Starting Off

[Numerouno]

Which side would you recommend for starting off? I'm thinking the Empire as you get a much bigger fleet, (I managed to get 3 ISDs the first time I played) but there are disadvantages.

[Darth_Rob]

I personally always choose to play as the Empire. While they do start off with a larger fleet, it takes a while to match the Rebels in starfighters (must research TIE Interceptors). Always keep the Emperor on Coruscant, recruiting constantally. Have Vader and other high level diplomats go on diplomacy missions. That's my advice.

[Numerouno]

Thanks. Any other general tips fr them? What do you generally end up with at the start?

[DarthTofu]

Dude, i usually start with the Rebellion- they're much easier, trust me. Also, if you want extra help, make it a large galaxy. The game takes longer to play, but makes it much easier for you to hide if need be. If you start as the Empire, Coruscant will be battled for for a while before you finally gain the upper hand. On the other hand, i would recomend that, reguardless of who you start out as, you get a medium cruiser/decent diplomat and head out to the unknown regions. You can start converting/occupying planets and get a good shipyard/troop training center/building facilities planet in the outer rim where no one will notice you. My advice is always to take characters that can recruit on recruiting missions, with the accpetion of those you need. Palpy is excellent for these missions, as he can do them on Corruscant without losing his helpful ability of power. Once you get characters, you usually want to R&D like mad with them to gain an upper hand. Also, if you cna manage it, garrison all of your planets, or give them two planetary shields to prevent them from being tacken- the Rebellion likes to bring Wookies into play if you're the Empire in Sesswena. All the advice I can give/remember.

[Evaders99]

I recommend the Empire: HQ only mode. That way, you start off very great. You have Coruscant, and many of the Core worlds, plus you'll usually have a decent fleet already. You know exactly what your enemy's goals are. Plus you get the Force powers of Vader and Palpatine.

Your only problems, getting enough diplomats to match the Rebels (but since they're coming from the other worlds, you have the advantage of less travel) and then finding the Rebel base. Espionage is key here. You can have great power suppressing any rebellions, and stormtroopers are probably the most versatile troopers. Nothing beats a Star Destroyer in the early game. Finally, you can assassinate all the Rebel minor characters you find.

[Numerouno]

Ok, I started as empire, large galaxy. No idea what difficulty. I'll probably post a report on the forums.

[DarthTofu]

Come to think of it, how do you guys find Rebel HQs? I usually wind up finding them in the last system i check, except for one time when I ran into them on Yavin when they had three Mon Cals and two heavy dreadnauts, or something, against my two Imp Stars and two Victory one Star Destroyers. After that it took forever to find them again (They kinda whiped out the fleet)

[Numerouno]

Just keep searching.

 

I've started a few games, and keeping a log of 2 of them (one rebel, one mip)

[DarthTofu]

No, I mean without waiting fifty-thousand days to find them. I'm trying an idea with using a couple of fleets as opposed to one massive one to explore the galaxy, but still, it'll take a while. I'm looking for a quicker method.

[Darth_Rob]

This may sound crazy, but, once Im comfortable, I build a crap load of Probe Droids and send them to every Outer Rim Planet, seeing where the Rebels are beginning to get a foothold (which may reveal the location of the Rebel base).

 

I then usually build "Outer Rim Squads", which are simply 2 Star Galleons, an Imperial Escort frigate, 6 TIE Interceptors, and 6 troops. I then send one Outer Rim Squad to each Outer Rim sector and take them over one at a time, building up my resources to expand the Empire.

[DarthTofu]

Ah. See, i go for grandeur- I currently have two expedition fleets. one constists of an Imp Star Deuce stocked full of Defenders with three Star Galleons, while the other is basically a crap load of capital ships. I have an admiral for each as well as a force trained character to sabatoge stuff in each fleet, along with a good diplomat. I wish you could make diplomats...

[Paul]

Tofu I DO (or did anyway) make diplomats. Download some of my cards- all Imperials- as most have some diplomatic ability except for the special ops or Sith Lords/Ladies. Come to think of it even some of them have diplomatic skills. I just believe that the greatest Empire ever would of course have a skilled Diplomatic Corps. You can even download ME ( Conway.rcc) a Sithlord Grand Moff - Grand Moff Conway

[DarthTofu]

I'll keep that in mind. I think that the reason the Empire has no diplomats is because A) it forces you to choose between leaving Palpy on Coruscant for a bonus or using him to turn the galaxy to you and B) the Empire was more of an Iron Fist than a kind, warm, soft one.

[Numerouno]

The Empire has plenty of good diplomats. I agree with the probe droid thing. Build 10, send them every system in a sector. Repeat.

[Darth_Rob]

Oh, I build more then 10. I build like 60, send them, then resend them. This way the job gets done faster.

[Numerouno]

I tend to do it earlier.

[darthryno]

When I go searching for the Rebel HQ I generally build a few assault transports and fill them each with 10-15 probe droids. I send one transport to a sector and then send the probe droids out from there. Using the assault transports gets this done very quickly since they have a really short travel time.