I haven't played (much) while on holiday for a few weeks - sorry for the slow response. Here is my $0.02 solars:
1. You need money. In the beginning frigate class ship is your best bet. 8 slots - one FTL and 7 cargo for doing SOL transport missions, or one FTL, one WHG, and 6 cargo for doing SOS missions. Do intra-SOL transport missions until you can outfit a ship with enough ACB space to do SOS missions. There is a really good (ahem) guide to SOS missions on this forum.
2. You need to buy upgraded modules with your money. You have two effective strategies in the beginning:
- 2a. Buy a titan(s). Fill it full of SLB's. Use all your RP to upgrade the SLB's to SLB 100's - as you can afford to do so upgrade your SLB modules until you get them all at 100's. This will (relatively) slowly give you enough RP to research module upgrades so you can then manufacture modules on your Titan(s)
- 2b. You really no longer need to build up RP capacity. You can post on the forum in the "GCA for Sale" thread for whatever module you want and you can get them made for you pretty easily. Small to no premium over your build cost, but you save $$ buying all the SLB's to research it yourself and you save time=money getting to the point where you can build yourself. You really should consider buying some ACB's - maybe 50 or 100's - in the beginning even if you prefer to go down the 'roll-your-own' route with SLB's
3. Buy upgraded modules. Priority:
- ACB - you ALWAYS need more cargo space
- WHG - up to 35 which seems to me to be optimum between speed of interstellar movement and fuel costs. You opinion may vary
- IF you want to mine: AAH and AMF - probably 100 minimum. Higher level=more profit long term
- IF you want to do combat missions: AES and MAU - the higher the better. Depending on your play style LQ might be useful as well, or just drive back to SOL to replenish civilian crew. Also useful for 'downgrading' a module effect/power
- IF you want to tow combat ships for combat missions or defense of mining then you could consider Hangar Bay. Not really necessary but you get 2 more slots of AES/MAU on your combat ship this way.
- You really, really do not need anything else at this stage. Research them if you like but it is wasted RP in the early game (and most of the rest are never, ever useful)
4. You've been doing interstellar SOS for a while now. Pick up COM missions and do them for $$ if you have an interest in combat. Pick up mining SOS missions if you have an interest in mining.
5. If you get this far you've probably got a fleet of frigates for mining optimized for "Freighter" and/or "Scout Ship", a fleet of frigates for SOS missions optimized for "Scout Ship", and a fleet of frigates for COM missions optimized for "Assault Bomber". Once you've got to this point you can do whatever you wish - upgrade the hulls of your combat ships and stuff 40 mark MMM AES and 30 mark MMM MAU and some cargo and be a king! Or explore the Alien Cluster.
Glossary:
FTL - faster than light module needed to navigate within any star system. Required for intrastellar transport missions. Usually used for SOS missions. Required for mining. Not absolutely necessary for COM ships
WHG - Worm hole generator module. Required for all ships that route between stars. Not needed for intrastellar transport missions. Not absolutely necessary for COM ships if you tow the COM ships into battle
SOS - in interstellar space there are SOS missions and COM missions. SOS missions are: save the stranded colonist, sell them fuel, sell them medicine, or invest in their mining proposition. The mining SOS missions are also called PT - prospector? - missions.
COM - in interstellar space there are COM missions. Kill poop (or be killed). If you kill poop you get paid.
ACB - Advanced Cargo Bay. You need cargo space to do anything. Alternative to ACB is the regular Cargo Bay - less expensive per m^3 of cargo space but 3x as long to build per equivalent space. The highest ranked players often switch to CB's in the end game. In the beginning time is money so ACB is your play.
SLB - Science Lab. Needed to generate RP
RP - research points. Learning how to manufacture higher mark modules requires research points generated by SLB's.
AES - advanced electromagnetic shield. You need a balance of shields and attack power for combat
MAU - marine assault unit. Provides attack power, the MAU is the most effective way to get combat attack power
LQ - living quarters - lets you store spare civilians and/or captured personnel for combat loss replenishment. Or to reduce the number of personnel=reduce power of a module on your ship.
AAH - advanced atmospheric harvester. Necessary to 'mine' gas planets and atmospheres of other planets
AMF - advanced mining facility. Necessary to mine surfaces of solid (ie non-gas) planets
