[Taqwus]

[0.99. I don't have the full yet.]

1. The default is optimal weapons range; another is maximum weapons range, which you might consider if you have long-range foo like missiles and WMGs. In general, 'tho, tactical is the way to go, and in manual combat, don't forget that you can move-fire-move.

2. I believe you do. They're your ships now, after all. If you don't like 'em, scrap (for resources), analyze (for tech -- but you CANNOT access the 'special' tech trees this way if your race doesn't understand them), mothball or refit. Or use 'em as kamikazes, but this probably counts as battle losses against your happiness rating.

FWIW, you should probably build your own race to fit your playing style. If you're in a bad-*** "There can be only one!" xenophobic conquering mood, taking -50% trade income doesn't hurt; if you don't intend to invade planets, only obliterate colonies, -50% ground combat is also a good pick. In a max-tech game, -50% research is a no-brainer. These points can then be applied elsewhere...

3. Against crystalline? CSMs would probably be a good bet. If memory serves, the Phong as defined in the demo rarely use CSMs, if ever, and Crystalline doesn't give a missile weapon. The very first CSM (which you start with) has the same range as the best Shard Cannon in the demo, and you should be able to reach level 2 or 3 pretty quickly for a range advantage. Then stay out of his range, lobbing missiles from a distance. Armor-piercing weapons are good -- but I don't think you get any as a Psychic.

Your Allegiance Shifters and Mental Flailers are very cool, but a) fire rarely -- once every battle and once every 10 turn sor so, respectively -- and b) have inferior range, if memory serves. To use them, you may need to be heavily shielded (against Phong, anyway, w/ AP weapons). Late-game, the telepathic projectors should probably take a back-seat to WMGs, which have longer range and a +30% hit bonus.

Orgo may be trickier if they use their Seeker Parasites (I don't recall if they do). SPs are faster firing than CSMs (1/2 vs 1/3), have identical range IIRC, and are cheaper to fire -- although they do less damage per hit, and at the max level (in demo) don't get the +1 speed bonus that CSM Vs get. So if they go SPs, you'll need to load up on PDs, or go for numbers (missiles never change targets, so the targeted ship retreats while others advance).

Don't forget sneaky things like capturing ships/planets via intel ops.

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-- The thing that goes bump in the night