the "best" start strategy

[hobknob]

From a bottom line standpoint there are certainly planets worth colonizing out side of the home system. It all depends on what you start with and what the potential colony has to offer.

 

I drew the line at 4 warps out for normal colonization just as a matter of practicality. The infrastructure that is required to utilize those types of colonies is fairly substantial. You need fuel, bigger ships, NTWD's at a minimum and higher level engines just to make it worthwhile. In addition it takes you much longer to get all the colonists out there in the first place.

 

The other part of the formula is yield based. Here is what I generally have used.

 

distance - minimum yield

1 - 350

2 - 450

3 - 650

4 - 850 ( or several in the 650 category on the same planet)

 

With initial tech and industrial bonus' it is profitable to mine yields greater than about 50 if memory serves. As you get better industries and better industrial science research then the number goes up. As your tech level gets higher you need a higher yield to be profitable.

 

It also depends on the resource that you are going for. Some resources would justify a distant colony while others would not. That, too, depends a lot on what your initial HW set up is.

 

One of the downsides to colonization is that it is hard to protect them. An aggressor would find a colony of 15,000 pop a very nice target. That then gives him a forward base to build screens and slower moving stuff for an eventual HW assault.

 

Good luck,

 

[Virmilyn]

So as not to waste those precious industrial points have at least one build order with TOOLED set to YES.

 

Bi 999999999 Iron <popcenter#> 9000 Yes

 

This will use up any industrial point left over. Or allow you not to have to issue a build order if you do not have something to build yet and use another order for exploring.

You will find tooled orders very useful down the road.

[B'tai Hazra]

Thank you all for the help!

 

I hope the setup arrives soon (and that my mail provider makes it possible for me to read my mail again ) It will be fun to study my home system and see what potential there is. I just hope I can absorb all your wisdom and make some good decisions...

 

Cheers,

 

Peter

[Jemanari Public Relations]

There is a post quite aways back in the Galactic Forum called The mighty turtle strategy ( can be found easily by doing a search for the word turtle). I found it quite informative when trying to decide between colonizing and building up my homeworld.

[B'tai Hazra]

...The mighty turtle strategy...

 

Yes, I read this discussion and it was very informative. I guess it comes down to how my home system looks like, number of good yield planets and such. And also how good my own HW is. And, of course, how I intend to role play my race.

 

It just irritates me that my mail provider decided to shut down today... Now that I really want to look at my setup.

 

Peter