If outfitting each ship class,
refitting ships, and taking a hands-on approach to
ship-to-ship combat sound about as exciting as a
Billy Ray Cyrus convention, consider selecting the
Strategic Combat option, which automates all these
functions. You don't have to worry about scrapping
obsolete ships and combat is decided by statistics.
If you've decided not to select the Strategic Combat
option, you're going to be concerning yourself with
some ship-building. Here are some strategies to
consider:
Getting Set to Explore
Before you'll be able to get anywhere
in the universe, you need to research Nuclear Fission
and Chemistry, or else you'll never get the FTL
needed to get anywhere.
Beyond Scouts
If you really want to expand your
empire, you'll need to do a bit of research into not
only transportation but also weaponry. You'll want to
investigate Cold Fusion, Fusion Beam, Electronics,
Advanced Magnetism, and Physics.
Isn't That Special
Unfortunately, most players install
special systems after they've done everything else.
But if you want to succeed, you should consider
installing special systems first, keeping track of
the space you have left.
Hull Lot of Fun
Don't think that just because you have space in
your hull that you need to fill it with something. By
having some unused space, you can cut down the cost
as well as the time to build your ship.
Beam or Missile?
Every fleet should have a nice
balance of both beam weapons and missiles. Each type
has distinct strengths, so don't be afraid to mix it
up a bit.
Practicing the Black Arcs
Though it may seem silly to have an arc weapon, it
actually can be very effective, especially once you
get behind ships with front-mounted weapons. You'll
find arc weapons come in handy, even in battles with
the Antarans.
