Colony Essentials

[VBAM Charlie (OP)]

Having recently discovered Aurora (though I was a big fan of the Rigellian Diary over the years), I'm stumbling through my first real game after a couple of false starts.  I would seem to be fortunate in that both Mars and Titan were suitable colony candidates (Mars x2 cost and Titan 4.xx cost).

While I have populations on both, and either have infrastructure in place or am in the process, but what do I do next?  I got some automated mines on Mars, and will eventually get some on Titan so there is some local resource production.  What, in general, should my next steps be?  I'm sure once you get past a certain point of development, you can then specialize the role of the colony if needed, but what does the Aurora community consider to be the essentials for a colony to grow and thrive?

On a side note, when I settled Titan, I ended up with 2 colonies.  One has all the people, and one has...nothing.  However, I have two colonies show up in my summary, and I had two governorships created.  What's up with that?

[Erik L]

For non-zero cost colonies, I'll list my priorities.

1. Infrastructure. I like to have enough for 5-6 million colonists before the first one steps foot on the planet.
2. Automated Mines. I prefer these to manned because new colonies are chronically short on manpower.
3. Construction factories. I usually have them crank out 5-10k worth of infrastructure, then work at doubling their number.
4. Mass drivers. Well, more of an alternate 3. If the colony is to be unmanned strip mining op, then Automated mines and Mass drivers.
5. DSS/Research/Ordnance/Shipyard/Fuel Refineries. These are all somewhat interchangable at this point. DSS are good just to prevent anything from sneaking up. The Ordnance/SY/Refineries all go hand in hand (unless you don't use missile designs, then drop the Ordnance).

Also, once you get over 10 million, you need to start worrying about unrest. So build a PDC, station some troops or ships there to counteract it.

[VBAM Charlie (OP)]

Thanks!!!

Might be worth posting that in the Academy section.

[Erik L]

It's also a matter of personal preference what you put on the colony. I tend to not colonize a planet if it is over a cost of 2.0 (unless it's a REALLY good planet/location, or in a critical nodal location). So my population centers tend to be fewer.

[VBAM Charlie (OP)]

It's also a matter of personal preference what you put on the colony. I tend to not colonize a planet if it is over a cost of 2.0 (unless it's a REALLY good planet/location, or in a critical nodal location). So my population centers tend to be fewer.

Good point, however, I figure anything even remotely colonizable in the Home System should be for security reasons if not economic.

[Erik L]

It's also a matter of personal preference what you put on the colony. I tend to not colonize a planet if it is over a cost of 2.0 (unless it's a REALLY good planet/location, or in a critical nodal location). So my population centers tend to be fewer.

Good point, however, I figure anything even remotely colonizable in the Home System should be for security reasons if not economic.

DSS and fast mobile forces near the jump points. If you can see them when they come in, especially if they cannot see you, you've got a step up on them.