Post by Zensi on Sept 4, 2016 11:16:38 GMT
Here are the things you have to know from the start:
Bux
Don't forget to get bux from the drop ships every day. Look inside the box
Also fish them all the time. You can get bux from the blimps (zoom out the screen completely) and from the flying bux in space. There is a daily limit on how much you can collect, about 120 a day
How to spend it
Don't even think of painting your ship, till you get enough heroes and epic crew members on board, and have no idea what to do with all your bux.
Crew
Any crew members under 3 ☆ (look at the profile, remember specials display a shield), are basically useless. Even some with 3 ☆ or more, are also useless. Check the stats (look at the maximum values), the drop ship page, or ask on the game's chat. Your captain is a rare bird.
Need to elaborate more on the captains. They aren't ☆ characters, they actually have a shield (look carefully at the shape). This means they are special crew, that you can only get from Savy. Be it your first crew, promotions, prizes, etc., you can't get them from the draws. Unfortunately most captains aren't very good crew, and many players just store them in the drawer. The only exception is if you are lucky to get the ones with the rush ability.
Don't buy from the drop ship using bux any crew under 4 ☆, however you can use minerals for a good 3 ☆. There are good characters in the drop ships, however this can became expensive (price changes depending on the 4 ☆ and 5 ☆ you have). Guess they figure it is cheaper getting just the crew you want, than trying out your luck. If you have enough bux or the drop ship has became too expensive, go for the beer draw (you'll need to use bux for this). However, you might learn some characters are worth pawning your first mate, or breaking the piggy bank.
So basically keep the bad crew, until you get a better replacement. How you ask, go shopping and hit Character. The top option is to use your minerals to get a new crew member. These start cheap, and go up for every one you have. The bottom (after researching beer, and hence the beer draw) is to be used with bux, to get some of the "better" characters.
You can space the crew you don't want, to fire them. The prices go down a little and you get 100 minerals (yes only one hundred, regardless of what you paid) or 25 bux only for epic, heroes and special.
You should try to get a good crew early on, since it takes a while to raise them to a good level. You can keep those you don't want in the drawer, by hitting the remove button (don't drag them to space, or you loose them). However, you should always have a full crew. Your bedroom have 3 bunks, you put in 3 crew. You got 2 bedrooms of 3 bunks, you always have 6 crew on board. Don't forget to upgrade and add as many bedrooms as you can. Your ship depends on your crew. Lately Savy has started giving 1 crew bedroom as a bonus when you purchase bux. Many players go for them.
Keep all the crew you can carry, since they help rooms resist, repair damage, speed active rooms, lend their special abilities (starting at level 10 for 3 ☆ character or better) and repel boarders. Don't forget to borrow extra crew (these don't use the bunks!) from the alliance room when you are ready.
Also don't forget, when the bar over the crew flashes, it's time to upgrade that crew member. Press on him, and click level up. Remember you need gas for this. You can reduce the amount of gas needed for upgrading them. by doing research in the lab. Whenever you think you are done with your ship's upgrades go for another level of Advanced Training in the lab, will save you lots of gas on the long run.
AI
The most important room you can get is CMD, and makes the difference if you win or lose from about level 4 onward
You need to have the room installed to program the commands for either rooms or crew. When you are done programming, remove the CMD room. Don't forget, because you usually take another room to install it.
The system goes down the list until it finds an instruction that can run. It only runs one instruction for each type at one time. For instance it will run the first power command that is executable, and the first targeting command in the list for a weapons room.
How you defend and attack changes as you progress in the game, what worked at one level might not work on the next. So you will have to redo your AI as you advance and as you learn more
Rooms
You'll find that you need to add new rooms as you progress and will probably need to rearrange your entire ship. You will also need to remove rooms, as you develop your strategy for battle and it becomes what you like. However, don't forget that you should always keep upgrading the rooms you have. The system will tell you when you reached the highest room level for your current ship. This is important, since you gain speed in the active rooms (those with the green bars) or larger capacity/production in some rooms. So you need more storage to buy the best next thing, upgrade your storage rooms
Also depending on the tactics you develop and your fighting style, you might not need all the rooms. Many ships sail without some type of weapon rooms, and do a fine job. You need to find your style.
Don't forget to armor your active rooms, as they will resist attacks better. Not something you will probably need until around level 4, though there is nothing wrong in adding it since early on.
Power
The reactor isn't just a fascinating machine that spines, it is what powers your ship. You need to provide as much power (the green bars over the reactor room, or in the energy bar at the top leftmost) as needed for all your rooms. You need to add up the green bars of all the rooms you plan to power. The reactors should provide as much power, as your rooms demand. Hopefully more, since reactors are damaged during battle.
If you don't provide enough power to your rooms, you are starving them for power. The rooms will either not work or shoot very slowly. In other words you lost the battle from the start.
You will need to upgrade your reactors and add as many as you can. Even if this means taking other rooms out. If you can't power them up, these rooms are worse than not having them, since they can become targets. However, you can reduce your power demands, if a room upgrades. Fortunately, reactors don't power down during upgrade, so upgrade them all the time.
Layout
I won't go to much into layout design here. You need to connect your rooms, so your crew can repair them. Once a room is destroyed, even bullets from the turrets will damage the hull.
Having one room here, and another one there, does no good. If you think that boarders can't reach all your room, think again. A good boarder AI will reach all its targets, no matter the layout. Your crew will stop boarders better than an bad layout.
Also, make sure you have lifts connecting all your floors. The lift has to go from the bottom of the lower rooms to the middle of the upper rooms. This will insure that your crew can move between floors, therefor fixing damages as needed.
Trophies
Trophies are the way to keep track of your progress. However, to loose trophies isn't bad, just means you aren't ready for the next cldonkey of pilots. Keep adjusting your rooms and AI, until it works better. Just keep in mind that you can't win against all ships. Some of them outcldonkey you, and you won't be able to compensate against them. So don't worry the trophies will come in due time, just look for ways to improve your ship.
You will probably loose trophies when you are upgrading a room. Use the opportunity to find how to compensate the lose of that room, and improve your tactics. When it comes back on line, you should do even better
Alliances
Alliances offer you several advantages, but the most important is advice and experience. They have gone through the growing pains you are, and have advice on how to make them less frustrating. The alliance room also provide extra crew members, independent of your own crew complement.
With the addition of the alliance station, the reason to join one has become very tangible. For rookies, a good base will help you while defending, so you gain a bit more punch. It also provides you with an almost unstoppable weapon, since it can not be destroyed nor attack; only enough dodging ability from the engines might mitigate the damage.
However, the alliance is a big white empty room, that nonetheless what it provides takes space. In early stages of your career, you might need the space more than the big white room. Besides, banging your head against the wall at first might help you get a new perspective and understanding . Though if you feel stump look for one, or simply wait until you reach a more comfortable sized ship, around level 5 or 6.
Don't get discourage if just after getting your Alliance room, you start getting hit by much larger ships. Its part of the game, and you can learn even in those overwhelming defeats. Before you thought you were a big fish in a little pond, now the really big fishes are nibbling at you.
With the help of your alliance, you will start doing better and leveling up. Eventually you will be the big fish. You now are part of a group of players, rely on them and ask for help and advice. This is why it might not be a good idea to start your own alliance, since you get none of the benefits. Besides you can have fun running with your mates wrecking havoc in the galaxy.
To join an alliance, you need to get an alliance room. After that the best idea is to go to global chat and ask about joining an alliance. You will get several offers, and depending on your current ranking you might get offers from the higher ranked alliances.
Many of the top alliances, have starter sister alliances. These allow you to gain experience from the better players, as you progress in the game. In the cup button, you will find the top 100 alliances. If you hit browse in any of these, you will see a description of the alliance, and the requirements to join.
So it is now harder than before to be unaligned. Having a decent base guarding you, will give you a chance to survive more attacks. Many non top 25, and many starting alliances will have a decent enough bases to give you the protection you might need. It is something more easily checked than their reputation or ability to help you. However, if you are looking for one of the best training alliances, look for the ARMADA Militia, the training arm of Orion as well as all the other alliances in the Armada (Pillaging Scourge, Dark Matter Heroes, Looting Lunatics, and Victrix Mortalis)
Before you rush out the door
The lower level ships are to play around and experiment, trying to learn what everything does and how to use it. Regardless of everything else have fun, your ship will go down in flames, but like the phoenix you will reemerge to fight again.
Bux
Don't forget to get bux from the drop ships every day. Look inside the box
Also fish them all the time. You can get bux from the blimps (zoom out the screen completely) and from the flying bux in space. There is a daily limit on how much you can collect, about 120 a day
How to spend it
- First priority for using them is advance engineering (you research it in the lab). Four slots should be enough for a green horn like you
- Second priority is the beer draw (you also research it in the lab)
- Third priority get 4 ☆ crew (see below)
Don't even think of painting your ship, till you get enough heroes and epic crew members on board, and have no idea what to do with all your bux.
Crew
Any crew members under 3 ☆ (look at the profile, remember specials display a shield), are basically useless. Even some with 3 ☆ or more, are also useless. Check the stats (look at the maximum values), the drop ship page, or ask on the game's chat. Your captain is a rare bird.
Need to elaborate more on the captains. They aren't ☆ characters, they actually have a shield (look carefully at the shape). This means they are special crew, that you can only get from Savy. Be it your first crew, promotions, prizes, etc., you can't get them from the draws. Unfortunately most captains aren't very good crew, and many players just store them in the drawer. The only exception is if you are lucky to get the ones with the rush ability.
Don't buy from the drop ship using bux any crew under 4 ☆, however you can use minerals for a good 3 ☆. There are good characters in the drop ships, however this can became expensive (price changes depending on the 4 ☆ and 5 ☆ you have). Guess they figure it is cheaper getting just the crew you want, than trying out your luck. If you have enough bux or the drop ship has became too expensive, go for the beer draw (you'll need to use bux for this). However, you might learn some characters are worth pawning your first mate, or breaking the piggy bank.
So basically keep the bad crew, until you get a better replacement. How you ask, go shopping and hit Character. The top option is to use your minerals to get a new crew member. These start cheap, and go up for every one you have. The bottom (after researching beer, and hence the beer draw) is to be used with bux, to get some of the "better" characters.
You can space the crew you don't want, to fire them. The prices go down a little and you get 100 minerals (yes only one hundred, regardless of what you paid) or 25 bux only for epic, heroes and special.
You should try to get a good crew early on, since it takes a while to raise them to a good level. You can keep those you don't want in the drawer, by hitting the remove button (don't drag them to space, or you loose them). However, you should always have a full crew. Your bedroom have 3 bunks, you put in 3 crew. You got 2 bedrooms of 3 bunks, you always have 6 crew on board. Don't forget to upgrade and add as many bedrooms as you can. Your ship depends on your crew. Lately Savy has started giving 1 crew bedroom as a bonus when you purchase bux. Many players go for them.
Keep all the crew you can carry, since they help rooms resist, repair damage, speed active rooms, lend their special abilities (starting at level 10 for 3 ☆ character or better) and repel boarders. Don't forget to borrow extra crew (these don't use the bunks!) from the alliance room when you are ready.
Also don't forget, when the bar over the crew flashes, it's time to upgrade that crew member. Press on him, and click level up. Remember you need gas for this. You can reduce the amount of gas needed for upgrading them. by doing research in the lab. Whenever you think you are done with your ship's upgrades go for another level of Advanced Training in the lab, will save you lots of gas on the long run.
AI
The most important room you can get is CMD, and makes the difference if you win or lose from about level 4 onward
You need to have the room installed to program the commands for either rooms or crew. When you are done programming, remove the CMD room. Don't forget, because you usually take another room to install it.
The system goes down the list until it finds an instruction that can run. It only runs one instruction for each type at one time. For instance it will run the first power command that is executable, and the first targeting command in the list for a weapons room.
How you defend and attack changes as you progress in the game, what worked at one level might not work on the next. So you will have to redo your AI as you advance and as you learn more
Rooms
You'll find that you need to add new rooms as you progress and will probably need to rearrange your entire ship. You will also need to remove rooms, as you develop your strategy for battle and it becomes what you like. However, don't forget that you should always keep upgrading the rooms you have. The system will tell you when you reached the highest room level for your current ship. This is important, since you gain speed in the active rooms (those with the green bars) or larger capacity/production in some rooms. So you need more storage to buy the best next thing, upgrade your storage rooms
Also depending on the tactics you develop and your fighting style, you might not need all the rooms. Many ships sail without some type of weapon rooms, and do a fine job. You need to find your style.
Don't forget to armor your active rooms, as they will resist attacks better. Not something you will probably need until around level 4, though there is nothing wrong in adding it since early on.
Power
The reactor isn't just a fascinating machine that spines, it is what powers your ship. You need to provide as much power (the green bars over the reactor room, or in the energy bar at the top leftmost) as needed for all your rooms. You need to add up the green bars of all the rooms you plan to power. The reactors should provide as much power, as your rooms demand. Hopefully more, since reactors are damaged during battle.
If you don't provide enough power to your rooms, you are starving them for power. The rooms will either not work or shoot very slowly. In other words you lost the battle from the start.
You will need to upgrade your reactors and add as many as you can. Even if this means taking other rooms out. If you can't power them up, these rooms are worse than not having them, since they can become targets. However, you can reduce your power demands, if a room upgrades. Fortunately, reactors don't power down during upgrade, so upgrade them all the time.
Layout
I won't go to much into layout design here. You need to connect your rooms, so your crew can repair them. Once a room is destroyed, even bullets from the turrets will damage the hull.
Having one room here, and another one there, does no good. If you think that boarders can't reach all your room, think again. A good boarder AI will reach all its targets, no matter the layout. Your crew will stop boarders better than an bad layout.
Also, make sure you have lifts connecting all your floors. The lift has to go from the bottom of the lower rooms to the middle of the upper rooms. This will insure that your crew can move between floors, therefor fixing damages as needed.
Trophies
Trophies are the way to keep track of your progress. However, to loose trophies isn't bad, just means you aren't ready for the next cldonkey of pilots. Keep adjusting your rooms and AI, until it works better. Just keep in mind that you can't win against all ships. Some of them outcldonkey you, and you won't be able to compensate against them. So don't worry the trophies will come in due time, just look for ways to improve your ship.
You will probably loose trophies when you are upgrading a room. Use the opportunity to find how to compensate the lose of that room, and improve your tactics. When it comes back on line, you should do even better
Alliances
Alliances offer you several advantages, but the most important is advice and experience. They have gone through the growing pains you are, and have advice on how to make them less frustrating. The alliance room also provide extra crew members, independent of your own crew complement.
With the addition of the alliance station, the reason to join one has become very tangible. For rookies, a good base will help you while defending, so you gain a bit more punch. It also provides you with an almost unstoppable weapon, since it can not be destroyed nor attack; only enough dodging ability from the engines might mitigate the damage.
However, the alliance is a big white empty room, that nonetheless what it provides takes space. In early stages of your career, you might need the space more than the big white room. Besides, banging your head against the wall at first might help you get a new perspective and understanding
. Though if you feel stump look for one, or simply wait until you reach a more comfortable sized ship, around level 5 or 6.Don't get discourage if just after getting your Alliance room, you start getting hit by much larger ships. Its part of the game, and you can learn even in those overwhelming defeats. Before you thought you were a big fish in a little pond, now the really big fishes are nibbling at you.
With the help of your alliance, you will start doing better and leveling up. Eventually you will be the big fish. You now are part of a group of players, rely on them and ask for help and advice. This is why it might not be a good idea to start your own alliance, since you get none of the benefits. Besides you can have fun running with your mates wrecking havoc in the galaxy.
To join an alliance, you need to get an alliance room. After that the best idea is to go to global chat and ask about joining an alliance. You will get several offers, and depending on your current ranking you might get offers from the higher ranked alliances.
Many of the top alliances, have starter sister alliances. These allow you to gain experience from the better players, as you progress in the game. In the cup button, you will find the top 100 alliances. If you hit browse in any of these, you will see a description of the alliance, and the requirements to join.
So it is now harder than before to be unaligned. Having a decent base guarding you, will give you a chance to survive more attacks. Many non top 25, and many starting alliances will have a decent enough bases to give you the protection you might need. It is something more easily checked than their reputation or ability to help you. However, if you are looking for one of the best training alliances, look for the ARMADA Militia, the training arm of Orion as well as all the other alliances in the Armada (Pillaging Scourge, Dark Matter Heroes, Looting Lunatics, and Victrix Mortalis)
Before you rush out the door
The lower level ships are to play around and experiment, trying to learn what everything does and how to use it. Regardless of everything else have fun, your ship will go down in flames, but like the phoenix you will reemerge to fight again.
