Questions About the Game

Simple answer? You build a LOT of research... and focus only on the warp point openers. Eventually you get there. You probably want to colonize your entire system though (Oh, and use low tech costs).

Weapons are all 360 degrees, yes. As far as why soem target planets over space stations, are you using anti-planet weapons by any chance? A lot of those can't target a space station so they'd atttack the planet instead.

Yes, I think, but I've never done it. I just turn the speed of ship movement way up.

The resupply depo will deposit some supply wherever you are in the system, but it will also create a "local" supply for the planet.

Properly installed, they do not touch the main game files. You can "activate" them by going in game and choosing the mod when you start a new game.

it should be a case of both players have to have them, and then the game creator chooses whether or not to use it.

There are 10 types of people in the world:

Those that understand binary, and those that don't.

1. I can't answer this one... somebody else?

2. Yes, all weapons have 360 degree firing arcs. For the moment. I'm not sure why your ships wouldn't be firing at their designated target; perhaps the planet was in range but the space station wasn't?

3. If you go to Game Options then you can increase the speed at which the ships move. There are two settings which are faster than the default; I prefer the lower of these.

4. It helps to be in orbit. If you move into a sector containing a planet with supplies, then your ship will instantly beam up all the supplies it can carry (provided there are enough). However, for ships that are just "in the solar system," they will only receive 500 supply units per turn (per resupply depot) at most.

As an addendum to #4, note that one resupply depot is frequently NOT enough. Your ships on the front lines will chew through supplies much faster than a single resupply depot can replenish them. Sometimes its faster to build new resupply ships (which are created already full of supplies) rather than wait for more resupply depots.

5. Mods are perfectly safe - you don't have to overwrite any official game files. Each mod gets its own separate folder. In fact, the standard game is treated as just another mod in its own folder.

6. I haven't tried multiplayer yet, so sombody else will have to answer this.

Rilbur answered most of your questions better than I could, but as a parting note, mods really are part of the lifeblood of the Space Empires series.

Stock is good, but in the next 3-5 years the mods will be better.

Follow the instructions into the balance mod installation and none of your stock choices will be changed. PBEM and PBW games will note whether they are using a mod and the version used.

1. that was a concern of mine also since stellar manip requires alot of research. couldn't they of just done it like the medical lab where every 10 level is an actuall advancement in plague level cured. That way you could open a point to close system at tech one and work your way up. make components very expensive to make/upkeep and it won't hurt anything I don't think. I guess I'll have to mod this in...

There are three different places to set player preferences. One is on the start-up screen, one is in game under the menu and the last is where you view your empire, the Crown icon.

I can't remember where you set the ship movement speed but you can set it to fast and they will zip across the screen.

About supplies. Your supply depots create supplies and distribute them. My observation is that the supplies go to your ships and units first and any leftover supplies are stored on the planets in the system. If you create a fleet that needs a lot of supplies and the depot rate will take several turns, you can move the fleet to planets that have stored up supplies and the fleet will pull them off the planet. Look at them as back-up supplies.

As long as you leave your ships in formation, the AI will do the movement and targeting. If you break off a ship and control it, you have to find the option that allows you to turn of AI targeting and movement. Its one of the options on the bottom right. Once you’ve done this, you will have complete control over that ship. Just be aware if you don’t order it to move and fire after turning the AI off it will just sit there and die.

for me also try this in a solar system with only one planet as your homeworld and it a small or tiny one... I've had a game try to start me this way... New game... I guess one large planet would be the norm if you have all players start with blah blah checked so I guess test that a single planet situation. how many turns does it take until you are connected to another solar system.

hmm first thing scrap space yard, resupply, etc... build research facilities instead. End turn how many times doing absolutely nothing? Have fun

Note that no-warp-point games MUST have "players have seen all systems" turned on, or you'll be unable to select a target for your warp opener.

As for the original question, you don't have to start the game at the lowest tech level.