New player looking for advice!

[SakuyaFM]

Alright, so I got the game from a friend today, but since he was leaving for the Marines I didn't exactly talk to him about this game. I played the tutorial 2 times, and I understood the basics. The problem lies early game when I start colonizing and building. It feels like I am expanding quicker than I could build ships to defend it, as well as being a big money drain. Any general advice for that?

Also, I know Rich systems are amazing for ship building, whilst Ideal planets are great for increasing population + distribution across colonies. Is it advisable to colonize everything in my current travel range?

For those curious, I have been playing Twelve Races. I've restarted like 2 or 3 times now because I get massively ambushed for turtling without defenses or going -22k ._. I'd also like to know good custom game settings for a beginner such as myself.

[Wrax]

Also, I know Rich systems are amazing for ship building, whilst Ideal planets are great for increasing population + distribution across colonies. Is it advisable to colonize everything in my current travel range?

as Galactic Civilization player I'm colonizing everything even dead poor systems (earlier if they are near trade goods, later if not) bacause I like to have solid body of my empire systems.

Anyway, it's a good advice to research Super Ark right from begining.

I'd also like to know good custom game settings for a beginner such as myself.

I'm quite new too, but I tell what I've done and playing sucesfully so far.
In my opinion, best for a new player is a huge universe 250x250 and more with number of stars normal or dense, try 8 AI races, Research depended on game size,

Why?

Let me explain. Huge universe means there will be many many turns for exploring and colonizing before you will establish contact with first aliens. There will be many more before any of met aliens will attack you (I think they will be busy colonizing hundreds of systems).
Building hude empire is easier, and easier is to survive- loosing 3 colonies isn't a big deal when you still have 40 of them  

[SakuyaFM]

So I ended up being prosperous with at least 500k... until I started troop mobilization and made about 150 ships to start attacking. Then I went bankrupt, FAST. Most of my colonies have at least 5 of each Orbital Laser, Heavy Missile, and Light Missile. By the 500th turn, I had Guardians on each colony.

[Anguille]

Indeed, when you start playing it can be easy to lose money very fast.

Unlike in other games, it's not good to build all possible buildings on colonies. It's important to have some core colonies responsible for production (try to have some colonies with at least 2 shipyards on them)...

To make money:

1) Population...you can have a coloney with 0 infrastructure but lots of population, yet it will bring you a lot of money through taxes. You will have to build some at some point in order to improve their mood though (crowded places are never appreciated). In that sense, it's good to colonise a lot of planets.

2) Mines and comet mining are good too...though normal mines have a big negative impact on the happiness.

If you have Supernova (if you don't, you should as it improves the game a lot):

3) Trade...as soon as you see trade options, create trade routes between your colonies...importing colonies should be the ones with most population.

Cheers

[SakuyaFM]

Yes, I do have Supernova.

What I've been doing is sending scout ships in the beginning (at least the first one I get) + 3 more transports. Those colonies will usually have a mine first. If they don't, I don't add anything else to it aside from an improved industry building for at least 5 missiles as well as a Commercial Landing Port.

My last game lasted about 600-ish turns until I went -200k from all my expenses. I unlocked and built nano-colonies (I forgot their actual name), but I was reluctant to build Core Mining due to pollution. I will usually remove my early-game surface mines if I could replace them with Asteroid/Comet mines. I've been having problems with "Natural Unhappy" and "Bureaucracy" messing with my Popularity, but maybe because I totally looked at the Klurgu as natural enemies that should not be negotiated with.

ADDENDUM:
I make 3 research facilities in 8 colonies, one in each "expertise." My order goes: Construction > Bio > Weapons > Defense > Information > Hyperspace > Psychic > Skunk.

[Anguille]

It's important not to have all colonies building facilities at the same time as i can be a huge problem on your economy. Some buildings (like Entertainement Centers) have also a very expensive upkeep...build them when needed only.