Wow, this game is tough. I've been killed twice, both times within three years of starting.
Sorry to hear, but for this crowd, they shouldn't be too broken up. One big hint - start slowly. Don't commit your capital's ADM to Edicts until you have a more stable income. Running out of money in this game in BAAAAAAAAAD. Also, butter up your governors and viceroys however you can before embarking on a major Edict. This game is very different from a normal 4X - even though you have a (fairly) large Empire to start with, it is quite sickly (hence your challenge!)
-Steve
Oh yeah, don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining! I
love the idea. I've always felt that games in which you play the role of a leader of a vast empire (planetary or interstellar) gave you way too much power. The idea of a game like this in which you have to bargain and scheme and cajole those around you to get what you want is great.
That is what I did wrong at first, yes. Tried to do too many things at once. The first time, for instance, I tried to build four starbases simultaneously, which sank my treasury into the red within a year and gave me a death message within a few more months.
Right now, my biggest issue is that every colony swiftly runs out of building materials before I can even think about getting a starbase built for them. Is it a better idea to just abandon colonies I can't connect to logistically? Also, is it worth it to build manufacturing outposts on extremely hostile worlds (habitability rating <10) if they have very rich strategic mineral ratings?
Finally, are there other empires in the game yet, or is that in the future?