[Puke]

wow, how exciting. I rember when everyone was just getting their first copy and these questions were flying around like crazy. let me jump on this before some other giddy old-timer gets to it:

<edit: bah, beaten to it>

1 - sphere world is 10x the size of a huge planet. it is a 'dyson sphere' type thing that fully encloses a star. not only do they provide lots of resources, but they make it impossible for that star to be destroyed (by a bad event, or from stellar manipulation). ring world is the exact same thing, but smaller and cheaper. only 5x the size of a huge planet, and is only a ring around the star. otherwise, same. (i might be wrong on the sizes, they could be 20x and 10x, not sure)

2 - you stick them on a starbase, of course! build a construction ship, fly it to the star that you want to construct a ring or sphere about, and have the construction ship start building starbases with the right components on them. good documentation in this game, eh? i wonder how long it took for the first person to figure that one out.

3 - better than not having one i suppose. I think you will be able to fire, but your movement will be reduced. your ship will act like a ship with bridge that has had its crew and life support systems destroyed. so yes, that will work as a partial backup. you will be at reduced capacity though if your MC is destroyed. for a total backup, its best to have a full crew and life support. your resources are probably better spent on more shields and armor though, unless you are really worried about computer viruses (AI does not use them). in 1.41 you can no longer use an alliegence subverter on a ship with a destroyed master computer to take it over, so that little bit of cheeseyness has been fixed, and you dont have to worry about guarding against that.

<edit: 4 - probably because they are available earlier in the research tree. just like religious time shrines suck compared to system robotoid facilities, but they are available sooner>

hope that helped. heck, i hope it made sense.

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"...the green, sticky spawn of the stars"
(with apologies to H.P.L.)

[This message has been edited by Puke (edited 09 July 2001).]