Newbie needs help

[jmichael]

I'm a newbie playing my first game. I play the tutor but I still have questions. I turned on all the ministers for a while to try and learn the game, but I still have questions.

Does the type of colony you choose have any special effect (refining, farming, resupply, mining, research, etc)?

How does one go about increasing population on a planet? While watching the minister
I notice the planet maximum populations was increased.

I notice that the minister designed ships that contained 4, 5 or 6 engines. Does the
number of engines equate to speed or distance?

Is there any documentation that provides more basic information than what came with the game and the game tutor? What I’m looking for is some material that explains the basic nuances of the game.