Anyone have some endgame tips?

Sometimes you can get planets in a peace treaty if your military advantage is tremendous and you have lots of diplomatic advantages...It's a few less transports to build for when you stab them in the back. Not much help, but it might save you a turn or two.

In v1.31 if you destroy pretty much all their ships, I've seen them surrender with as many as 14 planets. In v1.2 they didn't seem to want to give up until they got down to about 5 planets, but the last AI would never give up, you had to take every planet.

Since I have a mod that doesn't allow me to play in the Metaverse, this is the point where I go, "I AM TEH WINNAR!" and start a new game or go to sleep cuz it's 5 in the morning and i have work in 4 hours.

However, I have had a personal grudge against a race that's angered me before, in which case I make peace for as many planets as possible (at this point quantity not quality). Then, while at peace, purchase their own transports from them since you should have a huge bankroll at this point. Not only does this give you more transports to quickly invade, but it sometimes makes on of those planets you haven't seen yet all of a sudden known to you since the ship was orbiting it.

Since I have a mod that doesn't allow me to play in the Metaverse, this is the point where I go, "I AM TEH WINNAR!" and start a new game or go to sleep cuz it's 5 in the morning and i have work in 4 hours.

I rarely finish a game once the challenge is gone too. Infact i am usually dissapointed when my main enemy keels over. Typically this would be the Drengin empire. The problem is, that i like to trade exclusively with the Drengin empire to make them strong. but they are stupid because when they get so strong because of my trade, they attack me and then bankrupt themselves and game over.

I'm rather having this difficulty as well. I find I've won several hours before I officially "win"... it gets a little tedious after a while.

I rarely finish a game once the challenge is gone

That is my number one reason for playing in the Metaverse; knowing that my score will be added to my Metaverse record gives me the incentive to finish mopping up what's left of the AI factions. With a goal in sight, it doesn't seem so tedious. And, over time, seeing which strategies produce the highest scores and improving on them has made me a better player.

With other games, you have either single player with no scoreboard and no incentive to push through to the endgame, or you play multiplayer in game rooms full of angry social misfits.

If you find yourself losing steam on the campaign games or the standard scenarios, consider playing in the Metaverse and see how your scores stack up against others'. You might also consider joining an empire such as [ShamelessPlug]The High Command Hegemony[/ShamelessPlug]. Empire threads in this forum and on their own forums tend to be full of good advice and useful information.

That is my number one reason for playing in the Metaverse

I agree with the Marshall on this. While I do like playing with the mods that myself and others have created, I tend to always go back to the Metaverse for this very reason.

On many occasions the game still hits that point where it becomes very tiresome. This is where you try to advance your empire for point value.

In my current game, small galaxy, tough, 2 opponents left, I control 79% of the galaxy and am at war with only one of the Civs to keep from having to win via influence. I am less than 3 years into the game. I figure I am going to hang out until the end of year 5. Push my economy, military, population, and research as far as I can in that time, and then in the last 2 months or so, I will put this game to bed and hope for a good score.

For me it is not only about winning, but how well I do in the victory. I always try to better myself and my play style whether I have a competitive AI opponent or not because...

"To conquer without a challenge is to be victorious without glory."
(One of my all time favorite sayings)

If you have the cash, buy some of their more desirable planets.

If they have a 3 planet system, buy the highest PQ planet and the others will soon fall to influence.

Just a few key planets can make a huge difference.

That is my number one reason for playing in the Metaverse; knowing that my score will be added to my Metaverse record gives me the incentive to finish mopping up what's left of the AI factions. With a goal in sight, it doesn't seem so tedious. And, over time, seeing which strategies produce the highest scores and improving on them has made me a better player.

This dousn't work for me at all. Mainly because i work and have a girlfreind etc etc so my time ingame is too valuable for me to waste trying to get a score to post.

trying to get a score to post.

No issues posting scores ever that I am aware of.

No issues posting scores ever that I am aware of.

Finishing a game! In other words, because my time is precious, i prefer to start a new game rather than spending time finishing an old game to the point of victory.

Once the AI no longer challenges me, i prefer to simply start again.... mebe it's a sickness?

Ahh. I thought you were having trouble posting a score.

I agree with Mysticmind.

I think I will give up chasing scores.

From now on, I am going to see how quickly I can win.

I think the speed of victory should feature more in Metaverse scoring.

In my last game, after I had the game won, I spent at least as much time building the score, preservimg one Alien Planet, as I did getting to the point where I could end the game the next turn.
I boosted the score from about 30K to 110K.