Matrix Games Forums

First with designs, save your designs at the beginning of the game. Turn design off, and never turn it on again. When it is time to upgrade to a new type of an old component, simply select the affected ships (or all of them - easy enough), and click the manual upgrade. I usually pick standard flight bays, since they never really become obsolete. I put fighter bays on most of my ships and bases.

Once you are designing your own ships, simply pick which ones you will want in your fleets - usually destroyers, carriers, transports, capital ships. Make sure all the ships you will be using have at least one troop component. Now, make a bunch of ships. Hit F11 and select troop carriers as your filter. You can easily make a large fleet for invasion (include transports), or defense - skip the transports for this one. I then refer you to the fleet management tips by Gelatinous Cube.

If you are at war, make an overwhelming invasion fleet, load troops, and target an important planet. I use F12 to also rename the fleets (such as 3rd western defenders, or 5th heavy invaders), so I will know how to use it later. I try to spread out the home bases for fleets, but I always want a large defensive fleet at the capital, plus an invasion fleet to load troops from the capital.

Just some thoughts, feel free to contribute your own ideas.

Do you have any suggestions on the matter of fleets and their fuel? When I create a fleet the ships intially are scattered about the empire. If I automate the fleet they will refuel at their designated Home Planet regardless of whether there is a closer refueling station near by. I end up with a fleet that takes ages to be operational as there are ships crawling around without fuel. How I go about it at the mo is to un-automate them, manully tell them each to refuel at the closest station and return some time later when I see they all have fuel and I'll then tell them to meet up at their Home Planet. All abit long winded. Is there a better way?

A home region is given to focus them on a base of operations:
 
E.G. Your home is System X and the automated constructors will therefore increase fuel mines etc. around it for your fleet to work and your fleet will defend it around this place in a predefined fleet stance radius.
 
A home base is NOT something you give an attack fleet. An attack fleet should switch to the closest refueling point, at best a followed up resupply ship in the conquering system on their previous mine, guarded by a small defense fleet etc.

Good system! Not too different from how I do it. By mixing naming conventions, good design decisions, and proper fleet management, you can truly create an empire that runs smooth. [8D]