Lower taxes, more entertainment buildings. Some early techs give a bonus without any buildings, and also certain wonders like the Harmony Crystals help. In extreme cases, a player may have to lower production (2nd slider) while lowering taxes. Planets below 50% approval may break off and form an independent state.
The average planet does run a deficit. To counter this a player can engage in trade, sell techs, and have a few money producing planets. A planet needs to be big 10+ to make a decent money producer. Build a few factories so the other improvments can be built. Then add farms, entertainment, and trade (banks/stock market). Economic capital adds a big boost when available. In general, a player needs one entertainment building for each farm. A player can use transports to send more
I'd say medium to large. On Gigantic, the AI doesn't build sensor ships and the human can grab 50% of all the anomalies in a ten player game, which translates into a big advantage.
Yes, cost is different from space requirement, is different from damage/defense. Early in the game, the way to boost hitpoints is to send fleets in against unarmed freighters or starbases. A player can also pick off individual ships guarding a planet, until the enemy builds an orbital fleet manager. There is a big advantage to attacking with 1.1 (may change with next release). Later in the game, there are two techs that help with hitpoints, and there is the Xinthian (sp?) hull plat
For warmongers, the +1 sensor bonus for Technologists is worth more than the other bonuses. In player vs. player, I would expect the same. Being able to see is worth a lot in tight situations. It is like a mini-mini-Eyes of the Universe.
Each difficulty level and map size and race choice has optimal opening strategies. Practicing and streamlining the early game is one of the most effective ways for a player to improve. Rush buying, research choices, slider choices are all important. I like to purchase a factory or two, a fast colony ship (three move) on the beginning, research engines until Impulse drive. I like to keep morale at 100% with low, low taxes early, because that extra population will pay off big time during the e
No zero may avoid divide by zero errors later on. A good use for extra transports and colony ships is to upgrade them to basic constructors. The basic models will cost 200 or 300 credits, and there is almost always a good use for extra constructors. A person can also upgrade to freighters once trade is available.
Another big bonus for upgrading is retaining gained hitpoints. Veteran ships might have double the hitpoints of newly built ones, if a player is diligent about retreating them to heal.
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