Build up your planets, research new technologies, create spaceships and control the universe!

Sounds like hoot dunnit? Played properly it is. This overview is not a detailed "how to". Too many others have spent time writing detailed instructions on many subjects. Spend time on the forums and learn as much as possible from those people. I'm going to give you the basics and its up to you to take it from there.

First, you must understand that this game is all about attack, hide, or defend. Its played in real time, so you must put some effort into it or you won't get a thing out of it. Leave the Care Bear Tree Hugging Peace On Earth Give Us A Hug mentality at the log in screen. Things get built here. Many times those things also get destroyed. Rebuild and destruction is an integral part of the game.

The Playing Field

ZE is a Universe of 9 Galaxies each with 499 Systems in them. Each System has room for 15 Planets (called slots) with the 16th slot reserved for Expedition Missions. You start with a Home Planet that has 163 building spaces on it. You can have up to 20 additional colonies giving a total of 21 planets. The number of building spaces on colony planets varies greatly but you can destroy a colony planet and try again. You can not destroy your Home Planet. You can not destroy another player's Home Planet or Colonies. You can not take control of another player's Home Planet or Colonies.

As the result of a battle, sometimes moons are formed around a planet. You can not buy a moon. It must be created from an attack on a planet or colony.

You are highly encouraged to build defenses on planets and colonies. Your fleet in orbit around your planet or colony will also provide defense during an attack.

The Resources

To build your empire, you're going to need several resources:

Metal- is produced from mines. Metal is the back bone of all construction- whether it's fleets, defenses, technologies, or even other resources.

Crystal- is also produced from mines. Crystal is used to build technological requirements within the empire and is an integral requirement for purchasing and upgrading research and technologies.

Deuterium- is produced from water using synthesizers. Deuterium is the fuel for the empire. No fleet can move without it and several technologies use it as a source of energy.

Energy- is produced using Solar Satellites, Solar Plants, or Fusion Reactors. Mines and synthesizer will not work without it. Insufficient energy will result in diminished production of any other commodity.

Metal, Crystal, and Deuterium are the financial currency of the game. You use them as you’d use money to purchase everything for your empire.

Once built, Metal Mines, Crystal Mines, Deuterium Synthesizers, Solar Plants, and Fusion Reactors can only be destroyed by the player that owns them (Solar Satellites are vulnerable to attack).

The higher level you purchase of any resource increases the output.

Suggestion- at first, build at a ratio of 3 metal to 2 crystal to 1 deuterium and adjust the ratio as needed later on in the game.

Goals and Strategies

While this section is very subjective and open to debate, I’ll try to cover the fundamentals of getting started and choosing a playing style. This section is being posted prior to any other sections as it is important that you choose a path very early in the game so that you won’t be purchasing things that do nothing to support your empire.

NOTE: Points are awarded whenever something you’ve purchased has been completed. Those points will not appear until the system updates.

Starting out- If you haven’t yet done so, go now to the “Just Started?” section of the Game Help menu and review the suggestions made there. neoshagrath’s Newbie Guide is also a must read.

Witchywoman’s topic entitled Zorg Lingo for the Noob is a great source of navigating the terms and slang used in ZE. Another must read topic before starting out.

The very first thing you need to know is how to fleet save. It’s the most critical technique you can learn for successful game play. Regardless of your playing style, fleet saving is virtually a mandatory requirement. Check the forums for instructions on what fleet saving is all about.

The second thing (highly recommended) is that you work towards building cargo ships to aid in fleet saving. Failure to do so will result in your empire being raided and attacked by the smallest and weakest of fleets- leaving you with nothing to build with.

Thirdly, expanding your empire is very important. Building colonies to support your empire is another “must do” activity. So Colony Ships should also be a high priority goal. Colonizing is addressed in the Help forums.

Suggestion- It is very tempting to build all of your colonies in one system. Very few players have succeeded with that strategy. You have 9 Galaxies to colonize. Use them and spread out from the start.

The primary goal of the game is to gain points while running your empire. Being the highest ranked player is a challenge, but even making the Top 100 is an achievement.

Strategies-

There are several styles of play that are used (or combinations of styles) that form a basic strategy for game play.

Miner- A Miner relies on building resource mines and synthesizers as the player’s primary source of point generation.

DEFENSE: Small to moderate. Typically relies on a cargo fleet to fleet save and shuttle resources from one planet to another.

FLEET: Minimal offensive capability. Usually a large transport fleet with a small contingent of recycler ships.

ADVANTAGES: Good for players who do not want to invest a lot of time in maintaining their empire’s fleets and defenses. Buildings can not be destroyed by attacks. Methodical way of steadily gaining points.

DISADVANTAGES: Requires some fleet saving skills and the ability to manage resource between planets. Without some defenses, daily production can be farmed by other players. Not a fast way to make points overall. Some Deuterium consumed in fleet saving/ transport.

Turtle- An extreme form of Miner that relies on heavy defenses to protect resources.

DEFENSE: Very large (to the point of what some consider extreme).

FLEET: Virtually none.

ADVANTAGES; Very little maintenance required. Fleet saving is almost non-existent. Good for players who do not have a large amount of time to invest in daily game play. Virtually no Deuterium consumed in fleet saving or transport. Slow but steady points gains.

DISADVANTAGES: Good portion of resources spent on defenses. Regardless of the amount of defenses, some alliances and individuals take pleasure in finding and destroying turtles- wasting great amounts of resources to reduce the Turtle’s defenses as a hobby.

Fleeter- A Fleeter relies primarily on attacking other player’s planets and/or fleets to gain points.

DEFENSE: Small.

FLEET: Large contingent of offensive ships and recyclers.

ADVANTAGES: One of the fastest ways to gain points. Majority of Top Ranked players are Fleeters. Challenges players who like to hunt and be active in the game.

DISADVANTAGES: One of the quickest ways to lose points. Fleeters hunt each other and a lost fleet means lost revenue. Deuterium consumption can be extreme. Requires a large investment of time in managing the player’s empire and fleet saving.

Raider- A Raider is a player who combines the playing styles of the Miner and the Fleeter, making small attacks against planets and/or fleets yet investing in mines and synthesizers to supplement their empire.

DEFENSE: Small to moderate.

FLEET: Even mix of offensive and transport ships.

ADVANTAGES: Stable income and less vulnerable to wide point shifts as that of the Fleeter. Allows for a moderate point growth. Smaller Deuterium consumption than the Fleeter. Mixed game play allows for a more flexible input of time.

DISADVANTGES: Fleets are vulnerable to Fleeters. Deuterium management can be an issue when resource is spent on mines and fleet saving. Requires some level of player activity to maintain empire.

Suggestion- It is much easier to start out as a Miner and then switch your playing style as you learn your own level of interest and amount of time invested in playing than any other style. The Technologies you purchase as a Miner can be used for any playing style and will prevent you from making poor purchases should you find out you don't want to be a Turtle, Fleeter, or Raider.

[To be Continued]

A really good guide Slash, many new players would use it. Maybe you can incluude a little bit about how to fleetsave in this guide?

Thank you. In regards to fleet saving, topics have already been created that define it. I do not want to replicate someone else's work nor create a step-by-step guide.

More to come very soon.