Playing as a non-expansionist empire?

[Gargantou (OP)]

I tried playing this last year but got a bit put off by the need to constantly expand.

I was wondering, is it possible to turn on some options or use SM to let oneself play a non-expansionist sustainable empire?

Perhaps using SM to constantly renew resources on ones planets?

Thanks for any helpful replies!

[James Patten]

A one system empire wouldn't work, but an empire that's 50 stars might work.  Your empire wouldn't be building many ships, or much infrastructure, so not much need to mine a lot of minerals at once.

[Erik L]

Your biggest issue will be real estate. If you start in the Sol system, there's only going to be 3-4 places to drop a population, with maybe another 2-3 with terraforming/genetics.

[Gargantou (OP)]

Is there no way to combat such a need with population control? One of my fav space 4X titles called Imperium from EA let you encourage or discourage population growth to minimize or increase the need to expand to other planets.

What about orbital colonies also?

[Charlie Beeler]

If you never wish to expand, then use SM mode to set your home world resources to a rediculous level.  (ie 999,999,999,999 access level 1)  Since your home world is idea for your race (colony cost 0) there is no population limit.  With no percievable resource or population stress there is no reason to expand.  Turn off Invaders and don't generate computer controlled NPR's and you have nothing to worry about.

But then your just playing a barely 1X game (exploit) since your throwing away explore, expand, and exterminate. 

[Gargantou (OP)]

If you never wish to expand, then use SM mode to set your home world resources to a rediculous level.   (ie 999,999,999,999 access level 1)  Since your home world is idea for your race (colony cost 0) there is no population limit.   With no percievable resource or population stress there is no reason to expand.   Turn off Invaders and don't generate computer controlled NPR's and you have nothing to worry about.

But then your just playing a barely 1X game (exploit) since your throwing away explore, expand, and exterminate.  

I guess you have a point, I'll probably just go for just playing the game without NPRs to begin with but not using SM.

That does lead me to another question, if you manage to essentially isolate an NPR in all directions and prevent it from expanding, does that mean it will eventually collapse on itself due to resource shortage and such?

Thanks for all the helpful replies so far.

[Father Tim]

Yes.  EVENTUALLY . . .

It might take 300 years.

[jseah]

An interesting effect I've seen is that you can commandeer civilian ships using tug boats. 

IE. you plug a tug boat on your home world, when civvies build a ship, you tractor it, and somehow it's your ship now. 
I've used seized civilian ships as part of a cargo group and what they transport gives them (and you) wealth. 


I was thinking that you could put colony and cargo ships with jump drives (for sorium cost), let civvies build them, then seize and scrap them. 
If you commandeer enough and have good fuel efficiency, you could set up a perpetual back and forth between Earth-Moon (transport colonist to moon, transport them back) that generates wealth out of thin air so the civilians keep building ships for your scrapyard. 

....

Might be able to play a zero mining game that way.  >.>  Just need to account for every single resource and SM yourself something ridiculous like 20 shipping lines.