you guys that haven't played before seem to actually be doing quite well. Don't forget communication is VERY important. Don't worry about NEMOs, try to get with someone who is doing well.
Keep in mind the game lasts about two months, so plan long term. A factory bought on day one will produce 1440 PPs by the end of the game, so keep that in mind when you start paying too much for another one. Meaning? if you pay 600 for a factory after the first month....the factory won't even have time to give you your money back.......so it would be a waste.
When you start new planets that were "FREE", aways try to send 3 colony ships atleast instead of just one, so you have 30 PPs to start with. The two extra colony ships that cost 120 to get only 30 PPs are worth it when your main planet needs 288 to buy anything, and the new planet has everything at five again. That extra 120 you spent to send two extra colony ships will buy you 2 factories, two farms, and a cybernet....could you do that with the 120 it cost on your main planet?
NEVER forget that even if your culture time beats your arrival time.....your culture level doesn't register unless you LOGIN! If you don't, you will lose your fleet. Culture level ONLY increases if you login after you level up, so make sure it's a time you can get online....you won't gain a culture level even if the times up if you don't login after you level up.
Social and buying farms to get pop up is underrated IMO......each pop level adds a point to your score, a new lab, and a PP per hour. One of the top NEMOs that finished well into the top 50 had a MINUS science to his race....his pop growth is why he did well.
If you guys have any questions.....ask. The scam people figured out last beta really......to buy SUs after you have a trade screen by gaining level one, and since they are only like 300 buck each to start.....you can buy them and use them to get unlimited cybernets at 300 bucks each since you can either sell them, or get a building.....basically you can get a 30000 dollar cybernet for 300 dollars. Here's the trick for SWF players...most newbies don't understand how the SU market works. It is supply and demand. When a bunch of newbies buy SUs, the price goes way up. The price you see for SUs isn't what you pay....you pay the current price+ 2Xs the next price divided by 3....that's what it costs. It goes up and down as newbies buy when the price is low, but they drive the price up by adding demand, and then since the new price is 66% of what they pay....they get screwed. Buy when SU prices are high......they go up and down every day....if you buy when the price is on the up cycle, the lack of newbie buying drops the price, and the new low cost factors 66% into what you pay...........sell when the price is low. The fact so many people don't understand this has let many others gain serious cash and buildings cheap. BUY when the SU price goes up, and sell when the price is low....this is how the leaders of the last beta got there......SU buying. It will be a few more days before the newbies get a level one and start screwing up, but when it starts.....you'll see the price goes up and down day to day almost like clockwork......they don't understand supply and demand, and didn't read the rules that say SUs cost 33% of current price plus 66% of the new price.....
I haven't spoke to Zenoch, so I have a feeling the he might get wiped out first 
