ADAMJR: Created Beginner's Guide page

2026-05-06T00:00:00Z

Created Beginner's Guide page

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[[File:Overview.jpg|thumb|400px|A new galaxy awaits — your first empire takes shape among the stars.]]

Welcome to '''New Stars'''! This guide walks new commanders through their first hours in the galaxy: setting up an empire, surviving the early game, and building a foundation for galactic dominance. If you have never played a 4X strategy game before, start here.

== The 4X Loop ==

'''New Stars''' is a '''4X grand strategy game''' — every play session revolves around four pillars:

* '''eXplore''' — Send Explorer ships through [[Hyperlanes]] to chart unknown [[Star System|star systems]] and discover [[Planet|planets]], anomalies, and rival empires.
* '''eXpand''' — Use Builder ships to claim systems and Colonist ships to settle habitable worlds.
* '''eXploit''' — Develop your [[Colony|colonies]] and [[Starbase|starbases]] to harvest [[Resource|resources]], grow population, and unlock new [[Technology|technologies]].
* '''eXterminate''' — Build [[Fleet|fleets]] and engage in [[Warfare]] to conquer or eliminate rival empires.

Most early-game decisions affect your ability to do all four well. Balance is key.

== Setting Up Your Game ==

When starting a new game, you'll choose:

=== Galaxy Settings ===

{| class="wikitable"
!
!Setting
!Notes
|-
|[[File:MAP_SMALL.jpg|center|thumb|74x74px]]
|'''Galaxy Size'''
|Choose between Tiny, Small, Medium, Large, or Huge. '''Beginners should start with Medium or Small''' — fewer systems means shorter games and easier-to-track conflicts.
|-
|
|'''Difficulty'''
|Higher difficulty boosts AI bonuses. Start on '''Easy''' or '''Normal''' for your first few games.
|-
|
|'''AI Players'''
|How many rival empires share the galaxy. '''4–6''' is a good beginner range.
|-
|
|'''Hyperlane Density'''
|Denser networks make travel easier but expose you to more neighbours.
|}

=== Choosing an Origin ===

Your '''Origin''' shapes the opening hours of your game. There are 8 origins to choose from. A few beginner-friendly picks:

{| class="wikitable"
!
!Origin
!Bonus
!Why It's Beginner-Friendly
|-
|[[File:ORIGIN_FORGOTTEN_OUTPOST.jpg|center|thumb|74x74px]]
|'''Forgotten Outpost'''
|Start with a Colonist fleet
|Lets you settle a second world early — extra economy and breathing room.
|-
|
|'''Lost Colony'''
|Start with extra population, a housing building, and a minerals building
|A stronger homeworld makes the early economy forgiving of mistakes.
|-
|[[File:ORIGIN_AETHERIC_SANCTIFIERS.jpg|center|thumb|74x74px]]
|'''Aetheric Sanctifiers'''
|Start on a Pristine world with Pink Plasma access
|Excellent food/science output without complex setup.
|}

For the full list, see [[Empire#Origin]].

=== Government & Ideology ===

Pick an [[Government|ideology]] (eight available) — each gives unique bonuses and changes the unique buildings your colonies can construct. Beginners benefit from '''Cooperative Militarist''' (balanced economy + military) or '''Megacorporation''' (strong trade-based income).

== Your First Moves ==

[[File:Fleet-moving-in-star-system.jpg|thumb|350px|Move ships through hyperlanes to explore new systems.]]

You'll begin with:

* One '''Homeworld colony''' on a habitable [[Planet|planet]]
* A '''Capital Starbase''' in your home system
* One [[Ship|Explorer]] ship for scouting
* Some [[Ship|Builder]] and [[Ship|Colonist]] ships, depending on origin
* '''Starting resources''': 100 {{icon|gold}} Gold, 100 {{icon|energy}} Energy, 100 {{icon|minerals}} Minerals, 100 {{icon|metals}} Metals, 100 {{icon|food}} Food, 100 {{icon|power}} Power

=== Recommended First 5 Steps ===

# '''Send your Explorer outward.''' Click your Explorer fleet, right-click an adjacent unexplored system. Repeat — Explorers reveal planets and find anomalies.
# '''Queue colony buildings.''' Open your homeworld and queue an '''Energy''' building, a '''Minerals''' building, and a '''Housing''' building. These three are the early backbone of any colony.
# '''Claim nearby systems.''' Send Builder ships to systems you've explored — claiming a system lets you place a Starbase and harvest its star's resources.
# '''Designate a Starbase.''' Right-click a claimed Starbase and pick a designation (Outpost / Fort / Hub). Outposts are cheap general-purpose; Forts add defense; Hubs boost trade.
# '''Open the Tech Panel.''' Pick a research target. Early picks like '''Heavy Cruisers''' (military), '''Starbase Hub''' (economy), or '''Repeatable Hull''' (defense) are reliable openers.

== Resources ==

Your empire runs on seven core resources, plus four special resources found on rare planets.

{| class="wikitable"
!Resource
!Icon
!Used For
|-
|'''Gold'''
|{{icon|gold}}
|Trade, diplomacy, integration, business deals
|-
|'''Energy'''
|{{icon|energy}}
|Powers buildings, fleet upkeep, terraforming, vaporizing systems
|-
|'''Minerals'''
|{{icon|minerals}}
|Building colony structures
|-
|'''Metals'''
|{{icon|metals}}
|Building ships and starbases
|-
|'''Food'''
|{{icon|food}}
|Population growth and upkeep
|-
|'''Power'''
|{{icon|power}}
|System claims, Starbase upgrades, special actions
|-
|'''Science'''
|{{icon|science}}
|Technology research
|}

''Special resources'' — Antimatter, Crimson Stardust, Golden Spice, and Pink Plasma — unlock advanced buildings and ships. Conquer or trade for them.

'''Tip:''' Each month, your empire gains a small base income (10 of most resources, 5 Power) plus everything your colonies and starbases produce. Watch the resource bar — going negative on '''Energy''' or '''Food''' causes serious problems.

== Building Your First Colony ==

Each colony has '''jobs''' assigned to its population. The basic jobs are:

* '''Politician''' — runs the capital building
* '''Miner''' — produces Minerals
* '''Engineer''' — produces Metals
* '''Entertainer''' — keeps citizens happy (amenities)
* '''Farmer''' — produces Food
* '''Scientist''' — produces Science
* '''Soldier''' — defends the colony in [[Warfare#Colony Siege|sieges]]
* '''Investor''' — produces Gold

Construct buildings on the colony to unlock more job slots. Upgrade your '''Colony Capital''' (4 levels: Settlement Center → Metropolis Hub → Stellar Nexus → Cosmic Citadel) to increase population caps and total job slots.

'''Colony Focus:''' Each colony can be assigned a '''focus''' (e.g. Industrial, Research, Agricultural) that boosts certain outputs. Match the focus to the planet's natural strengths.

== Diplomacy Basics ==

When your Explorers meet another empire, you'll receive a '''Meet Player''' event. Open the [[Diplomacy|Diplomacy Panel]] to see relations:

* '''Establish Embassy''' (free) — opens deeper diplomacy options.
* '''Request Trade''' — exchange resources monthly.
* '''Declare Friendship''' — boost mutual opinion (lasts 2,160 days).
* '''Form Alliance''' — military cooperation.
* '''Declare War''' — see [[Warfare]].

'''Tip:''' Friendly relations are usually better than war in the early game. Trade resources you have surplus of for resources you're short on.

== Research and Technology ==

Open the '''Tech Panel''' to see your research options. You can pick from three random fields each tier. Priorities for new players:

# '''Heavy Cruisers / Star Cruisers''' — unlock larger warships.
# '''Starbase Hub / Starbase Fort''' — unlock starbase designations.
# '''Repeatable Hull / Shields''' — survivability buffs that stack.
# '''Building Fort''' — defensive colony buildings.

Some techs are '''repeatable''' — they reappear after research and stack indefinitely.

== Winning the Game ==

You can pursue several [[Endgame|victory conditions]]:

* '''Domination''' — Last empire standing.
* '''Galactic Union''' — Form or lead the dominant union.
* '''Score Victory''' — Highest score when the time limit ends.
* '''Cosmic Convergence''' — Special endgame event involving the Celestial Squid.

You can also lose — protect your '''capital colony'''. Losing it can trigger defeat conditions.

== Common Beginner Mistakes ==

* '''Over-expanding too fast.''' New colonies cost upkeep before they pay back. Stabilise 2–3 strong colonies before building a 4th.
* '''Ignoring Power.''' Power is needed for claiming systems and Starbase upgrades. Build Power generation early.
* '''No defense fleet.''' Even peaceful neighbours can become hostile. Keep a small fleet near your capital.
* '''Forgetting to upgrade Starbases.''' Higher-tier Starbases provide huge defensive and economic bonuses.
* '''Not assigning jobs.''' Population without jobs produces nothing. Check the colony screen and fill empty slots.
* '''Going negative on Food or Energy.''' Penalties stack and snowball — fix it immediately.

== Next Steps ==

Once you've survived a few games, dive deeper into:

* [[Empire]] — Origin details, government types, and unique mechanics
* [[Colony]] — Full job, building, and focus reference
* [[Starbase]] — Designations, upgrades, and roles
* [[Fleet]] — Ship roles and management
* [[Warfare]] — Combat, siege, and peace mechanics
* [[Diplomacy]] — Treaties, opinions, and unions
* [[Technology]] — Full tech tree
* [[Saving System]] — Save and load mechanics

Welcome to the galaxy, commander. May your empire stand the test of time.

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ADAMJR: Created Beginner's Guide page