Beginner Tutorial
Introduction
VGA Planets is one of the deepest and most complex strategy series ever developed, and Planets Nu is no exception.
The objective of Planets Nu is to achieve galactic conquest by conquering as many planets as you can.
If you play on or not, it is now time to get some actual training.
Go to "my games", and then select "start game"
All new players should first complete basic training, followed by the training scenarios, and then a single player game against an AI controlled enemy.
Even if you are a veteran of the original game, its a good idea to play a single player game, in order to get used to the interface at planets.nu, so you dont start a new game by making mistakes.
Your first classical game
When you feel ready, its time to find the first classical game to join. goto "JOIN GAME", and select "SHOW JOINING" in order to find a game that has not started yet. Its almost always possible to find a new beginner game. if not, try again next day. you cant, and you shouldnt join games with experienced players And then it is time to select a race
If you are completely new to the game, i suggest you select a race that is not to hard to learn. I rate the races like this, with the easiest race to learn first:
1. Colonials (free fuel, fighterbuilding, and moneymaking ships, if you cant find any good natives)
2. Robots (fighterbuilding, and 4*minelaying for good defense)
3. Rebels (fighterbuilding. Falcons are good, but requires extra tactical skills)
4. Federation(Good versatile race with plenty of money)
5. Crystal(Very good defense, but you have to learn how to manage your webs)
6. Lizards(richest race in the game, but have to be played very intensely, and requires good logistical skills.)
7. Birds(You can hide for a long time, but to attack someone, you need to learn guerilla tactics. And you will lack firepower)
8. Empire(Weak early in the game, and requires good logistical skills to build up)
9 Fascist(versatile race, but you have to master the economical advantages, or you will fall behind in firepower)
10. Privateers(Simply requires lots of skill, and is a lottery race. Find yourself between 2 loki races, and youre dead. Not a good experience for a new player.
11. Borg (very weak early in the game, requires lots of skill to master)
The First Turn
- Notice: This tutorial does not apply to Giant Melee games as they give you more planets and more ships. Your first will also not necessarily be turn 1, either.
The freighter
To start colonizing planets, you transfer cargo to your starting freighter (which has a Transwarp Drive). Transfer about 160 clans and 40 supplies, invert it if you are The Cyborg. Carry about 300 to 500 megacredits, to be dropped to a very important planet to facilitate maximum growth.
Move it to adjacent planets. Make every attempt to avoid going into deep space (or disguise movement if unavoidable). Your freighter can move up to 81.54 ly each turn, although a warp well can allow you to go further.
The planet
With respect to the home planet, it is a good idea to build some mines (about 50 more, 150 more if you are The Solar Federation) and factories (about 100 more).
There are two different approaches to taxation practices that you can use to raise megacredits. It is imperative that you learn to growth tax, especially if you are playing as The Lizard Alliance. This way, you get the most of your colonists and, therefore, your megacredits.
With growth taxing, it is usually a good idea to knock the happiness down to 70, let it grow to about 100, then knock it back down to 70, and so on.
The starbase
Starbases are key Space Objects that orbit a planet. If you are a premium member (and newly registered players get their first month free), always raise the Engine tech level to 10 so that you can build the most efficient engine, the Transwarp Drive.
The first build is a key choice to make, and ultimately depends on the race you are playing and what you would like to do.
Lizard
The Lizard Class Cruiser (tech 4) is an excellent ship with a superb cargo hold and cloaking capability. Be aware that it requires 8 kT Neutronium to cloak. With torpedo tubes, it is also a great mine layer.
Privateer
The Meteor Blockade Runner (tech 5) is one of the most powerful ships the Privateer Bands can employ. It is equipped with a Gravitonic Accelerator, allowing it to move twice the normal speed (162.54).
It is also potent for exploiting the Rob mission (steals Neutronium and other cargo from hostile ships), and can lay decent minefields as well with its torpedo tubes.
Cyborg
Don't let the B200 Probe's small cargo hold fool you. As a tech 1 design, you can easily get away with dropping only a single clan on each planet (assuming they have non-Amorphous natives). A common suggestion is 5 clans, 10 supplies. It can also hyperdrive about 350 ly at the expense of 50kT of Neutronium.
Empire
The Pl21 Probe (tech 1) is another hyperdrive ship, extremely potent for its uses, as it can detect enemy presence with its Dark Sense mission.
Robotic
The Cat's Paw Destroyer (tech 2) is the Robotic Imperium's only mine layer, but it is extremely powerful. It's 300kT cargo hold allows it to easily carry enough clans and supplies to colonize planets and when the time comes to lay minefields, it will lay quadruple the normal amount of mines for the same grade of torpedoes.
Rebel
The Falcon Escort (tech 2) is the last of the hyperdrive ships. It can remotely commence Rebel Ground Assault against opposing planets (after movement). It is also an excellent remote minesweeper late-game.
Other races
Another Medium Freighter (tech 3) is usually fine. If you are building something other than a freighter as your ship build, then X-Ray Laser beams (tech 1) are usually fine accompanied with (if supported) Mark IV Photon torpedo tubes (tech 5). In any case, always equip your first ship with Transwarp Drive(s).
Finalizing the first build
Once you've decided on your first build, then raise the hull tech to the tech appropriate with your hull and if what you plan on building supports torpedoes, then raise the torpedo tech to level 5 as well before you enter the space dock.
The space dock is where you construct the various ship parts and assemble them to form a new ship.
