Help:Gameplay Guides/Opening Strategies Comparison

Opening National Strategies in Terra Invicta

Thanks to Graveless Gaming for this summary of his related video.

This article compares the three main starting nations in Terra Invicta and provides recommendations for new and experienced players.

Overview of Starting Nations

United States

The United States offers the strongest early-game advantages, primarily due to its exceptional Research output.

Advantages:

• Highest Research output of all large starting nations
• Excellent research-to-CP ratio due to wealth and education
• Strong starting Military capable of handling most threats until approximately 2030
• High initial Boost capacity of the starters

Disadvantages:

• Requires significant internal fixing:
  • High Inequality requiring extensive Welfare investment
  • Relies on declaring/undeclaring wars for temporary Cohesion boosts, or maintaining wars to improve resting cohesion
• Poor scaling into mid and late game
• Limited population (350 million) compared to other starting options
• Lowest Maximum MC, only 99 at the start
• Expansion includes Mexico, which has severe problems (high inequality, Anocracy, poor economy)

Advanced Strategy Note:

• For Jupiter Rush strategies, focusing on knowledge to improve RP and cohesion at once, kicking the can forward
• This approach worsens inequality-related problems, but accelerates research gains and you aren't keeping the US anyway

European Union

The European Union excels in setting you up for rapid space expansion, but takes longer to get there.

Advantages:

• Superior mid-game space scaling
• High potential Mission Control (approximately 130 at the start and it reaches it sooner)
• Building Funding in small nations pays off very quickly
• Combined population of approximately 550 million
• Better starting government than US
• Eventually gains claims on Russia, Turkey, and more of Europe

Disadvantages:

• Worst initial Research output, around 60% of the US's at the start
• Slower early-game development
• Boost is scattered and lower than either the US or China
• Terrible diplomacy with other factions

China

China offers unmatched late-game potential with some early-game challenges.

Advantages:

• Massive starting population (1.4 billion)
• Unrivaled late-game scaling potential
• Can expand to include high-quality nations like Japan, South Korea, and Malaysia
• Additional claims on Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, Taiwan, and others
• Most expansion targets are in better condition than the US's Mexico
• Through use of Taiwan, can completely ignore its low gov score in midgame

Disadvantages:

• Requires time and high Persuasion investment to capture (around 13 modified Persuasion to begin having a chance)
• Takes longer to reach peak potential

Strategic Recommendations

For New Players

Recommended Start: China

• Takes longer to secure, but acquisition is almost guaranteed
• Better mid and late-game scaling potential
• Better suited for longer games (2060-2080 time frame)
• Expansion targets are generally in better condition

For Experienced Players

US Opening:

• Use for early research advantage
• Pivot to EU or China for mid/late-game scaling, either burning the US to the ground with spoils before abandoning or just running Mission Control after fixing it
• Consider researching "Fall of America" to accelerate Mission Control development

EU Opening:

• Focus on Mission Control development
• Grab China for late-game dominance
• Let the US decline after extracting value

China Opening:

• Focus on securing high-value adjacent regions (South Korea, Japan, Malaysia)
• Consider having Malaysia expand to Indonesia and Philippines
• With sufficient Control Point capacity (~800), consider claiming EU for its accumulated MC

Other Regional Options

• Africa and Caliphate: Highest late-game potential but extremely difficult to develop
• Eurasian Union: Suboptimal due to Russia's limitations and poor research potential
• India: Suboptimal as it winds up turning into a worse China with limited expansion
• South American Union: Considered the weakest mega-state option