This is the Ninth Set of Random Tips
for Absolute Newbies. They are not in
any particular Order, so you can read
them in any sequence.
Twenty
Planets have different uses, some
no use at all.
Check the specs; (C) (J); to learn if
the Sysop has created special planets.
If not, Gaseous, Ice, and Desert Wastelands
should be destroyed as created using the
Atomic Detonator (A) purchased from (H)ardware
at the Space Port, and another Gen Torp fired
immediately.
Destroying a Planet creates a 10% Navigational
Hazard which will take you out if you don't
have a lot of Shields.
You can use Nav Hazs as "protection" for a
building planet as long as you aren't going
to Warp there until the Hazard has dissipated
to about 4%.
An Earth Type (M) is quite alright, but one
is all you need. Build it, then use it as a
'Supermarket' to upgrade other planets.
Mountainous build the Quickest, so most
players adore them and never have enough.
Oceanic are good for Organics and Flyers,
but building them is a waste of resources.
Volcanics are excellent defenders, build
them AFTER you've gotten an Earth Type
to Q cannon level.
If your first Gen is a Volc, (H) leave
it alone. Fire another Gen Torp to get
a Mountainous, (L) or Earth Type (M),
which you start building immediately.
Volcs take too many colos and too much
resources to be viable on their own.
Taking the "excess" Equipment and Organics
from an (M), moving colos at the last minute
is how you use your resources efficiently.
Twenty One
After fighting or running into debris,
check your shields. Make sure you have
at least fifty, optimum is all the shields
your ship can take. Without shields
anything can blow you up.
Twenty Two
Never build anything, even a free Mountainous
Planet in an unsafe sector.
Sectors with more than one way in are unsafe,
unless the other way is a dead end; hence
if your planet is in Sector 123 and leads
to 432 and 765, and 432 is a dead end, fine.
In fact, better than fine, because building
five worlds in 123 warping one into 432 and
then building another in 123 using colos
and goods from your other four is a Great
strategy...in fact, probably the winning
strategy.
However, before you waste a turn building
a freebie, make sure it's in a safe sector
or walk away.
Twenty Three
The Safest Sectors are out of the way dead
ends, (I'll leave out the remarkable
'tunnels' that exist in some games)
Out of the Way and One Way In are
two separate and vital attributes.
You want your planet in an area less
travelled. You will learn this when
you stop at a Trading Port and get up
to Fifty points as the first visitor.
When you begin to play you can't planet
build far from Earth, so are looking
for a one way Sector off Fed Space in an
opposite direction from the Star Dock,
under ten warps.
Once you don't need colos, you don't have
to be near Earth so can be at the farthest
reaches of the galaxy.
Note that if it's a 1000k universe that
does not mean that Sector 1000 is the
farthest point as there is a randomness
about the numbering; i.e. 13 can be
thirty turns from 12 while 234 is one
turn.
Twenty Four
Another trick that will stand you in
good stead is to find a One Way sector
with A BBB Space Port. (Buy fuel, Buy
organics Buy Equipment)
Many players advocate SSS Ports (Sell
all commodities) as a way to get their
goods for Citadel building without
travelling.
However, the draw back to an SSS is
that once commodities are being produced
on a planet there is no market, forcing
Transwarping to another sector which has
a BBB or having to destroy the Space
Station...very costly..to build another,
which makes no sense.
Having a BBB port means that you can
always sell extra stuff to get coin.
Once your planets are churning out goods,
upgrade the port to enable it to buy more
commodities.
