Senior question

[Arkcon]

I also concentrate the research facilities on breathable planets, preferably good conditions so the population bonus arrives sooner.

What I like to do is enter a system with a scout and try to plan it out. You'll want a couple of space yards, a resupply depot, lots of mineral miners and research facilities, rad and org extractors where needed. You want the resupply depot near a path, and you want shipyards near a warp point to defend your system quickly. But ...

Sometimes a resupply depot has to go on a tiny planet you wish would hold a mineral facility because you're broke. Sometimes I see I haven't built a research planet in a while, and the only large is a 150% mineral world that is < 1 month away from a warp point, and I have to sacrifice the minerals and try to defend the planet from elsewhere.

When you make concessions in one system like that, you have to look back at your whole empire and see where you have to make another change elsewhere to pick up the slack you just created.

Ah, the joys of micromanagement.

[Caduceus]

I also think about "stackable" worlds, meaning that there are four planets (mixed types, of course) in the same sector. I will colonize the easiest one first and plan to build SY, resupply there. Once I am able to colonize the other 2 or 3, this becomes quite a stronghold.

[Aiken]

It becomes a training center for sure.

I use dedicated planets strategy too (well, try to use) because of later computer complex/robotoid factory facilities. It's more profitable to have all facilities of 1 type + planet boosting facility than mixed facilities with 2 planet boosters. Not much more profitable, but nevertheless it's.