Aurora is on version 2.5.0 C#, available at the Aurora Forums.
Contact Erik on the forum for a wiki account.
VB6 Aurora:Tips for beginners
Tips for beginners
Aurora is a work in progress. That means that once in a while, a bug might find its way into the code. All game info is stored in Stevefire.mdb in the Aurora directory. Currently there is no autosave function, so make it a habit to create a backup every day you play Aurora. Just in case.
Remember that not all open game windows are updated when you change data in one of them. So you could e.g. start a new colony on an asteroid or planet, but the Economics window wouldn't list it unless you advanced the time or closed and re-opened it. Likewise, after creating a new component, e.g. a laser or an engine, the technology dropdown in the Research window might not yet show it. Select another tech area from the dropdown, then the one where your new design should appear.
In the beginning, the most important minerals to look out for/keep an eye on are
- Duranium - most things you're going to build consist of 50% other stuff and 50% Duranium. Call it the steel of the 21st century. You'll need loads of it, and then some.
- Sorium - refined into spaceship fuel. You have a lot of fuel on your home planet, but keep an eye on your fuel stocks. If you run out of Sorium, you are in trouble.
- Corundium - needed to build mines and automines.
- Mercassium - makes your scientists smarter. You'll want to grow your research capabilities ASAP, so you'll need a lot of this.
Shift & Left click, then drag the cursor in the system map to measure distances.
If you are confused about the Galaxy map at first, you're not alone. That's mainly because the systems are not automatically placed. Shift-click and drag the star systems to a position of your liking, then click the SysPos button and save that layout, or your changes are lost when you exit the game.
You can train your promising young scientists by assigning them a research project and one lab. It'll take them forever to get it done, but they increase their skills faster when working on an actual project.
Finally, reading the FAQ might be a good idea if you're a new player.