One Newbie's Guide to a Conventional Start

Introduction

Aurora 4x is a complicated game that takes place in a universe where the discovery of Trans-Newtonian elements has repealed many of the laws of Physics.
Two of those laws have kept us almost planet-bound for far too long!:

• The FTL Speed Limit. Now faster than light travel may be possible through the wonders of Jump gates.
• Inertia - That old killer that kept humanity from accelerating or decelerating too quickly lest we end up as jam on the bulkheads may also be overcome as well.

NOTE: This is a work in progress (As am I) Please feel free to read and use what's here and forgive what's not. Any comments, questions and suggestions would best be posted here http://aurora2.pentarch.org/index.php?topic=8283.0

Game set-up

Game Details

First we must establish a new game (or wait seven days - if you believe in spontaneous generation) When one first starts the game, one is presented with the Game Details Screen.

For now we can ignore all the settings on this screen and just hit the New button.

Create New Game

(See Big Bang) I suggest we make a few changes here.

Game Name

I've named our game Sagan 6. Carl Sagan was an American astronomer [1] who (among other things assembled the first physical messages that were sent into space: the Pioneer plaque and the Voyager Golden Record, universal messages that could potentially be understood by any extraterrestrial intelligence that might find them.
6 is just an indicator that I've created 5 other universes in order to learn enough to even begin this strategy guide.

Starting Year

I elected to start my game at year 2018 because I'm following a let's play series on YouTube that uses that as a starting year. This will make it possible for me to easily judge my early progress against his.

• Starting year can be pretty much whatever you want (except zero)

Conventional Start

The conventional start is deemed "hard mode" by some Aurora devotees, but as a newcomer, it somehow felt more organic starting from what I know and working out from there. That said, there are some changes that can be made to acknowledge/compensate for the fact that we're basically starting out behind.

• I've set Sol jump points to 5 - Many folks suggest six to avoid isolation, but then being a bit behind I'm hoping that this may work in our favor a bit, provided it's not excessive
• Number of Starting Research Facilities - The default is 5 but we've got some catching up to do. 15 seems reasonable.
• Starting tech points - I'm gonna start at zero here but I might later wish I'd have bumped this up (Or I can rationalize using Spacemaster later to hurry research into designs when that task gets too onerous.
• Generate Sol System and create starting empire on Earth. - Sounds good. I'm lost enough as it is.
• Non-NPR Computer opponents - This just in from The Department of Redundancy Department... They are non-player too just more potentially dangerous. I disabled the Swarm. I was feeling challenged enough.
• Non Player Races - I opted for 1 race with TN tech. I wanted a challenge. Unlike the image above I set NPR's to activate non-NPR's
• Real Star Systems - I liked the idea of using existing real-world Astronomy in-game (plus the Astronomy geek in me wanted to see how well they did it!

Empire Philosophy

Our empire is going to look to eXpand,eXplore,eXploit and eXterminate - though we'll certainly rationalize that last one.
In keeping with that we're going to look to maximize the use of our people and our resources whenever and wherever possible.

• Try to generate as many research points in all schools of research as possible - Eventually we want it all.
• Try to keep our people employed and learning
• Try to maximize our production wherever possible by careful planning

Day 1

January 2018 Assumed control of the empire

Military Academy

Began doubling the size of the military academy

• We are gonna need a lot of people to run our empire. The more we train early on the better we'll be able to deal with the future
• We have idle industrial capacity - might as well see that it's doing something to improve our overall position

Initial Research

Einstein was once reported to have said "Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe"[2]

• Began Researching Trans-Newtonian Elements - Can't do much until we figure this puppy out.
• Appointed our brightest researcher to Trans-Newtonian Elements keeping in mind that researchers working within their specialty give four times the normal bonus. I was lucky and got a CP guy on day 1.
• Assigned one lab to our only other scientist so he could start improving in his specialty and the remaining 13 to our CP Trans-Newtonian Guy

This is keeping with our Early Research philosophy Everybody gets 1 lab so as to grow our talent pool ASAP. The best get the most proportionally. And any really pressing lines of research may get more than their share on a temporary basis.

• Training may feel expensive now but will yield dividends when we have a lot of labs available

Other Useful Day 1 Technologies

While the list of technologies is a bit limited on day 1 there are some useful ones available that we will need later. Might as well get the others started on these. If scientists can't find one in their specialty, it's still worthwhile to get them researching something if its one of these. Remember no research is ever really lost. Any research project can be cancelled at any point and the RP generated toward it remain, making it that much faster to complete for whoever picks up that research project later.

• CP Expand Civilian Economy by 20%
• EW Spinal Mount
• LG Improved Command and Control
• PP Minimum Engine Power Modifier x0.4

Caveats

• In Aurora one can cancel any research at any time with no penalty. All research points accrued to date are kept and may be applied later when that research is taken up anew.
• Particularly inept researchers (ones with no bonus so far) may improve on their own without an active research project but will improve faster if they have one. Fortunately I didn't draw any in this game but if one comes along later we'll still give them a lab unless we're particularly short of labs, or if we already have two productive researchers working in their field of specialty.

Naval Expansion

Ordered the expansion of our Naval Yard by 1000 Tons - we will most likely need more but might as well start with this. Our first ships will most likely be small but I don't want the navy-yard tied up with an expansion projects when we're ready to retool for our first craft.

Staff Appointments

Appointed an Earth Governor

• Chose the guy with the best combination of mining, manufacturing and population bonuses as these can already make an impact
• Also appointed governors for Luna, Mercury, Mars, and Ganymede in order to start getting the newly appointed Civilian Admins familiar with their Jobs.
  • Just keep everyone busy at low cost
  • Though it didn't matter I looked for Terraforming and Mining bonuses for the plum assignments but changes will be made based on what we find

Appointed a Fleet Commander

• Took the guy with the best mining and manufacturing bonus for day 1
• Noted a good survey guy for later and made sure he had a good training assignment

Even created other teams so folks could get used to their jobs and gain some skills. Better than just losing them.

Other Appointments

• I went to the Teams Page for Earth and looked at who I had available for the creation of teams

Survey skills

I felt that there would be a need for lots of skilled geo-survey folk in the near future but there's nothing for them to survey day 1. I created a list of all my folks with survey skills and gave them assignments that would keep them safe from the first great cull. The command of Missile Installations worked great for that.

Diplomacy Skills

Even there were no Aliens on Luna I had appointed a governor there.
I then went to my Luna colony tab and assembled a diplomacy team there. These folks won't accomplish anything but will hone their skills for the future.

Mining and Colonization Philosophy

Earth looks to be an abundant planet so our race to strip-mine space will be slower than what's been shown in a number of let's plays. There's little short term reason to move a mine producing big results on Earth to an asteroid which produces fewer minerals. There IS a long term reason in that we face eventually running out of the abundance and such things do need to be monitored but being ready to "strip mine space" is more important than actually doing it early on.

Mineral	Quantity	Availability	OPM
Duranium	278208	1	10
Neutronium	79004	0.5	5
Corbomite	51346	0.7	7
Tritanium	60884	0.4	4
Boronide	54967	0.8	8
Mercassium	71467	0.8	8
Vendarite	161383	0.4	4
Sorium	245958	1	10
Uridium	63309	1	10
Corundium	189366	0.8	8
Gallicite	59384	0.4	4
Total	1315276	Average	7.09

The Early Years

In a conventional start some uneventful, slow early months are a given. The first thing that will probably stop the clock is running low on Sorium for your fuel refineries. It's probably a good idea to just turn them off for a while and let the Sorium stocks recover.
Advancing the clock a month at a time is usually the way to go but one should be mindful to enqueue additional researches for each researcher so as to not lose the production of one's research labs for even a tick. Early research is valuable and waste is NOT something we favor in this empire.

• We're going to need a shipyard of at least 3000 tons to get started in our travels. One can either set the yard to continual expansion for a while or keep adding capacity in small bits until we have the requisite capacity. No sense scheduling a massive upgrade that exceeds our needs and then having to wait until it finishes.

The Great Cull

We've got auto-reassignments set up to refresh every two years. That's great but one aspect of the reassignment mechanism to be aware of the "Great Cull". Any staffers that have had no assignments in the last six years will be deemed redundant and forcibly retired. Since we've got a LOT of surveying to do it's best to assign people with surveying skills to some task so that they'll not be culled and will be around when needed.

Trans-Newtonian Technology

• 16th December (Year 2) A team on Earth led by Bradley Needler has completed research into Trans-Newtonian Technology - This was a good time to re-evaluate everyone's research assignments and give any researchers who were working on something less than optimal a new project. - Great time to get started on Geological Survey Sensors. We want to build a Ge-survey ship and get it started on its mission ASAP.

Industrial Conversion

Conventional industries are great but they are limited. Trans-Newtonian industry is 10 times as productive so as soon as Trans-Newtonian Technology has been mastered it's a great time to alter our industry into converting Conventional Industry in Construction Factories and Mines. Given how abundant our initial start was I went with 600 Construction 400 Mines. I divided the labor up between the three tasks with 20% going to finishing the military academy, 40% toward converting CI to Mines and 40% toward converting CI to Construction.

• 16th March (Year 3) Construction of Military Academy completed on Earth - time to reallocate the two remaining tasks to a true 60/40 split

• 21st July (year 3) A team on Earth led by Truman Swist has completed research into Minimum Engine Power Modifier x0.3

• 21st August (Year 3) A team on Earth led by Benjamin McKinzey has completed research into Geological Survey Sensors

Our First Geo-Survey Ship

Some folks prefer to wait for newer engines but I was able to build Discovery I, my first Geo-Survey ship, with conventional engines and get it started. For this first ship I opted for one engine of the largest size possible and the vehicle was serviceable but so slow that it had trouble catching Mercury. NO problem. There are plenty of other bodies in the system to explore and our technology is advancing so fast that we'll be able to refit this ship with better tech soon.

Ground Based Geo-Surveys

Ground based geo-surveys are a second chance to find minerals on any planetary body. That chance is reputed to be about 1/3rd the chance of the body having anything to begin with.

• 1st November 2021 (Year 3) The geological survey team on Luna/Mars/Mercury cannot begin operations until the orbital survey has been completed. - Ground based survey teams can only started once the orbital surveys are done. I didn't know that but at least these 15 folk were saved from the next great cull.
• Just as soon as an astronomical body is surveyed (regardless of whether minerals are found or not) I'll send a ground based geo-survey team.
• The skill of the team in NO WAY impacts what is found. Just how long it takes to complete the survey.
• Minerals MAY be found via ground surveys on planets that showed nothing in an orbital scan.

• 1st January 2022 (Year 4) A team on Earth led by Benjamin McKinzey has completed research into Duranium Armour

• 26th February 2022 (Year 4) A team on Earth led by Truman Swist has completed research into Pressurised Water Reactor

Other events

• 1st January 2022 (Year 4) A team on Earth led by Benjamin McKinzey has completed research into Duranium Armour

• 26th February 2022 (Year 4) A team on Earth led by Truman Swist has completed research into Pressurised Water Reactor

• 12th August 2023 (Year 5) Minerals Discovered on Andromache: Duranium 5,408 (1) Neutronium 1,089 (1) Tritanium 2,601 (1) Sorium 1,936 (1) Uridium 1,225 (1)

• 26th January 2024 (Year 8) A team on Earth led by Truman Swist has completed research into Pebble Bed Reactor Technology

Discovery III

The Discovery III with improved engine technology was commissioned in April of Year 9.
The two earlier models will refit to this version at minimal cost.

Discovery III class Geological Survey Vessel 3,200 tons 35 Crew 188.45 BP TCS 64 TH 75 EM 0
1171 km/s Armour 1-19 Shields 0-0 Sensors 1/1/0/1 Damage Control Rating 1 PPV 0
MSP 37 Max Repair 100 MSP
Intended Deployment Time: 60 months Spare Berths 0
Atlas II 75 EP Commercial Nuclear Thermal Engine (1) Power 75 Fuel Use 2.22% Signature 75 Exp 3%
Fuel Capacity 50,000 Litres Range 126.6 billion km (1251 days at full power)
Geological Survey Sensors (1) 1 Survey Points Per Hour
This design is classed as a Commercial Vessel for maintenance purposes

Ten Years Out

It's 2028! Ten years into the development of our empire and it's time to access our position.

State of Our Technology

Our Technological development seems to be going well. Though we mourn the early death of Dr. Truman Swist, our first Power & Propulsion Researcher. Thanks to the dedication of talents of his proteges. Power and Propulsion Technologies are ahead of other fields due to the efforts of these two gifted researchers. It would be nice to see a scientist emerge with a specialty in Construction & Production though...

• BG Biology & Genetics
  • 1 30% Scientist working on Terra-forming Module
• CP Construction & Production
  • Still no Scientists yet
  • Trans-Newtonian Technology
• DS Defensive Systems
  • 1 20% & 1 15% Working Scientists
  • Duranium Armour
  • High Density Duranium Armour
  • Composite Armour
  • Alpha Shields
• EW Energy Weapons
  • 1 0% & 1 15% Working Scientists
  • Infrared Laser
  • 10cm Meson Focal Size
  • Microwave Focusing Technology 1
• LG Logistics & Ground Combat
  • 1 25% Working Scientist (Finally)
  • Cargo Handling System
  • Cryogenic Transport
• MK Missiles & Kinetic Weapons
  • 1 10% Scientist
• PP Power & Propulsion
  • 2 Scientists both at 25%
  • Pressurized Water Reactor
  • Nuclear Thermal Engine Technology
  • Pebble Bed Reactor Technology
  • Fuel Consumption: 0.9 Litres per Engine Power Hour
  • Minimum Engine Power Modifier x0.25
  • Minimum Engine Power Modifier x0.3
  • Minimum Engine Power Modifier x0.4
  • Atlas I 3EP Commercial Conventional Engine (Obsolete)
  • Atlass II 75 EP Commercial Nuclear Thermal Engine
• Sensors & Fire Control
  • 1 35% & 1 5% Working Scientists
  • Geological Survey Sensors
  • Beam Control Fire Range 10,000 km
  • Active Grav Sensor Strength 10

Industry

• Recently completed conversion of 400 CI to Mines
• Recently completed conversion of 600 CI to Construction Factories
• Recently completed 10 fuel refineries
• Built 6 Mass Divers for Extra Terrestrial Mining
• Devoting 40% of our construction to additional 15 Research Labs - we resolve to always have 10% of our production capacity devoted to this most worthwhile pursuit.
• Devoting 30% of our construction to additional 400 Construction Factories
• Devoting 30% of our construction to building 100 Automated Mines for deployment. If they aren't needed in space, they'll still be productive on Earth.
• Built 1 Commercial Shipyard and are actively expanding it with an initial goal of 30,000 tons - Our current 10-year plan calls for 3 naval shipyards of various sizes and two commercial ship yards of 30K tons each

Space Exploration

• Have completed 19 Ground Based Geo-surveys (No successes yet) 5 teams currently working with 3 unemployed survey skilled staff. While skill level does NOT affect success rates our teams are rapidly gaining skills which will make them ever faster in surveying future bodies.
• Have 3 Active Geo-Survey Ships
  • 2 of our Discovery I Conventional Engine models (Due for Upgrades)
  • 1 of our new Discovery III Nuclear Thermal models
  • Initial plans were started on a Discovery IV design but with little left to explore in the SOL system those designs were shelved.
• Completed Survey of the inner solar system
• Completed Survey of Jupiter. Working on its moons.
• Completed well over 100 orbital surveys of asteroids & the occasional passing comet

Minerals Situation

Mineral	Quantity	Availability	OPM	Stockpile
Duranium	266893	1	10	3014
Neutronium	73346	0.5	5	6986
Corbomite	43425	0.7	7	10355
Tritanium	56358	0.4	4	2965
Boronide	45915	0.8	8	12006
Mercassium	62415	0.8	8	11722
Vendarite	156857	0.4	4	3265
Sorium	234643	1	10	13921
Uridium	51994	1	10	14512
Corundium	180314	0.8	8	7885
Gallicite	54858	0.4	4	6111
Total	1315276	Average	7.09

• Still haven't located any mega finds (finds better than Earth yield or large deposits matching it)
• Dry Wells on Luna & Mercury
• Minimal Accessibility on Mars & Venus

Projected Mineral Shortages

• Less than 20 years mining supply on Earth Corbomite, Boronide, Mercassium Uridium

Most Promising Prospects

• Andromecha 5 small deposits at level 1 (nothing else)
• Medusa 4 small deposits at level 1 (nothing else)

Twelve Years Out

It's August of 2029 (Year 11)

All the orbital geo-surveys are complete (with the exception of four long period comets that are all out past the range of my old survey ships)

• Ikeya-Zang is just reaching its aphelion of 9.5 billion miles.
• Books is on it's way in but is still beyond that distance, and Hale-Bopp and McNaught-Russel are still on their way out.

GSV Newton 1 (Our Grav-Survey Ship) has already found 5 jump point locations though we're years away from opening THAT can of worms. It's finished with 27 of the 30 survey locations (though I know from the game set-up that it's not gonna find any more jump points) and is happily tooling around the cosmos.

So I decided it's time to do some empirical testing of the success rate on Geo-survey teams while I develop my tech. ...and to watch how Earth mines out. I've got 400 ground based mines that were converted from the 40% of my conventional industry that I converted. Plus I built 80 automated mines figuring that I'd deploy them to the stellar bodies with the most abundant minerals.

Right now I'm analyzing how people may be jumping into space mining too early simply because it's there. (Of course that depends on what mineral availability you start with on Earth)

I set up a spreadsheet with all the Earth Minerals and their availability and plugged in the quantities and developed an average return per mine. In my specific game it's 5.72 in Year 11 down from 5.82 from when I first started tracking it (about year 7 or so) Nothing's gonna mine out for at least 5 years and the least plentiful minerals are the ones that have started bringing down my average Earth Mine Yield. Just to be on the safe side, I've also got 5 mass drivers ready to go so as to quickly deal with any shortfalls.

The bodies with the most available minerals have (at best) a simple availability sum of 5. I'm prepared to move auto-mines when Earth yields start plummeting but I've got a stockpile of everything with Duranium being the lowest. I've got two years production on hand and the resource is still at availability of 1 on Earth with 35 years until depletion. Corbomite, Boronide, Mercassium, and Uridium are the most troubling as to years to depletion. But each of those has at least 5 years of current production stockpiled and most over 10 years worth.

The only projected shortfall on the list (based on current project usage rates) is Duranium.

Again, that can best be resolved by staying Earthbound.