A few strategy tips for a newbie

building larger ships means you need to have a solid manufacturing base so you can build large warships quickly if your at war..you also need a stable economy to support the costs of large ships and the manufactering infrastructure and future upgrades to them..tiny hulls are cheaper to build and you can spam the map with them but it all depends on the kind of game you play..what may work for the drengin may not neccesarily work for you.

Its best to vary your research and it depends on what kind of game your playing.ie if your on large-gigantic maps the game will be longer therefore you will need to research techs that will sustain your empire economically like stock markets, farms and entertainment centers  to keep you r people happy which keeps your approval high (depending what form of govt your running with)

If i play on small maps i first establish a solid foundation for my empire by building up economy and varying my research then i pour pretty much everything into millitary research..on larger maps its the opposite i dont build a miitary until at least half of my colonies are making money because i dont want to bankrupt myself by building lots of warships..

All said and done the beauty of this game is that there is no set strategy..there litterally 100's of ways to play the game no matter your setting..this forum has tons of ideas on different strategies i suggest you read through a few ideas.hope this helps..enjoy the game.

In my experience, the Drengin tend to fade as the game continues.  They neglect expansion and infrastructure, in comparison to other AIs and the human player.  As long as you research some diplo fairly early, you can simply bribe them to declare war on another AI you're concerned with as a threat. 

Thanks for the tips, both of you. I'll be sure to look at some startegies, Chancellor Maximus. I'm very much enjoying the game at this moment.

Interesting point, LTjim. They certainly seem to have avoided all research not to do with war.

YAQW!

A couple general weapons notes:

1) In the early stages, defenses beat weapons as long as they are the same family.  (Armor for guns, shields for beams, and AA for missiles)  The balance shifts around mid-game, as the weapons get stronger and the hulls get able to mount more of them.  One way to extend that period some is not to place engines in defender ships, and put defenses in the free-ed up spaces.

2) Keep track of what weapons the AIs are using.  There are several ways to do it, including checking in the espionage screens, checking in the trade screen for weapons techs they might sell, and looking at the defenders around their planets.  However, always confiem what the AIs are actually deploying by looking at their fleets out in space.

Hi!

Shameless plug: With good weapons you can get everything (Drengin's motto) ;)

The aggresive path is one of the strongest way to play this game. You just need to pay attention to not overbuild your navy and sink your econ with its maintenance costs.

BR,  Iztok

Yea, the best defense is a good offense really applies to this game.  When I first started playing, I would try to play a diplomatic game.  But then I realized the game plays best when you're at war and I've been going ugly early ever since.