Comparison game for early expansion

[bahman]

>1) When should you start researching?

When my expansion is stopped. Normally I concentrate on economy and expansion first which means I research planetalogy and construction (also computer to have RC) for economy and propulsion and again planetalogy for faster expansion.

>2) How much are poor planets worth?

They are greate. It is hard to have them developed but they are perfect for research. Most of the time they are big system too which in fact makes them even better for research.

>3) How much do you benefit from using drawn-out rather than crash >research?

I don't understand your question.

 

[neutrino]

some of my thoughts on the early phase of the game ...

1. RESEARCH: i tweak the research allocation so that Propulsion and Planetology get more RPs. (Retro engines are just darn inadequate for quick expansion; Standard Colony Base is too limited; Reduced Industrial Waste = more RPs can be spent on things you need.) in addition, Industrial tech should not be neglected. (Reduced Factory Cost = more RPs can be spent on things you need.)

2. PLANETS: finding rich and ultra-rich planets close to your home world is very nice, but they are beyond reach, unless either your are playing as the Sillicoids or have Colony Base that can colonise hostile planets. probably more beneficial to find non-hostile planets w/ decent size in the early beginning, so you can build up faster. you cannot spend much RPs on research w/ underpopulated and underindustrialised planets.

3. JUMPSTART: BCs come in handy, if you just happened to colonise a new planet and needs to have it jumpstarted. such a planet needs to be built-up quickly, especially if it is vulnerable to invasion. underpopulated colonies are vulnerable to destructive bombardment and ground assault.

4. SHIPBUILDING: colony ships should be built at a steady pace, but do not overdo it, as they are expensive, and they may become obsolete as you progress in Colony Base and Propulsion techs. scouts are essential, as Deep Space Scanner is still years away. fighters should be build at a steady pace, but not overdo it, as they are mostly for defense/deterrence against small fleet invasions. you need to put some RPs for shipbuilding, but growth and research demand more RPs. serious military build-up should be avoided until you have sufficient economy or bloody wars become inevitable.