So I've had trouble understanding how civilian shipping lines begin to work.
- Do I have to do the terraforming first before shipping lines will start building ships and complete civilian contracts?
You need cargo handling module and nuclear engine researched for them to build a freighter, cryo as well for them to build colony ships.
Once you have two colonies in the same system (or in different systems within 4 jumps connected with jumpgates on both sides of all jumps), the civilians will begin shipping in either infrastructure (with freighter) or colonists (with colony ship) depending on which is needed and start growing the new colony. Once colony grows larger it will start to also produce and demand other goods that civilian will trade between the colonies (with freighter).
- Do the civilian contracts work under the (f2) tab? If they do, what is the difference between supply and demand? (Its not like I haven't taken economics but I'm a bit confused as to how this works here because in my perspective, if I want a TFbase built at planet x, I *demand* a TFbase. On the other hand, to me it could also mean I want a contractor to *supply* me with a TFbase)
- IF civilian contracts under (f2) does NOT work, where else can I find civilian contracts?
See wiki:
http://aurorawiki.pentarch.org/index.php?title=Civilian_contracts(I use the civilian contracts in the economy window and works decent as long as you enter equal supply and demand)
- Is there any way to automate combat? (I haven't faced NPRs yet but sooner or later I will. I don't feel like controlling every aspect of combat other than setting up some conditions and formations. )
There is an order to fire missiles in the task force window, but I haven't tried it other then to fire surveillance buoys on waypoints, So can't answer that good. I prefer controlling targeting and missiles myself.
- Is there any way for ground troops to train or is that limited to the navy?
IIRC Ground troops train automatically depending on their leader and the leader of their corps & HQ.
- Do resources ever replenish themselves? Or is it that once exhausted, I either find a new planet to exhaust or become stagnant?
Nope, you need to go out and find more to bring home (or move your home elsewhere where the resources are abundant). Don't worry though there are sources out there with vastly more resources then on Earth.