Endless Space is nothing like you seen before. It's unique, it's beautiful and very dangerous.

I say dangerous, because difficult would scare people off I suppose. But difficulty comes with danger.

Your factions will conquer, You have to prevail and succeed.



I'm rather new to ES, but learned from BIG mistakes.

Don't form any aliance too soon, otherwise a faction uses you in a sudden war against another faction just to get your resources and later you see the two factions are at peace.

This happens very early in the game when your colonies are still young and grow. Easy pray to pull you into a trap. Don't trust anybody. JUST DON'T. Because the game is not about making peace in the galaxy. It's only the strong survive. This galaxy is at war even at peace it's war. Good factions doesn't mean they will not conquer your space. They are just not as persistant with attack as the bad guys. Don't fall into that trap. Make sure you own at least half of the galaxy map or your effective military strength can scare off oponents early in the game.



Good tactic is spread out as quickly as possible.

Research military options FIRST alongside industrial improvements, because you need a very strong fleet to protect your colonies.

Don't open borders too soon. With opening borders make sure you have a fleet around each star system that can hold up against assault.

Be persistant with building more ships.

Don't be scared in cold war if you refused opening borders. The faction will come back and go again but unlikely to declare war if you don't open the border or refused to by ferrum.

This is actually the best state of game where you research military options and build your strongest fleet in the galaxy. Use that time very early or you will fail.



Factions will most likely sell you stuff that you can refine but haven't yet. Don't make such a dead giveaway of dust.

You will succeed. Don't try to get EVERYTHING NOW. That's not gonna work. It will kill your colonies.



Don't waste too much time to force colonization, because it comes automatically once a system is secured.

You can secure ANY system and colonize it. Even if there are dead planets or gas giants. You will see.



This shows a system with three planets. As I remember the one on the right was dead, but with technology I did terra forming.



Don't bother too much about a high tax rate, that's OK as long it is in green. Make small tax increases but try not to raise the bar to the full early in the game.



Don't choose a speciality towards your civilization too soon. Let it grow and decide later on in the game what you want.



Don't offer peace if you have been drawn into war by another faction. If your fleet is strong, scare them off. They eventually will offer YOU peace.





anyway, I keep playing.

It's the most addictive game I know so far.



You guys did a fantastic job with Endless Space.

AWESOME

I also like the art book. It's a bit small, but the DVD case size limit is understandable.



big hugs to you all

here I show you what I did in a previous game



first screenshot shows how to actually guard a system.

There is a button to click in the ship menu.

Click on a ship and then guard as shown below.







here the system... at the beginning of the game you must set priority to guard the system that connects to a worm hole first, because here is first contact.

If you have enough power, scare them off. Be first. They will offer peace after couple rounds. But let them know YOU were first here.







next shows a second game where you can see, I'm guarding everything there is. You need to do this regardless if a system can be colonized at this point.

As I mentioned earlier, every system can be colonized and happens almost automatically as you progress.

forgotten to mention, just out of interest... at this point (last screenshot) anyone entering my system for war is like opening Pandora's Box.

(what'ya expect from a dreadlock warlord who grows recreational substances on all planets....LOL)

Don't form any aliance too soon, otherwise a faction uses you in a sudden war against another faction just to get your resources and later you see the two factions are at peace.

- I very much doubt that the AI did that on purpose.



- You can't form alliances early in the game.



- You can manipulate other empires to a friendly disposition. Some players say they have won their games without building a single military ship. Opening borders is a good way to make the other faction to like you.



- What do you mean by "force colonization"?



- After a few games, you'd better choose a specialty for your custom race BEFORE starting the game.

It's the most addictive game I know so far.

- How many games have you played? There are lots of games at least as addictive as ES.



- Is it me, or Endless Space is still not available in France (on physical DVD) without it being a UK Import? Isn't that weird?



- Sadly, it would seem you can only offer peace if BOTH of the empires have the technology for it (the "not enough time" description for not being able to make peace seems to be misleading).