Tips for new players

[hikkiko]

AFAIR all this modules work as planetary structures. . .  just add a colony and place it on the orbit(you can delete cargo and cargo handling modules or use it only to deliver mass drive)

[CaptnCranky]

It would be helpful if there was an order to mine asteroids automatically and then carry minerals back to colony.  Usually they have small amounts of minerals and micromanagement of them all might be a bit tedious.

[blue emu]

It would be helpful if there was an order to mine asteroids automatically and then carry minerals back to colony.  Usually they have small amounts of minerals and micromanagement of them all might be a bit tedious.

I give each Asteroid Miner a cargo hold to carry a Mass Driver. When arrives at the Asteroid, it unloads the Mass Driver and starts mining. When it's done with the Asteroid, it picks up the Mass Driver and heads off to the next rock.

[TheDeadlyShoe]

When an asteroid miner is assigned to (orbiting) a body with minerals present it will show up in the mining screen next to where it says "Ground Based Mines".  It will then work similarly to automines, simply piling minerals up on the body.  You'll want either freighters to haul the minerals back, or a mass driver to send them to some central location.

Practically speaking, it's nearly always better to pick out asteroids for mining yourself and send the miner there. The logistics are too complicated otherwise.

[segundoblz]

Scientists do age, but they have a much reduced chance of death vs the military officers.   The number of labs makes no difference with the chance of advancing them which is why 1 lab each works fine.   The academy produces all of your leaders, including the admin and scientists.

Brian

Does it mean + academy + scientists?

[Zook]

Can you rename star systems? Mine are all called Gliese.

[Erik L (OP)]

Can you rename star systems? Mine are all called Gliese.

Yes. F9, lower left, Rename system

[Steve Walmsley]

Can you rename star systems? Mine are all called Gliese.

They are probably Gliese plus a number. This is the name by which the primary star is known to real world astronomers, although there are several different star catalogues so I have tried to use names from different ones to reduce the number of Glieses a little

Steve

[Zook]

I sent a bunch of asteroid miners to an asteroid, but they didn't start mining. I waited for a month or so, but they only got to work when I ordered them again to move to the location where they already were.

[Steve Walmsley]

I sent a bunch of asteroid miners to an asteroid, but they didn't start mining. I waited for a month or so, but they only got to work when I ordered them again to move to the location where they already were.

A ship has to be assigned to a particular population if it needs to function as part of this colony. Normally, this is invisible because when a fleet moves there this is set automatically. However, if you moved them there and then set up the colony afterwards, or SM'ed them into position, that wouldn't happen. You can fix it as you did above by moving them to the location again, or you can set a ship's assigned population at the top right of the Ship Window (F6).

Steve

[Zook]

Ah, thanks. That's one I probably would never have figured out.

Next question: can I automate transporting maintenance supplies to a colony? I've built a specialized supply ship, but I can only unload supplies manually.

[Steve Walmsley]

Ah, thanks. That's one I probably would never have figured out.

Next question: can I automate transporting maintenance supplies to a colony? I've built a specialized supply ship, but I can only unload supplies manually.

You need to flag the supply ship class as a "Supply Ship". There is a checkbox in the top right of the F5 Ship Class Window. A fleet with a supply ship has additional orders it can use, such as unloading supplies.

Steve

[Zook]

And the next one:

it takes 12 mouse clicks to send a ship from Sol to 34 OphiuchiA-IV, not including refueling etc. Can't they find their own way, instead of having me tell them explicitly through which gates to jump?

BTW, I'm putting things from this thread in the wiki FAQ.

edit: Aaaargh. I've found it. Could you pleeeeeease rename "Show all Pops" to something more... intuitive?

[Beersatron]

And the next one:

it takes 12 mouse clicks to send a ship from Sol to 34 OphiuchiA-IV, not including refueling etc. Can't they find their own way, instead of having me tell them explicitly through which gates to jump?

BTW, I'm putting things from this thread in the wiki FAQ.

edit: Aaaargh. I've found it. Could you pleeeeeease rename "Show all Pops" to something more... intuitive?

NB. That show all pops will only work if the destination is within 4 jumps - that is a hard cap Steve put in on auto-routing.

[telegraph]

I figured out this tip.  I am not sure if new players will find it here(I would not), so if you guys agree that it is sane - maybe there is some better place to place it?

So here we go:
I find it helpful not to design any colony ships.  This way shipping lines are forced to use luxury liners, which takes much less people in a single run, but generate greater profit.  It might also be helpful to obsolete freighter design when you feel that you had enough of civilian freighters for now.  This will force shipping lines to build more luxury liners.

Why?
Because this way you:
1.  get more income.
2.  do not need to produce any infrastructure beyond initial ammount, as colonies grow slowly enough to be supported by civilian infrastructure.
3.  have plenty of time to plan and deploy necessary defence forces.