by Ordrek
I'm really late to this conversation, so sorry for the necro.I just wanted to say that at about a dozen plays now, RIS (as you call them) is now my favorite faction. Yes, the lack of Dreads is a blow, but a manageable one. I hardly notice the lack of a colony ship (see below) and rarely notice the ship cost (again, see below).
As has been mentioned by a few in this thread, while not having dreads is harsh, RIS also never has to invest actions in those ships. I mostly focus on making great cruisers and ints/SBs just for pinning and bombing runs.
I think many of you have glossed over what I feel is the perhaps the strongest advantage of RIS: The 3 to 2 trade using money. This means you can afford to go really deep on money population while letter your other flounder until you feel like catching up. If you go deep in one track, the returns obviously get more efficient per cube. This efficiency can make up for much of the losses in other resources. It also gives you tremendous flexibility. You can either take many turns if needed (like influence) or (what I often do) pass early to get first picks on tech and have money banked to turn into the resource you need when you need it. They don't need to plan their resources nearly as strictly as other races so long as they are sitting on some cash. Orion can't touch this level of economic efficiency and versatility.
These guys can make better use of Advanced Economy than anyone else, so snatch it if at all possible. Also don't be afraid to have an unfriendly sectors trade with your neighbor if they happen to be rich in money planets.
I'm not saying RIS are untouchable, but they do offer a play style that is very different which touches on both battle/aggression as well as a style of economic development that no other race can match (magellans and terrans come closest). I tend to see RIS as an extreme version of Terrans.
P.S.- Don't forget the other advantage RIS has: An extra slot for battle rep.