I've been playing for 10 weeks now and been levelling pretty quickly as I went (always on the cusp of keeping my research up to date). So I figured I'd see where you guys thought I should take my ship next.
I'm a level 122 Sillix Explorer - Minerals: 1442 / Artifacts: 2087 / Research: 1615

Size Class: Heavy Dreadnaught
Space: 657 / 659
Attack: 1677
Defense: 440
Scan: 157
Cloak: 175
Cargo: 414 / 640
Upkeep: 31.4M

My ship is currently equipped with this:
Weapons Heavy Singularity Launcher x4, Dominion Cannon - Mark III x4, Vortul Blast Phaser x2, Crimson Auto-Phaser x2, Prototype Mech XV
Energy Surge Plexus x2, Drannik Power Core x2, X Conduit x4, F.A.T.H.E.R. x2, Omicron Injector (Zero Point III's offline)
Sensors Decryption Quad-Frame x2, Stryll Hunt Sensor, Sha'din Supercomputer, AI Supercomputer
Hull Nexus Armor x5, Protean Armory x3
Shields T.O. Harmonic Pulser, Q-Phase Battery Array, Harmonic Resonator
Cloaking Zolazin Jammer x2, Gamma Channeler
Defenses BM50 Convoy Shuttle x3, Dark Ring Thruster, Thrust Stabilizer

Research is done to:
Heavy Sings
Zero Point III's
Rift Fields 1/3
Negative Refraction 1/3
Nexus Grids 1/3
Inertial Dampeners 1/3 (Yes I know this will be the first thing people mention)
Tachyon Sensors 1/3
Quantum Assembly 1/3
Artificial Intelligence 1/3

Here are my stats:
Battles 11065 (Master)
Player Kills 1063
Deaths from Players 61
Non-Player Kills 397
Planets Found 286
Planets Occupied 31
Planets Captured 4
Missions Completed 263
Scans Performed 686
Successful Hacks 316
Successful Raids 332

Now, the way I play isn't any specific style. I pvp. I npc. I do missions and hacking and everything the game has to offer. Because I hate being pigeon-holed. Now I fully expect StrmAvenger to come on here and tell me my defense isn't up to snuff and that I need to put a LOT more research in defense modules. And I see where he and anyone else would be coming from. For the moment, I'm spending my energy elsewhere and hoping that my npc'ing will help me find 3 more dark ring thrusters to mitigate my defensive weakness. On the list of things soon to be acquired is my last surge plexus and the ring thrusters.

So... Thoughts? Directions you think I should go?

More defense hahahaha

Seriously tho - you seem to clearly understand some things you need to work on at your rank, so keep working! GL

It looks like you have mission planets.. and also its impossible to reach that rank/research/stats for 10 weeks

But you still have a nice ship

It looks like you aren't in a very active legion. I would suggest moving and if you want a new home I would accept you into my current legion.

Focus on taking research planets for now until you start struggling with credits.

For what to research:
1 finish zero point reactors
2 transconduit relays
3 finish quantum assembly

Ko. lololol. I needz teh defense.

Pwnbus, you may think it's impossible but my first planet, the one I turned into a dyson, is exactly 2month, 2 weeks and 5 days old. So if you want to be picky, I'm closer to 11 weeks old than 10 weeks old. And yes, the dyson and the exotic are the very reasons why I was able to level as quickly as I have. The dyson gives me 1500+/hour. The exotic is close to 1k.


Tree, you partially read my mind. I'm working my way up to the transconduits first and foremost. I'm less worried about the quantum assembly. By my thinking I want to either go neutronium or light antiprotons. But then, I'm new to the game so I'm not terribly certain on the subject. Your offer to move to your legion is kind but I feel responsible for my current legion. I have countenanced taking a medium sized vacation from it to get the cores and thrusters though it's not as bad as it seems. I just have rotten luck. The last 4 hubs I've helped take down, ended up giving me the stupid swarm trap instead (grumpy face). Also, I value my loyalty in my legion because it means I can keep thrashing bases without a break. I still have that surge plexus to get. I also wouldn't mind getting a few of the silver buildings (both for the mission planets and a few of my juicier planets).

I'd say get up to, and install, microwarp nacelles for defense. And research past the +6 planetary buildings to +8s. Since you're fast ranking you'll need to maintain high resource production to not fall behind others your rank. Don't even build +6s wait until you finish researching +8s. Also finish hull to the last nexus platings and install them--big boost in hull for like 10 more decks.

That's what I'd do. Others may have better ideas.

with the low level drannik bosses it's actually rather difficult to get all the power cores very early i remember i got my last one off the okkiler and that was in PA

I can't blame anyone for not wanting to leave their legion. You have the makings of a good leader.

You are gonna be hitting that point where it isn't practical to buy the light version of anything. You will want to go from heavy weapon to heavy weapon. Same with all the other research trees because the modules get expensive really quickly.

And you are correct Sgtlynch, its not easy getting them unless you move to a legion that does alot of NPCing.

not bad...but yeh, defense up to at least quantum overlay engines. and should have light antiprotons by 125

Not really that big of a boost from changing to antiprotons compared to getting the full set of 8 sing launchers first. Adding an additional singularity launcher gives +207 attack. Switching to antiprotons would only give him 172. He's only rank 120ish - Sings are fine for a while.

Just by way of clarification, my last scan blitz blessed me with 20 good to great planets. Most of these are arti planets so I'm going to keep pushing my arti production till they run out and then I'll go to the exclusively research based planets. I feel little need for mining planets because I already have a .5 billion surplus coming in every day as things now are. Some of this goes to the base but I keep atleast a cushion of 10 to 20 billion on hand for emergencies. I say this just to mention that upkeep or building costs aren't really a concern for me at the moment.

Ajax, I think I agree with you. I'll probably go 8 heavy sings before the antiprotons. Which leads me to think that next I'm going for neutronium hull and then I'll begin the process of alternating between defense modules and getting to the CT Lab.

Finish your current energy plan, defenses, then finish Quantum Asembly all the way up to +8's

if your legion isn't supplying you with enough NPC defense mods, get defense ASAP
I neglected defense until rank 200-250 or so with only inertial cancelers mk 3, but thanks to NPC mods, I was still able to NPC effectively until assassins were introduced.

Thanks for the continued advice. It'll help me best decide what to do after the transconduits. In alternate news, I now by doing this I didn't improve my chances tactically. But I couldn't resist changing the name of my dyson to Planet Bob. Tactically sound? No. Terribly cool? Yes.

Actually guys, here's a question for ya. I'm beginning to seriously think about becoming a zolazin saboteur. I was almost finished with the chain when I saw the xecti planetary building that neutered them slightly by lumping them with konqul, etc. as being unable to conquer a protected planet. But then I realized that I could just change race if I found a planet that I really wanted to conquer. Conquer it and then change back to a sab.

So knowing what you know of my current setup, would you call this a good move or a bad move?

Okay... Here I am at the end of the year and I figured I'd update things while simultaneously asking for further advice as I've heard that your 200's can be quite a transition.

Level 168 Sillix Explorer --- Grand Master Insane
Research: 2962 Artifacts: 2769 Minerals: 1805 (with 5 planets that are still yet to become peaked and with one planet slot unfilled for the planet I'm going to invade later on today)

Size Class Massive Titan
Weapons Light Antiproton Cannon x8, Dominion Cannon - Mark III x4, Vortul Blast Phaser x2, Ion Pulse Ballistae x2, Crimson Auto-Phaser x2, Lazuli Mind Controller, Prototype Mech XV, Combat Analyzer
Energy Zero-Point Reactor - Mark IV, Surge Plexus x3, Drannik Power Core x4, Genetarr Transmitter - Mark II x4, F.A.T.H.E.R. x2, Transconduit x4, Omicron Injector, Chron-Transistor
Sensors Decryption Quad-Frame x2, Sha'din Supercomputer, AI Supercomputer
Hull Nexus Armor x5, Protean Armory x3 --- Today I finish the last nexus and upgrade to them.
Shields T.O. Harmonic Pulser, Q-Phase Battery Array, Harmonic Resonator
Cloaking Zolazin Jammer x2, Gamma Channeler
Defenses BM50 Convoy Shuttle x3, Dark Ring Thruster x3, Prejoran Power-Diffuser x2, Thrust Stabilizer (Purchasing more prejoran tech to finish the diffusers and about to take down a Mega Complex for the hopeful thruster that comes with it.)

I've researched to
Light Antiprotons
Transconduits (will likely focus on this soon as I want to have more energy for the incipient drannik mission chain)
Still on Rift fields 1/3
Negative refraction 1/3
Nexus grid 3/3
Phase Shifting 1/3
X Manifold 1/3
Grav Shell 3/3
AI Logistics 1/3

Now basically, I'm comfortable sitting at light antiprotons for a spell. And with my hull soon to be upgraded, I really want to focus on getting to the CT Lab (to make buildings for my mission planets). It should take me under a week to get there. Then I want to focus on reactors to facilitate my blitzing through the drannik mission chain as I had a friend who's going zolazin sab, so it was less necessary for me to do so.

So... A month and change from the last time we talked. Any ideas or critiques? I'm really pushing the envelope of resource production for my level. I've already had to create a vault planet. That said, I've got a 4x mega (all around) terra that I'm thinking about terraforming to 15x. Then working some gaia magic courtesy of the drannik chain. So that I can rift it to an ultimate 32x/32x/32x planet. Just means I might have to make another vault planet if I do that.

Any critiques welcome.

Battles 21003 (Grand Master)
Player Kills 1243
Deaths from Players 65
Non-Player Kills 1486
Planets Found 400
Planets Occupied 42
Planets Captured 10
Missions Completed 340
Scans Performed 1168
Successful Hacks 338
Successful Raids 391