[SC] A Strategy to Progress

I'm just now re-entering this game after a couple years of not touching it, and a lot has changed. I'm wondering if you have any tips on how to progress and gain the best equipment in the fastest way, and how that equipment can be optimized so I can become the impossible-to-beat (almost) players some of you are. I'd like to know how to get my hands on the best equipment without paying for it with real money (or as little of it as possible), how I can upgrade that equipment to become the best that it can, ratios of shields to engines you prefer, anything to help me out. I know this is a really loaded question, and I sincerely appreciate whoever takes the time to answer it thoroughly.

Thanks so much for the help, everybody

 

Hey you can start by reading whole newb section. And then ask what you don't understand. Since there is too much stuff to explain.

 

Let me just say the grind is much bigger than before. To get the best lasers it is best to do zeta gates on double gg event, and use the keys to open chests on helix day or zeus day(if you dont have zeus drone)

 

That or if you are bold try kappas and epsilons

 

As you re-entered the game I assume you have a brand new account. Unless you are willing to spend a TON of cash it is going to be a SLOW GRIND. However, if you are trying to get FE then it is fairly easy. First build your SkyLab as fast as possible. The best way is to keep it building while still able to make credits is to follow these steps;

1. Build Basic Module (can't build anything else until it is a level higher than others)
2. when Basic is up and you have enough basic ores Build Basic, Storage and Solar Modules and then all 3 Collectors
3. Repeat step #2
4. Repeat again
5. Start Building Prometid and Duranium and when have enough ores repeat #2 again
6. Repeat #5
7. Start Promerium and Xeno refineries when step 6 is completed and repeat #5 as ores allow
8. Start Seprom refinery and repeat step #7
9. Repeat until all level 20

My suggested build above works best if you pay attention to the time required to complete the upgrade and start the collectors to finish when the Duranium and Prometid refineries come up. By following the above steps you are able to collect more ore than is needed to be able to build all of the refineries and still get enough ore to build the collectors also. You will want to do some Calculations of how much ore is needed and how long it will take to get enough to build everything in steps, these are the groups you want to keep together Collectors (Promerium, Endurium, Terbium), Primary Refineries (Prometid and Duranium), Secondary Refinery (Promerium and Xeno), Modules (Basic, Solar, Storage) and Seprom. The Seprom should be restarted every time it finishes as you will not get much benefit from it YET. Promerium, Xeno, and Modules, start as soon as you have Ore to do so. Start the Primary refineries so they complete when the Promerium completes, and start the Collectors so they finish when the Primaries complete. ALWAYS calculate so you make sure you have enough ore to take each level up together.

While building the SkyLab send as much of the available REFINED materials to the ship for credits you can. As these upgrades will finish at times you may not be online they will create a stockpile of rocks to be sent to the ship. If you want some benefit from the Seprom created you can transfer it and use it on you Shield Generators (don't bother with weapons yet), Promerium can be used on Speed, Weapons, and sold for credits. Prometid and Duranium sold for credits. Remember the Shields and Speed upgrades run whether you are logged on or not.

As you have credits available (don't forget you still need these for SkyLab Upgrades too) bid on Extras in auction, basically you want all you can get but remember Slot 4 CPU is the most important item to get and you can get most of the other extras for 10K bid if you are patient. You might want to get 2 of the rocket and ammo buy chips so you can have 1 on each config of your ship buying different types of rockets and laser ammo. Buy all the ships and designs available in hourly, these can be bought for 10K and no reason to spend more, just be patient and you will get them (these will disappear from auction when you own them. There is no limit on how many Extras you can own so if you want to have more than one ship ready to fly buy as many of these as you want to and equip as many ships as you want, it can save some time in the future. Start bidding on Speed and Shield Generators these can get to be expensive but you can get them for 500K and 5 Mil respectively depending on the server and time you are bidding. Also watch the Iris prices in Auction as you want all 8 of these as soon as you can. As you are doing the quests and getting more honor the amount you get for selling ore will increase to 1000 credits per unit of Promerium. Learn about "Parking" ships in maps. You can now OWN every ship in the Hangar and use any of them, only 10 are available to WARP into though. As you progress and collect Uridium you want to get a PET as soon as possible (he is expensive but can pay for himself once he get to level 8 and you can buy level 3 equipment (do not buy a bunch of lower level equipment as it is wasted Uridium, just buy minimal gears/protocols until you can get level 3 stuff). Buy LF-3's to fill you ship (I found it best to use Uridium and get them from Shop), IF you are going to be a Pay to Play then you want Premium, Rebate, Box Doubler and buy Uridium during MHH or Helix buying hours, there are also some equipment packages and Ship packages you might want to spend REAL cash for, you will also see a pop up sale for drones BUY it. As the credits build uo you might look at the daily auctions and get those ships as you can (remember you no longer have to have the basic ship to use the design).

As stated earlier you want to build Galaxy gates as you have spins available or Uridium to buy spins, this is best done when "%" is on the G G M and running the gates on Kronos or Double Rewards days is best but you really want to have a FE (minimum) ship for doing these. You can have 2 gates of each type completely built before you start running them if you want. Use Booty keys on GOLD booty boxes, during LF-4 or Zeus days. As you collect Blueprints remember not to build your Apis drone before you have built your Zeus or else you will continue collecting the Apis Parts even though you don't need them and not get the Zeus you are wanting.

Upgrade you Shields, Drones, HS-2, LF-4's as you have Uridium available but they have Upgrade Bonus Hours (usually 7 pm every other Friday) when they have them (they do surprise us also). You can Upgrade the LF-3's but some think it is a waste of Uridium. Also don't forget to build your BIO with Pilot Points in the "skill tree". There is some very good information in the FAQ section (I have link in my signature to the Index) I recommend reading it.

Hope this helps and is a good start for you.

EDIT:

Just over glorified Irises but can only be constructed in the Tech section of SkyLab and without Blueprints cost 150,000,000 Uridium to construct. As I said if you make the mistake of building the Apis as soon as you can without having the parts for Zeus you will be building a second Apis before you collect enough parts for the Zeus (3 accounts have a second one ready or almost with 9 or less Zeus parts) Collect Booty chests on LF-4 or Zeus Days only and you might get lucky and get the desired items but that is only MIGHT.

 

Thank you so much for your help!! I really appreciate you taking the time to do this, thank you so much! You've been a big help What is the difference between the Apis and Zeus drones?

 

Price and the Zeus can only be obtained by collecting Gold Booty chests from Zeus day. Apis can be collected any day. Other than that, its just 2 extra irises.

 

what he said, plus the apis is the ninth drone and the zeus is the tenth, and a lot of people think that the apis must be obtained first but that is false.

 

What is the best way to collect uridium without buying it?

 

Killing Cubikons, StreuneR or collecting bonus boxes.