How to start the game in 2015...

Stylesrj said:

Any love for the Electromagnetic Scanner? You know, instead of a Tectonic Scanner, Thrusters or the whatnot, you can see every Progenitor Ruin on the map (and alien bones, satellites and settlements but it's the ruins you want) and possibly get free Affinity upgrades if you rush your Pioneer-enhanced explorers over there?

Click to expand...

I use it. It not only shows the ruins, but gives you your position on the map, and a rough idea of where the landmasses are.

And every once and a while you get stupid lucky with affinity bumps. Current game on Soyuz = 4 (4!) affinity upgrades. Game is like over before it started. Plopped a city next to my nearest neighbor's capital and letting him smash himself against a handful of troops while I build up the rest of my empire.

I wouldn't use Pioneers if I unlocked them. Apollo is already pretty easy to beat, why would I want to make it a complete beatdown?

Well, because it's fun and from my experience it's slightly faster as long as you start with enough free space.