your opponents at bay.
Establish a network of outposts and stations throughout your empire to better monitor and defend your territory. ..
Upgrade their weapons and armor whenever you get new tech to keep them safe and effective.
After you have researched technology that increases your ship capacity, you can slowly increase your fleet sizes. This will allow you to act more aggressively later on.
Step 4: Infrastructure
As your borders become more secure, you should get ready for the mid-game.
You can build infrastructure to help exploit the resources within your star systems by using the resources to power your ships and defenses.
Construction Ships can be used for this: -Construction of structures -Mining and excavation -Building and repairing infrastructure
If you have not already colonized any planets within your borders, you should begin developing them. If you have not colonized any planets within your borders, it is recommended that you start colonizing them as soon as possible in order to gain an edge in the game.
Border expansion is a great idea, especially if you missed some of the systems in the first wave. You can annex star systems that you’ve missed or didn’t prioritize during your original expansion.
Your fast expansion is slowing down at this point, as you get ready for the mid-game.
Whether you’re planning on being militaristic, peaceful, or focused on trade or research, you should be well-equipped to do so. ..
Fast Expansion Tips
The Xenophobe or the Fanatic Xenophobe traits lower your Star Base influence cost, making expansion cheaper. If you can choose a Ruler, get one with the Expansionist trait. This trait also lowers your Outpost build cost. Take the Expansion tradition tree as early as possible. Each perk in this tree makes expanding your empire and your colonies quicker, cheaper, and easier. Also under Traditions, choose the Interstellar Dominion Ascension perk after completing any tradition perk tree. Change your Initial Border Status in your Empire Policies to “Closed”. This prevents any empire from entering your borders and expanding into your turf by default. You can add defensive platforms on your Outposts without upgrading them into Star Bases
