Total Newb needs Help

Try playing games with allies on locked teams and with pirates off. Also, try watching the replays to see what the AI does.

Use a bigger map, with less enemies and fewer phase lanes. Just because a map is designed for 10 enemies, doesnt mean you have to have them, remove half. This will give you time to do things before getting into big battles early on.

If your betting beaten by normal AI's, use Easy's ! Nothing at all wrong with playing easy until you figure out the basics of the game.

Amassing a force, is dependednt on how fast you make money and accumulate rsources. That depends on your research and what you build where. So if your not able to match them force for force, your probably missing a few very key game things that allow you to, or your making bad strategy choices somehow. Its just a matter of learning from your mistakes and looking at what the game has until you find what your missing.

best advice I can give: play the tutorials if you haven't yet
I first played all the tutorials and then a 1v1 against an easy AI.
But I forgot about capital ships (first one's free!) and got owned.
so I just played the tutorials again

you might as well want to search the strategy board for build orders as they can help you a lot by giving you a good start

oh and if you start a game you can put pirates on inactive (as Kitkun already mentioned) so they can't bother you (makes learning a bit easier IMO)

hope it helps

which race are you playing as and I can give you a better start to work off of perhaps then you are currently implementing.

At the bottom of the prep screen pres Game Options. Go for there and put Pirates Inactive. That's how I got my start, without those goddamn Pirates ruining my perfect fleets

I'm also having a lot of trouble with this game.

I've played a lot of RTS games, but this one I just can't figure out. The interface I'm just starting to get the hang of. I played every tutorial, and it still took me a while to figure out how to actually play. When I play an easy AI, their ships always are more powerful than mine, and I just can't get the hang of playing the game smoothly, like how I can play almost every CnC game. Any tips? I usually play as TEC.

ya, admirable your loyalty to the TEC humies, but they probably aint the best for a newbie as they tend to have weaker ships, just more of em because their economy is the best. Try vasari or Advent (illuminators make a big difference), there easier to survive with while your learning, me hears the TEC are gettin a boost in the new upcoming 1.1 patch but well see.

not to say the TEC don't av their uses, mind you.  Also browse the strats sections, quite a few strat guides for each race, so you can take what you like an dump the rest, or make it better says Hannibal.

turn off active pirates on the custom settings before you start the game also change you tax income to fast mode if you need more help such as:

best ships

fleet tactics

economics

defences

then contact me at [email protected]

ignor Bapperus im a newbii too i have only really had this game 3wks on standard player levels and without training while i am the TEC jus access map settings at the bottom of the players screen change your pirates inactive and increase the tax income it make the game easire and besides if you want a fight with pirates you just travel to their planet but i must worn they are a natural defence against the enemy when borders clash!!!

Well, Vasari does feel a little stronger, but I'm still getting pwned by the TEC