What does it mean “insufficient fleet capacity”?, Tom asked measuredly.
Tried a small map against a normal and it was another easy win. I guess I just got unlucky on that other map. Debating if it’s more fun to increase the AI or number of players…
It means you don’t have enough supplies to field the frigate/cruiser/capital ship you want to build, or not enough trained crew for the capital ship.
To identify which, just look at the top of your screen - if the little box say 0 and you’re trying to make a capital ship, you’ll need a Fleet upgrade for more crew. If the other box has a number less than the number assigned to the unit you’re trying to buy, you need the other kind of fleet upgrade.
Basically, go to your research page and into the Fleet tab. There’s two kinds of (expensive) upgrades - one kind for fleet capacity and the other for army supplies.
Be wary of expanding the fleet capacity too much though - the increased logistics makes it so that your resource gathering takes a hit. (“Upkeep”) Which makes it harder to recover from losing your fleet, to discourage repeat big-fleet rushing.
Thanks, Gukumatz.
I’ve finnally gotten the hang of the game. Although I usually play the random maps with no pirates (the upgrade download they have available). Right now I’m still trying to work out my strategy and trying some different races.
For my game play, I try and send out a scout to every spot on the map. Find not only those natural choke points, but also identify which planets will be easier to capture. From what I can see the planets are a mix if having 4 or 5 ship, or 8 to 10 ships before you take it over. I’ll be building up my resources and the fleet until I have a decent portion of the map explored. Then I look for not only those asteriods that can be colonized (usually only two ships defending), but also those debries fields. Those are not only a great place to plant some crystal or metal mining facilities, but because you don’t “own” that gravit well, the AI almost always ignores those stations. So it lets you have a little spy section out there than rarely will be taken over.
I’m planning on getting comfortable on “normal” play with one AI right now, then graduate up to multiple computer players and see how that works. About the only thing I semi-cheat on is that I always use the high resources setting.
It doesn’t auto attack your ships as it comes through?
Sounds like Age of Empires in outer space.
He’s talking about the metal/gem extractors that are some times located in empty gravity wells. I do the exact same thing. For whatever reason the AI leaves them completely alone, so they act as early warning systems if you pay attention to the system map. You’ll see enemy ships enter the well and they will even be color coded for Pirate or the various aliens you are playing against.
-XT
Not really much like it. Different pace for one thing. It’s more like playing Galactic Civ in real time but without the really complex tech tree.
Wish we could design and build our star ships like in Gal Civ though…
-XT
Cool.
I think I have the 1v1 maps mastered. Just played a ‘hard’ and had no problems at all (in fact I was playing as the Advent and restricted myself only to the harmony tech tree and still didn’t even face a serious setback)
The thing I’m confused about now is the culture achievement reward I flipped about 5 worlds using nothing but culture every portion of space was connected by my culture lines had communications stations everywhere and had about 6 of those super powered culture cannons firing at will and still didn’t get 75% culture! Seriously what do you have to do?
The achievement things each have a description on what exactly you have to do to achieve them. I just shut down my computer or I’d take a look. Some of them were pretty off the wall.
Here’s a question, anyone know how to change your name in the game from “New Player” to something else? Or pick a default color?
It’s in the setup player options. You can do this for your single-player and multi-player handles.
Have you tried an online multiplayer game yet btw? If so how does it work? I know you have to connect through their service (sort of like Blizzards online net for Diablo I’m guessing) but I haven’t tried it yet myself.
-XT
Age of Empires in outer space would be StarCraft.
And while I really liked StarCraft, this ain’t it. 
-XT
And to be accurate, Age of Empires is StarCraft on the ground.
…Which is Warcraft in space.
…let’s not take it back further, okay?
There was playing Anacreon with email attachments. 
Picked this up today and promptly played it for five hours without even realizing it. The thing is, I’m not even sure it was really all that much fun… but it was definitely damn addictive, and I’m sure I’ll be back to it at some point over the weekend.
Well my point was I won a game using culture and still didn’t get the 75% you need. How can you get it maxed out when you win before the threshold is met? I think I’m going to have to isolate the enemy and spread my own culture in my own borders until every planet I own is maxed and use my culture cannon on my own border worlds until they’re all 100% loyalty or something…Very annoying.
As for the look there’s an option in single player to setup player or something that lets you pick the color and the name.