On this page:

4.5.1 New Resources
4.5.2 Strategy Overview
4.5.3 Diplomacy
4.5.4 The End

4.5.1 New Resources

4.5.2 Strategy Overview

This rank is a logical extension of Admiral, and you will initially continue whatever you were doing as Admiral. The Dargslans are significantly stronger than other aliens races. The objective of this rank is to destroy them. The implicit suggestion upon promotion is that you should use diplomacy to forge alliances against the Dargslans. Precisely what you do is up to you - so long as you survive, the game will keep on going. This is the final rank, and there are no missions or storyline.

My preferred strategy is to encourage the other aliens to engage one another, while colonising new planets, building up my tax base, and researching. This approach normally buys enough time to be in a position to start turning out fairly deadly fleets with which to conquer the galaxy, but leaves a large empire almost undefended for a month. Once you have a pair of fleets that are equipped with all the technology available, you are almost unstoppable. Keep the offensive momentum up and you won't need to worry about defense. A slower, somewhat more methodical approach would be to research and build up an intermediate technology fleet, one that is powerful enough to repel most invaders, but not powerful enough to destroy the Dargslans.

4.5.3 Diplomacy

Start talking to at least some of the aliens via the Diplomacy screen straight after promotion. Check existing relationships first, and target those aliens with bad relationships (low numbers) with the Dargslan. Offer trade and attempt to get them to join with you in an alliance against the Dargslan. You should be able to get a few aliens on-side, and improve relationships enough with some others that they don't attack you immediately. The aim is twofold: (1) to get a few other aliens onto the Dargslan war list, thereby reducing the proportion of attacks against you; and (2) to reduce the number of aliens that immediately turn against you. For example, if you don't talk to the Ychom, they can become nervous and will start attacking you. However, they may be quite keen to go to war against the Dargslan, so an alliance with them meets both criteria. Precisely how much success you have initially seems to vary on your empire's relative size and combat performance. You won't have the technology to start battling the Dargslan effectively for many months, in which time your allies will start to get concerned by your lack of action. Also, certain races will not be impressed by diplomacy alone, and some, like the Free Nations Society, may be just spoiling for a fight. Once you start capturing Dargslan planets and destroying their fleets, the other aliens should be willing to ally with you.

4.5.4 The End

The objective is to defeat the Dargslan. Once they surrender or their final colony is destroyed or captured, the game ends and you win. You do not need to conquer every planet on the map or destroy all the other races.