Game Mechanics

On the theory there are no dumb questions  , here are a few that are puzzling me:

1) Leveling up existing building from plan. On colony Maske, I have a singularity energy plant level 7, and also plans in inventory for levels 8 through 12 (all individual plans with no extra levels). How do I use these plans to level up? If I click on "upgrade to level 9" will it preferentially use the plan in inventory or just use the resources in stock?

2) Constructing/acquiring plans to trade. I've acquired many (too many, actually) plans from excavators, a few of which I have been able to sell. The problem is that they are mostly level 1 or occasionally an extra level or two. How would I construct extra level plans (like the 1+5 plans you see from Cryptomega Complex and others)? Do I actually build the building itself up to the desired level, and then convert it somehow to a plan?

A similar question for ships... If I want to sell a ship, then do I simply construct it and leave it parked in my spaceport? Do I need a larger ship to transport it, or does it travel on its own power after it is traded?

3) Resource Starvation. On a couple of my colonies I've hit the level 15 resource barrier. The Stockpile helps, but only for one colony. Mining helps, but only for ore. Constructing additional resource buildings uses up too many plots. So does that leave me with glyph resources buildings as my only alternative for food, water and energy? Is it feasible to produce enough Halls (built up from glyphs obtained from excavators) to constantly upgrade your glyph buildings? I am producing some Halls, but not enough to really level these buildings up as fast as I would like.

4) Using up glyphs, plans, ore? Should I worry about declining output from excavators and mining platforms, i.e., can they eventually be "mined out"?

Thanks for your time!

sincerely,
Zarzamora

First of all, the answer is yes, there are no dumb questions .

To answer your first question, yes, the game should automatically use the plan over the resources, if you have a plan available (which you do).

Second, I believe the only way to acquire 1+x plans is to have a high-lvl AM, or to build them up on a planet yourself, then abandon and excavate. For example, the only way to get 1+6 glyph plans is to have a lvl 30 AM. 

For ships, you have to build whatever you want to sell (if it's not built already), go into the TM (or SST if you prefer) and add the ships that you want to sell to the trade. Be aware, though, that each ship you add will require 50k more cargo space, e.g. to trade 10 ships, regardless of type, you will need a ship with 500k cargo space (I have a few berth 1 Hulks I could give you if you need bigger cargo ships.)

Now, resource starvation. That's a problem on a lot of my planets, as I still have trouble getting the required halls to upgrade my glyph buildings, and I can't get more conventional storage. Infinate Ones told me that if you send excavs out with 75% on p34 planets (they're a pale purple color, see 58, -41 for an example) and the remaining 25% on p39 (the darker purple ones, see 55, -44). I kind of just find out what I need most, then find planets with lots of that ore. I can get 80 halls a day on a good day, with an average of 40-50/day. Also, make sure you have ALL of your excav slots full, it will make your glyph production soar. Upgrading AM's makes a big difference, too.

For your last question, no, you don't have to worry about resources drying up. Your limiting factor on finding glyphs is your excavs self-destructing, planetary ores are permanent, and plan-finding is also non-consumable.

Good luck with your planets, and let us know if you need more advice/help!

Licentia Aeternum!
Earth Republic

More questions!

I'm trying to systematize my spy operations. I have one colony set up with a complete set of intel buildings - it will be a spy training center for the empire.

So what intelligence buildings would be required for the other colonies? I'm thinking Intel Ministry (of course) and an Espionage Ministry for transporting spies... would this be optimal?

Any other hints or advice in setting up spy operations?

Just as a disclaimer, I may not be the most knowledgeable about sending spies from a training center, as I simply built a full set of spy buildings on my planets. That being said, let's dive into the questions

I would say you need the IM, EM, and a Sec Min on all of your planets, as a minimum. Of course, if you're in the Neutral Zone, none of this discussion applies.

Also, if you aren't using scripts, I highly suggest using LacunaWaX to set up your spy training. It will greatly simplify and speed up your training. I used it on my spies for a few months, and had lvl 51 spies with 2600 politics training and ~500 mayhem training by the end of it.

Other than that, I can't think of much to add, other than that I would focus on Politics training if you want good offensive spies. Most planet smackdowns require very good political skill. Alternatively, you could focus on Intel if you only want good defensive spies. Well-trained Intel spies can also be sold via Merc Guild for a decent sum, should you want to do that.

Good luck with your spies, and if you have any more questions, feel free to ask as many as you want .

Earth Republic

Looks like I'll need to build an Espionage Ministry up to level 15 minimum on every colony, in order to enable spy shuttles. Spy shuttles will be a necessity for my plan, as I'll have to do a lot of spy moving around. I'm using Lacuna Wax to prioritize training, as well as the System Scheduler to automate the training itself.