Is Eriadu Authority FTGU Impossible?

[Darth Revan]

So I'm usually into playing FTGU on Admiral difficulty and I found that the EA has my favorite ship compositions so I gave them a shot. 

2 minutes in and I've ALREADY noticed a HUGE jump in difficulty compared to the other factions.  First off, you only have a pop cap of 15.  15!  That's BARELY enough to get a good enough fleet composition and a somewhat ground force to start off with that can take a planet.  Hell, the GM FTGU start off with a pop cap of 30.  So is this a bug for the EA? 

Was able to take Sullust, but I needed more planets to get more credits rolling in.  Next thing I noticed is how difficult the starting pirate/warlord fleets are that you have to take on just to get to ground combat.  A couple of times I had to go back to a planet to finish it off because my fleet wasn't big enough to take them out.  By the time I was able to stabilize, get the credits rolling, and start building Tectors to start with, the Empire starts rolling in with fleets of two Allegiances with a bunch of MTF cruisers and lancers for support.  Even with two HVG's and Golan space platforms, I usually am either barely able to hold them off or they wipe out my defenses.  If luck was on my side and I was able to take out their fleet, in about little under a week they roll in with either another fleet of the same comp or an even bigger fleet centered around world devastators.

So I have to ask, is the EA suppose to be this difficult or am I doing something wrong?  Due to the planet locations, I'm not able to build credit making buildings/platforms to get more credits because of my need to get two HVG's up and every time I was able to save enough credits to possibly start making SSD's/battle cruisers, the AI would roll in with another fleet and I have to repair/construct replacement ships to hold the line.  It feels like I don't have enough time/credits to get a second offensive fleet up and running to take the Southern planets from my starting position before the Empire or the NR starts dropping the hammer on me.  Hell if feels like they both have brokered a peace deal just to take me out together.

[Corey]

Thhey're meant to be hard, but they aren't impossible. We're okay with the fact that some factions are harder than others because so many of the Imperials have similar rosters and are primarily separated by narrative stuff/heroes as factions in general, which obviously isn't a factor in FTGU.

every time I was able to save enough credits to possibly start making SSD's/battle cruisers,

I'd say this would probably be the biggest mistake you're making in that situation. At that point you can get a lot more value out of making smaller ships sooner and faster that you can use more efficiently.

[panzerleader]

The starting neutral fleets are random, I've seen 15 point fleets over Sullust and 45's, so that's something you can't control, other than a restart.  But once you have 2 tectors and say a dozen 1 point carries none of the neutral fleets can stop you.   

I would recommend not building any space stations or hvg's, you simply can't spare the money, and later when you have the money then you're already winning. 

Don't underestimate how powerful the 1 point carrier is, those tie hunters have ion cannons and they can kill the shields on capitals very quickly for your tectors to then easily kill them.  I like to have at least 12 in a fleet, those tie hunters hold up well against other fighters while you ignore them and attack the enemies capitals,  imo the tector is the best unit the EA has, i just find ssds annoying personally and the Praetor is good, but you can have 2 tectors for each one.  I will hyperspace in and let the enemy come to me.  While they're on their way to you, use your tie hunters to take down the shields and engines on a capital and then immediately move your hunters to the next capital.  Usually by the time the enemy ships get to my capitals none of them have shields and because you took out engines too then they get to your units peace meal as well.   

Also the neutral fleets will never go on the offensive, so as soon as you have a link to an enemy planet go hard after that enemy and ignore the neutrals until you have to go through one to get to more enemy planets.  When I play FTGU i will end up with lots of neutral planets still left to mop up after the other factions have been eliminated. 

If you would prefer to turtle more then don't station a fleet in a system next you your enemy, the enemy will always send a fleet they think is capable of destroying what you have stationed there, so if you have a 60 point sitting at your planet the enemy will send 90 or more to beat it.  If you leave nothing stationed there then the enemy tends to send 20 point fleets, I prefer to leave level one space station planets undefended because it's cheaper to just rebuild that level one after the enemy shows up.  I keep reaction fleets near but not at my borders and they can be as small as 1 tector and some support ships, i rarely see the enemy send anything substantial into one of your undefended systems.

Also if you've just won a battle over an enemy planet, leave a storm trooper in orbit and move right on to the next planet, you can stop the enemy from building a new station and if they come at you all you lost was a stormtrooper.   

[Magus]

^ Panzer knows what's up.
Adding on, I don't even build stations on planets bordering the enemy - enemy can wipe them if undefended. Defend the ground (even just a barracks can delay a ground invasion and give you plenty of time), leave space undefended, and when that 20-point enemy fleet shows up reroute one of your actual fleets to beat it right out of orbit.

[thatsashirt]

Yeah escort carriers are insane, just spam those early on and drown em in TIE Hunters until you have some breathing room for Tectors

[Arvenski]

Also if you've just won a battle over an enemy planet, leave a storm trooper in orbit and move right on to the next planet, you can stop the enemy from building a new station and if they come at you all you lost was a stormtrooper.

Stormtrooper be like "Why me?" lol

[Deltarius]

Stormtrooper be like "Why me?" lol

in this situation, I would say "eh,whatever  its just  around 50 Perkins clones? we can make more!"

[Mika-Chan, A.I yandere]

in this situation, I would say "eh,whatever  its just  around 50 Perkins clones? we can make more!"

YES! Send in more meaningless cannon fodder!

[Zardnaar]

I tested this on admiral difficulty. 1st things 1st, sort the economy out, built 3 mines and a trading stations.

 Sold the original fleet and builtm a 12 point fleet.

1 Victory II
1 Acclaimator
5 TIE Hunter escort carriers

the army was the staring one- 3 stormtroopers.

 Using Pathfinder units and retreating a lot I expanded onto Sullust, and then towards Bespin. Vondarc makes a good fortress world as the map is easy to defend, then prssed down towards Elrood and Mustafar.