New player looking for Tips

Play a few single player games to get over the learning curve as well as to see which race most corresponds to you. Read the forums for strategies if you have trouble and then get onto multiplayer to practice your mettle for real... You learn so much by losing a couple multiplayer matches, e.g., "Damn, I shouldn't have fought so hard for a couple asteroids" or "Why didn't I keep building my fleet and expanding?" and stuff like that.

Also, one last tip, use Long Range Missile Frigates/Illuminators/Assailants for the main body of your fleet, since, from the look of the forums, that's the dominant strat right now (and has been for a while, I think).

Most of all, have fun.

Play vs the computer on small maps, but don't turtle -- play to outright dominate the computer and out-maneuver it. When you can do this to an "Unfair" AI, move to multiplayer. Building shit loads of defense and taking forever to win is more for singleplayer, it won't teach you much about the fluidity of multiplay.

Read the strategy forums here. Everything you could ask has been discussed. No need to type it all over again.

Well...I start to properly learn how to play the game after play on Kronac's Cross (or whatever name it is...) with team locked 2v2, easy...it really helps with an ally watching at your back...help me learn a lot after I screw up my first game on small random map with normal AI...

My recommendation is to play 3 player map, and team lock with an AI (2v1...) so that you can spend more time to look through things properly and have friends to watch your back...(don't forget to set AI on easy...)

Or, if you just want to explore about each race's tech, ships, and stuff without inteference...start a game with no enemy AI...you will get a message says you win, just press continue playing, and start exploring...(probably the best thing to do first...since you can still build stuff to get the basics of the game...)

Reading around here helps you to figure things out too...

On fleet construction, try to mix several types of ships in...one type fleet kills...

For initial capital ship...I would recommend a colony cap first...so you can quickly expand...after you have become good with the game then try to figure out how you want to play...(first cap ship is important choice to make...)

I gotta agree with that. But be sure to give the longe range frigates some back up. If the enemy ships get too close, then you have somewhat of a problem.

Hi everyone, old uncle started playing this game few days ago, keep losing but still trying to win, cheers...

Yeah, definitely don't turtle. They've crippled your ability to defend so you are forced into an offensive approach, like it or not.