Your style of play and development

[Angst]

This is kind of a general question to how you like to play games where you are represented by a race or faction with inherent abilities and weaknesses. In Alpha Centauri, for example, you can play a specific faction and then make governmental, social, and economic choices that can either detract from or add to your strengths and weaknesses.

In Imperium Galactica II, you can play a specific race with its own areas of excellence and drawbacks. An example would be playing the Shinari race, which is weak militarily, but strong in commerce and espionage.

The question really comes down to: Do you play in such a way that you rely on your strengths and focus development in that area to overwhelm your opponent, or do you prefer to try to focus on your areas of weakness to prevent them from becoming an exploitable liability?

[Colon™]

In all strategy games I’ve played up to now, I tend to have a careful, constructive style of playing.
I love to build something up, to see something grow and I tend to strive for perfection and balance. I also usually avoid risks and conflicts.
In a game as SMAC I’d be the type that chooses the University or the Peacekeepers. Yet I never played with them, because I felt like using a completely opposite style of playing, namely militaristic warmonger and I got bored with the game before I got to play a builder faction.
Even when I was using an aggressive style, I had a perfectionist, constructive tendency. I preferred to fight against stronger factions to maintain game balance and I couldn't resist making numerous improvements.(buildings, terraforming etc)

[JohnT]

I always play races that complement my style of play, meaning I usually choose the Psilons/University type factions while avoiding espionage-based races.

[The Mad Monk]

I am a technologist and confirmed builder, and mainly build spies to 'peek in' on how the AI is doing, and to occasionally deal with the AI city that just interfered with my carefully-planned countryside. I have to force myself to build diplos early on, to deal with barbs, mainly.

I tend to avoid MP games, as I lack that 'killer instinct', and get irritated when others take advantage of that fact...

BTW, I always take or develop research-oriented factions, since I find not having the tech lead...annoying...

[ACOLKitty]

I play as a benevolent builder who constantly expands and builds up infrastructure. I generally wait until I am attacked and then overtake my opponent with my massive production power.