Comments about
Figure's depicting.
Subtype 1,
Reliable.
A0: Sigmoid pillar of reliability, maximizing performance on an average expected Map, without dropping performance much in unfavourable extremes {UniTol+ProdLhwRep-SD-GC}.
B1: Logarithmic gambley approach, maximizing performance on a better than average Map, without dropping performance much in unfavourable extremes {UniAqua+Grow+ProdLRhwRep-SD-GC}.
B2: Logarithmic gambley approach, maximizing performance on a worse than average Map, without dropping performance much in unfavorable extremes {dunno, but theory predict its existence}.
Actually the most interesting subtype. Their Area Under Curve is statistically significantly outperform examples from other subtypes, yet they could perform worse than some other race in extremes. Relation between those races are creating metagame, as some of them could be better in AUC total, but strictly worse in performance in some different Map qualities relative to other Subtype 1 races etc. Sadly enough, their relation is also way more complex stuff than relatively simple common misconception we're bout to fix here, so its out of scope of (already too long) article.
Those races are what people usually supposedly to mention as "Effective". Problem is that some of those mentioned are more than often belongs to
other subtype, Subtype 3, and some not mentioned, while being effective are belongs to Subtype 2. Even more problem is that its not easy to set a needed tolerance level to definitely demark subtypes. Assume some supposedly B1 race strictly outperform some A0 race at 5% of Maps while slightly losing elsewhere. It seems reliable enough or not? What if its only 1% of Maps, but not only some special peak Map yet etc.
Subtype 2,
Peak.
C1: Logarithmic extreme, maximizing performance for the peak on best possible Map, but severely dropping performance in other ones {Feu+2ProdTeleTransdLRhw-Spy-Sci}
C2: Paranoid extreme, maximizing performance for the peak on worst possible Map, but severely underperform in other ones {DemoSub+Res+LAhwRep-SA-GC}
Those race are best under special conditions only. A race races to set records, not some reliable ones to play with something at stake. C1 is easier to get as there is a good video of
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0zSm1x_sTs]Rocco playing my record race (it would been even better if he mentioned there about the way more impressive fact that im played it in 18 turns in the real (no saveload, unknown map) run first, then improved it to16 turns playing from the save, and after that provided it to him to record a video. He still chow those 16 turns, reluctantly mentioning bout "save was given to me"). C2 is theoretical, as it intended to be played on "worst" map, not possible in actual vanilla map generator (no other satellite inside of Thorium range to land on, so playing from one planet only), but can be played with rules forbidding settling of satellites or capturing other colonies on any map. While Subtype 2 races generally statistically perform even worse than kids races of Subtype 3, unlike them they are Effective still, as they do actually reach the worthy goal they have to reach (outperform every other race is definitely a worthy goal).
Strictly speaking, Peak is also could be seen as B1 of Reliables taking to extreme. Under some settings they even could entirely overlap: say in Prewarp the Ultimate anti-AI Teleblitz (UniTeleTransdLRhwLg-GC-Spy), not only the most Reliable race, but also the Peak one (even on best possible Map FeuBlitz cannot outperform it due to need to actually do some research first); while in Average the C1 example race is the Peak one (but not Reliable one, that is still Teleblitz). And on Advanced neither of them are Reliable or Peak, the Settings matter
that much.
Subtype 3,
Junk.
D1: Just abstract representation of some mediocre race, that is significantly underperforming in comparison to Reliable, and never reaching Peak, while obviously doing strictly better than AI {something various creative kids and other lamers call "builds", there are shitload of them in innternets}.
D2: Just abstract representation of some other mediocre race, that is significantly underperforming in comparison to Reliable, and never reaching Peak, while obviously doing strictly better than AI {something various creative kids and other lamers call "builds", there are shitload of them in innternets}.
And here are those races those doesnt reach the goal they need to, or trying to reach not worthy one. For example, as mentioned in #1, there is no weapon player need above nukes to win any vanilla AI, so if race is set (and even reach) a goal of researching some other shining tech of victory to just slowly win with it, the goal itself is not worthy (unlike the goal of Peak races), even if race is actually succesful in it. Thats the most common mistake of new/lame players in a nutshell; they tend to not know actual benchmarks of race's performance, so often mistook weak performance of own "builds" as good enough (as it still can win AI (and we already know from #1 that there is no actual worthiness in it, its given)). Its easy to see that Junk races are created in hope of creating Reliable one, but failed attempt, either due to inability to keeping the pace with other, better races; or, due to player's ignorance, setting the goal too low (to bother with results). There even added some small intervals for them to outperform some Reliable races on it (as mentioned above, strictly speaking there could be eventually some uncertainty between Bx & Dx, depending on outperforming interval and overall AUC), but small enough to be considered significant.
Bonus stuff,
Antiraces.
E0: Race intentionally designed so bad, so even winning over AI is possible as some peak performance on a very favorable Map {-Food-Prod-SciCyber}
While there indeed are races that are intended to perform worse than AI, and thats their goal. Strictly speaking they are close to Peak races some twisty but similar way, just goal of Antiraces is severely scaled down in comparison, from outstanding performance to merely winning.
So in summary: there are not so
many worthy Effective races to talk about
per Setting: only Reliable and Peak. Most common mistake is to present some Junk race as Reliable, due to overvaluing of its (actually weaker than supposed) performance.
But, on the other hand: there are
many Settings to compare
at; and not every race worthy in one is also worthy in other. Most common mistake is not even realizing the difference between settings, like some typical creative kid who write list of "effective creative builds", and while Creative indeed would be a staple for a AdvancedTech race (while still very different one than that kid will usually write about), the kid will ensure its not something he have in his mind, as you would be able to immediately read his bright thoughts about importance to get an Automated Factories and Soil Enrichment early for this race (so definitely not AdvancedTech is meant (curious stuff is what is actually meant there tho, as it could looks author providing shiney advice to get Autos and Soils instead of rushing to research some PhasingCloak straight from the turn 0 (in a turn such behavior is a common cause of AI failures in this games, as they often researching some Phasors without getting into Autos at some horribly late T200))).
So dont fall into trap of calling some weaker for a given conditions race as "effective" even if you "invented" it (likely no such thing happened in this millennia), if it cannot outdo other races in reliability or peak performance. The mere fact it can outdo some other races or AI is not justifying it. Also dont fall into trap of not mentioning of Settings, they are really do matter.