<r> 1. <B><s>[b]</s>Pirates <e>[/b]</e></B>- They're really not that bad once you know how they work. I pay off the first few pirates as it will cost you more to defend yourself than pay them off, both time and credit-wise (opportunity cost). I spend that time and credits saved on economic pursuits ...

<r> <B><s>[b]</s>TL;DR There is no optimized design for everything, but there are optimized designs for each situation. Don't take ship design too seriously and have fun with it. You can still win the game without min-maxing.<e>[/b]</e></B><br/>
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It really does depend on your play-style and ...