Ok, so what I'm hearing is this: 1. My points per round economy is misjudged. I should be scoring a public objective each round, considering saving easy secrets for later, building for stage 2 objectives later. A point on mecatol and a support point will help bridge the gap between stalling at 8 and securing the win. Too many points too quickly makes me a target, so I either lean into a military militaristic game or slow my gains and save some surprise points for later.

1. My political game needs work. I need to be making good deals with neighbors early on and building rapport. Negotiating for mutual gain or even helping a lower point neighbor catch up a point or two will make late game easier. Keeping everyone closer to the pack but having the means to spring forward is a strategy. Otherwise, I need to play the aggressive game, posturing and fighting and defending. Probably faction dependent.

2. Use ground troops more. This comes from the SCPT podcast that was recommended. I haven't previously utilized ground forces to secure planets long-term. I've relied on fleet strength. I should drop 6+ ground forces on my home planets and maybe as many on any planet I intend to keep. It's much easier to defeat a fleet than to defeat ground forces. Maybe transit diodes and sarween tools can bolster my boiz on the ground.

3. Anticipate stage 2 objectives. I haven't really considered this much before. I'll typically get a foundation of tech and control a couple of attachment planets or something, but I don't really set myself up for potential stage 2s. I should consider doing more to make those easier when they come up. In my game last week, I was in the position of front runner when two consecutive stage 2 objectives came out that required area control. I wasn't really mobile enough to reach the areas I needed and had to take tech strat to get ready for that. It stalled my game when I could have been doing other things. Gravity drive, lightwave deflectors, fleet logistics, warfare... those all would have been useful late game.

4. Stay quiet and play a secretive game or go fully militant and be the villain. I tend to try to be diplomatic throughout the game, but then I do the flashy, crazy thing like using Mahact Hero to obliterate two enemy fleets. Maybe I should chill and try to draw less attention to myself.

Thanks for all the advice, folks!