EDIT:
Important: there is a new bugfix out for P&N. (Thanks to CombatSquirrel) I've uploaded it to PBW already, and you can get it either there, or from my Sig.
My favorite is
ALL the racial techs, (but don't try it against humans, unless you're a smooth talker and are confident that people will protect you in exchange for your expensive superships.
Priority hint:
Don't skimp on radioactives production! Powerful ships can require more rads than minerals. Shield and shield-busting nukes will rapidly soak up your supply of Rads.
In general, Rads & Minerals are balanced; think about building monoliths.
I suspect a lot of players might scrap a miner on their homeworld during turn one, just to build a second rad extractor.
Propulsion experts is probably a must. It saves you 7% of your hull space in the early game (due to reduced engine requirements). By the time Quantum engines show up, that has dropped to 3.5%, but it can still be significant, especially on medium to big hulls.
A similar effect is with "Expanded Automation". Everything requires one fewer Lifesupport/Crewquarters. This means everything from ES to DS can get by with just the crew on the bridge! +20KT space per ship, (+7% of DS, +14% on ES). If you plan to use lots of small ships, this is the trait to get.
Want even more? Tiny Race is cheap, and reduces C&C size by 30%, saving an ES upto 6%, CR upto 3%
If you like units, choose "Big Thinkers", for the +25% size boost of all units. (Platforms, fighters, troops, mines, satellites)
Organic + Crystalline for the combined-ability armor
Living ships, is good: you get less mineral, and more organic costs in your hulls (speeding up construction), plus crippled ships can heal on their own without needing a dedicated repair vehicle. It is pricey, though.
Things to watch out for:
- Psychic + Temporal has a sensor that rivals the Religious Talisman! (and is available quite early, with the first Version (+80% to hit) available at level one of each of the racial techs).
- Shield-buster CSMs, which do Double Damage to shields (half-damage to armor & internals).
- Tough armor-ships. Armor & shields cost roughly the same to research for the defensive value. But, Armor can be boosted +40% for a +100% cost.
- The strongest shields are not always Phased! Normals provide more hitpoints per research point, and the top tech Heavies are
normal.
- Planetary shields are strong enough to be worth-while. At max tech + ruins, you get
75,000 phased shieldpoints (max tech, no ruins gives 50,000 Phased)
- Nomadic ships with 1% maintenance! If they've got an ally funding them, you could be facing a fleet not seen since SE4 v1.35
- Pirates start with ship capture technology and mobile shipyards, but they're not much of a threat later on.
- Beware the battlemoons!
Each will take at least 2 years to even begin a retroseries, but depending on the quality of the shipyard, there could be a doomsday weapon headed your way in 3 or 4 turns.
Good luck!
[ 03 December 2001: Message edited by: suicide_junkie ]