So lost - can anyone outline a basic strategy?

[Unimpressed]

Bought the game as soon as it came out.  I have to admit I'm completely lost.  There seem to be so many options and I don't really have a feel for what is important and what isn't.  So basically, I'm asking if someone would be so kind as to lay out a basic strategy for playing through this game on easy so as to get a feel for it.

Thanks

[FroBodine]

I am in the exact same boat with you.  So many things to do, and absolutely no understanding of any reason to really do anything.

[Hartmann]

Click on "computer" advisor. It'll help you a lot.
Other than that, try to have a good influence on everyone, and don't take sides in war. Crush a lot of pirate trader, they drop interesting stuff.

Basically, there are three kind of actions : Benevolent action (friendly), malevolent action (hostile), and political action (by clicking on the button under 'hostile action'. It explains what kind of governement the race has, and what you can do). The items you get by attacking pirates can be used to bribe alien leaders, which in result allows you to meddle in their affairs. However, leaders are short-lived, so do the bribe just before suggesting a political action.


Also, check the techs once in a while. If "The Last Hydra" has an unchecked box, it means you NEED that technology, or you'll end up outgunned. If it's blank, it doesn't interests you, but it can be useful.


And try to have everyone like you. Make them like you, while you wait for races to start liking/disliking each other. Once they start strifing/trading, their relations will move. Depending how it goes, you can quickly create a federation.





And the Black Market, oh god the Black Market. You don't NEED an outpost to use your scientist/construction worker. They can be used in planetary cooperation projects (under the "friendly actions"). Don't hesitate to get a lot of them, it's really quicker. And projects longer than 60 months can't be sponsorised.
And also, be careful around the thoraxians. Their leader have a social disorder of some kind.




AND VERY IMPORTANT : if you decide to be hostile against a race, recruit an informant BEFORE attacking that race. My game is extremely hard because of that. Even if I cripple the Acutians, I still can't do anything against them.

[FroBodine]

This is good stuff Hartmann. I think we need lots more helpful tips like these, for those of us really struggling grasping the concepts of this game.

How do you research specific technologies?

Could you please elaborate on your comments about scientists/construction worker, and cooperation projects?   Why are they so important?

Why would I want to attack a race?  In one comment you say to have everyone like you.  So, how would being hostile against a race be helpful at all?

[Rujasu]

I think the most important button for a new player is the computer advisor button that shows you the tech that benefits you but you don't have. You absolutely must not let that list grow too long, or you'll fall way behind in combat.

How do you research specific technologies?

Two ways to do this:
1. Under "Friendly actions" for a planet, the research technologies button. You can use this to research something neither you or the planet's owner has, and at it's completion you both gain said technology.
2. Sometimes nobody wants to research a specific tech with you or everyone already has it. Under "Hostile actions", once you've paid to get an informant from the same menu, there's the "Raid for technologies" option. The planet's owner obviously doesn't like you for doing this, but sometimes it's the only way.

Those are the only ways to get techs. Either make someone more powerful by researching with them, or piss someone off by stealing it.

Could you please elaborate on your comments about scientists/construction worker, and cooperation projects?   Why are they so important?

Researching a tech with a race (option 1 from above) is one of those "cooperative projects". You both get the tech, you get credit and they like you a little more.
They can take huge amounts of time, though, and nobody wants to start a project with you that lasts over 60 months. You can hire scientists from the black market that give a flat decrease for research time once (automatically) used.
Same applies to construction workers and space outpost building.

Why would I want to attack a race?  In one comment you say to have everyone like you.  So, how would being hostile against a race be helpful at all?

Sometimes you can't help it, sometimes you just want to be a dick for the sake of being a dick. The goal of the game is to form a federation, whether or not that involves wiping out 7 of the 8 races is completely up to you.

[Hartmann]

>How do you research specific technologies?

I don't know much about science outpost, but I heard you can research stuff in these. But it's hard to defend them, so most often, if you want to research a specific technology, you have to cooperate with an alien race.
Because a four-headed hydra in a lab coat sounds fun, I want you to have that image in your mind now.
Basically, you put your massive intellect on a project, while being paid by the alien. After several months, the tech is out, the alien who sponsorised you get a copy, and you get a copy too. So you can theorically get paid by an alien race to develop a technology that you'll gift to their enemies.

Some hydras just want to watch the world burn.



>Could you please elaborate on your comments about scientists/construction worker, and cooperation projects?   Why are they so important?

There are many construction projects. You can invest in a planet, and build the building yourself. You can convince the alien to do it themselves.
And you can also help them build an outpost.

To keep this simple, I'll pretend it's the same thing each time (while it is in fact different).
So basically, you pay/get paid to build a building/research a tech. So you have an estimation of how long it'll take you (estimation limited to 60 months, as NOBODY would pay for a project longer than 60 months). That's where scientists/construction workers come in. These guy REDUCES the time needed to build/research. Usually, they are only useful one time.
In short, you want an awesome tech that turns Twilight into the King Lear. You found a race that doesn't have it yet, and is ready to pay you to develop it for them. But it'll take you 10 years (120 months) to find a technology to turn feces into gold.
If you have scientist, they'll REDUCE the time needed (usually one month per scientist). So if you hired 80 scientists (that's an uncommon amount of brains - beware of zombies), researching the tech will only requires 40 months.

And they're important, because things are still moving around you in the galaxy. 40 months are enough for a fleet to get destroyed, a planet eco-system ruined, or a new leader replacing one that loved you. Also, there's a risk of another race developping more techs, and you lagging behind.

Why would I want to attack a race?  In one comment you say to have everyone like you.  So, how would being hostile against a race be helpful at all?

Simply put : be nice to everyone until you understand the game.
When people don't like you, it blocks a LOT of stuff you can do. And they send assassins against you. And they post passive-agressive tweets at the bottom of the screen.
But in the end, you will NEED to be hostile toward other races. And there are many reasons for that :
- you don't like them, because you're a communist and they're capitalist,
- they have a technology that you want and can't research for some reason,
- they have an outpost that you want,
- their leader said that one of your head looked like a helium balloon,
- you need ressources for [INSERT REASON HERE].

Keep in mind that not all hostile options are really hostiles. For example, you can steal a technology without destroying anything, and they won't stop liking you. You'll just get a small malus.


But in the end, you may be forced to attack simply because they don't want to join your Federation, and you can't be a winrar if there are Rebels around.
I heard it's possible to win the game without attacking anyone, but I get that game the day before yesterday, so I'm still discovering. Abd I only played it for 6 hours. I'm sure everyone else on this forum can help better than me.

I'm just the only one caring enough.
EDIT : and there's Ljas. The Good Guy Ljas. Thanks for helping. At least there are TWO people here that are willing newbies.

[Rujasu]

I don't know much about science outpost, but I heard you can research stuff in these.

Owning a science outpost is basically like having a bunch of permanent scientists, from what I've gathered. Research still has to be done in tandem with someone else. You can also use it to boost a race's science research for 60 months for influence.

[Hartmann]

Owning a science outpost is basically like having a bunch of permanent scientists, from what I've gathered. Research still has to be done in tandem with someone else. You can also use it to boost a race's science research for 60 months for influence.

Ha? That might be interesting to defend them, then.

Also, would it help if I were to upload some commented screenshots?

[Billick]

In order to form the Federation, you don't just have to get the races to like you, you need to get (at least some of them) to like each other.  Trading is godly for getting races to like each other.  A few years of being trade partners will usually make races best buddies with each other.  In order to get trade going though, they need to get resources to trade. This generally means getting them to build moon colonies.

Also, outposts are quite defensible if you hire some security goons.  I had 4 outposts up for almost a whole game.  They really help with research, or you can just loan them out for a big influence bonus every five years.

[Hartmann]

Don't know if it's okay, but I made that.

It's very basic for now, but given the amount of text in the game, I honestly don't think I need to explain what each action does.
Just don't be afraid of clicking on stuff. And don't think that "Detailed Intel" is scary, you WILL need that button in order to change your weapons, customize youy abilities, or simply check on your prisoner/bribing items.

[Unimpressed]

Thanks for the replies, I appreciate it. One thing that I find confusing/unsettling is the whole research thing.  The computer adviser warns about this a lot, so I figure it's important.  But there are very few opportunities to research peacefully and when they do come around, they take a long time.  Then when you start a project that takes this long time, the computer warns you about it.  I guess I'm asking the following questions:

1. Is it a good idea to steal techs from a race you are trying to be friendly to?
2. Is it a good idea to spend, say, three years researching (or doing anything else for that matter), or is the loss of control over the game for that long a period problematic?

[Billick]

Thanks for the replies, I appreciate it. One thing that I find confusing/unsettling is the whole research thing.  The computer adviser warns about this a lot, so I figure it's important.  But there are very few opportunities to research peacefully and when they do come around, they take a long time.  Then when you start a project that takes this long time, the computer warns you about it.  I guess I'm asking the following questions:

1. Is it a good idea to steal techs from a race you are trying to be friendly to?
2. Is it a good idea to spend, say, three years researching (or doing anything else for that matter), or is the loss of control over the game for that long a period problematic?

It's ok to occasionally take an influence hit to get a tech that you really need, but I'd recommend stealing from a race you don't care about what they think about you if you can.  If you can manage it, try to get all your research down to 5 months at most.  You can do this by stealing research techs, taking research outposts, and hiring science goons. 

[Azurian]

 Skylaxians: Neutral Good - Tries to improve the wellbeing of all in the system but willing to be flexible

Peltians: Chaotic Good - Furry little creatures that just want to love

Andor: Lawful Good - Unwilling to break their codes and laws

Boarines: Lawful Neutral - Stick to themselves and their territory

Erucks: Chaotic Neutral - Amorally search for tech


Thoraxians: Chaotic Evil - Just want to invade everything

Burlusts: Lawful Evil - Mostly honourable warrior  clans


Acutians: Neutral Evil  - Will do anything for best profits

Player: Neutral

[Toranth]

Thoraxians: Just want to invade eat everything

Fixed that for you.  The Bugs are the bane of my both of my games so far.

[BobTheJanitor]

I think the 'so lost' problem in general would be alleviated by the game being more helpful about drawing your attention to important events. Right now you have the crawl down the right side of the screen that seems to want to tell me every time a Peltian sneezes. That's information overload. (And yet ironically not enough information, when I tried to click on one of the alerts assuming it would tell me more, it just made it disappear... after that I pretty much just ignored it) I need something to pop up with important details, like say someone just declared war on someone else, or big race relation changes, or some race is getting too far ahead of me in technology, or whatever. Like the 'X is now spacefaring', except even those announcements aren't terribly useful because it's all done with a voiceover which you can miss the pertinent details of if you're on default volume settings.

I'd like to see alerts prioritized in such a way that some will actually pop up a message for you to click out of, and perhaps even pause the game. This can be important if you're in the middle of fast-forwarding through years of dispatch missions and something happens that you might want a chance to react to immediately.