I can imagine how frustrating it is, I'm currently under protection for only 24 ticks (as of the time of writing) and was watching my "neighbors" going down - being conquered - as soon as their protection "worn out".

Only few ticks after the protection expired (and in one case - only one tick), a fleet was converging towards their colonies... no need to mention what happened.

I built an outpost, tried my best in building two fleets with 6 units (lots of laughs, I know) and seated them on the OP. The next day I logged in, I found the report. I was attacked by a fleet with total of 60 advanced units (I can't even build at this moment), and you can predict the result...



Could you please explain how to "spam the units"? I have a Spy; does it involve a Spy, or something else?


Thats easier said than done. No one even replied to my In-Game messages to accept me to the alliance.


Well, this is a "last resort".
However, I still don't see how anyone starting near well-developed & powerful players (that are playing this for 1400 ticks or so) can avoid being conquered, no matter how experienced he/she is...

Thanks, sorry for the length.


Regards.

@bisphenol I dont' see how a mentor is a last resort?
I didn't get a mentor trough the Adopt A Newb Center, but I had a mentor and it helped me A LOT. I would advice anyone to get a mentor!

@simmen: I meant to say, getting a mentor is the last thing I would do, because having a mentor has some disadvantages. I'll mention few of them:

• Often slightly different time zone (or even the same), but sometime it's not convenient for me, sometime it's not convenient for mentor to lead me. We all have real life, and different lifestyles/habits/etc.
• There is an adage something like "don't give someone a fish, teach him how to fish" and that's what is mentoring about. But I see this game as a challenge, with lots of "AHA!", "EUREKA!" and similar rewarding emotions when you discover something yourself. Going from agony to ecstasy for discovering something is pretty nice.
• I like to explore and discover things myself, instead of being told how to. Probably I would never ask someone to give me a fish, I would find a way to catch it one way or another. Though, I may fail and collapse of starving being forced to take a given fish. But I'll try again!
• Though someone volunteered to guide me, I would still feel uneasy bothering him/her, taking valuable time to show and teach me the tricks.
• This is a game, not a course of advanced math for which I need a mentor, a textbook and exams to take.
• I'm a DIY type of a person. As much as possible.
• ...forgot one smart reason while writing the above stuff...

Regards.

EDIT: spelling

1. Well, we usually match time zones dead on as much as possible. And if it doesn't fit you can get a new one.
2. Second point I can kinda agree on, but its different for different people.
3. How much you use your mentor is entirely up to you. I personally just give a few basic pointers and try to set them up with a decent alliance so they have somewhere to start. Then tell them that they can ask me if they have any questions.
4. Don't, all the mentors I know are happy to help
I always feel sad hen someone sign up for a mentor then I don't get contact with them, because I love helping people, and I'm sure the rest of the mentors will say the same
5. As I said, I will not go past the basics, but the basics like unit build and how a few things work is essensial for players not to be over run. And getting them into an alliance help them learn things for themself

I'm not trying to force someone into getting a mentor, but I know how much it helped me and have helped others, even if its just the security of having someone to ask and help you. But everyone have different tastes

Thank you for taking the time to write those answers. I agree with them except that 1. (getting into good, reliable contact with mentor) is sometimes virtually not possible for me (quite exotic reason actually). And of course, no one is forcing anyone to take a mentor.
As for the mentors, it's for every praise and commendation what they are doing and willing to do. Maybe I'll get one soon, frustrated after unsuccesful liberation attempts.

My biggest problem is to get in touch with reasonably strong alliance, as nobody knows me and vice versa. So perhaps I would use a mentor to develop a necessary BD social skills to join an alliance.

However, I think the game should have something more than just 100 ticks of protection for newcomers. It is just too tough as it is now - for newcomers.
Many people come, end up conquered and go. They never log back and the base is gone within 8 days.


Maybe I should made a suggestion about that in the right part of the forum?


Regards.

I didn't get a mentor though, but luckily for me the first time I played this game I found a good alliance, and they taught me almost everything in the game.

My suggestion is to find a sub, those subs (especially newly created sub) will accept almost everyone, and u will have the time to learn the game, either by urself or asking the alliance members (though some alliances never talk to each other )

Another thing is to participate in the forum, mostly in the suggestion, help desk, newbie and veteran questions. In those boards u can learn a lot about everything in the game. The players' guide is a good place to learn about the game too.

Yes, one of the newbs I were supposed to train had read up on almost everything on the forum and the wiki, so it wasn't much left for me to do

A trick to get into stronger alliances. Focus on achivements for a while. A lot of alliances looks at achivements when recruiting as it will show experience and what the player is capable of.

Mentors are a good way to get into stronger alliances too. Most of us are veterans and know a lot of other good players and might be able to find you a spot in a pretty strong alliance

Yeh, some times before I became admin I even bribed some people I knew in top alliances to take my newb in

Well, those are all good points and advices, no doubt.
But I have impression that they apply for relatively developed player, not someone who is just about to exit from the protection. Of course, with the exception of bribing someone.
I'm not sure of the suggestion by goldenpaw - no alliance leader will kick out a strong player just to accept a newb... no matter what. IMHO, at least.

As for the achievements, it is quite impossible to achieve something remarkable within protection period. I could gave up 35 protection ticks and try to conquer what looked as a weak neighbor. But he may be building sqads instead of structures and have small colony and a surprise! My 20-something units fleet destroyed by his full 60 units fleet. And even if I succeeded, I would soon end up conquered with "underdeveloped economy".
And at the end of protection, I have only 21 of 45 structures built. But this is far from 47%, as every new structure (column) requires at least twice as much resources as all previous ones together (and build-time rises about exponentially). I did my best, but am poor. Is there any or that can do more than 50% better than me, with the same (re)sources available?

Regarding the manuals - yes, there are lots of them. Here on forum, and I found a blog with about 50 guides. But most of them are the "advanced warfare" tuts; only few of them being "how to stay unconquered". I've read most of them, but virtually all assume one to be conquered first, and then focus on how to rebel/liberate/relocate yourself.

And last thing, how to find a sub? I joined an alliance: three members (including myself). The leader liberated himself 15 ticks ago, only to be conquered by someone else few ticks afterwards. No need to mention, the third member is also conquered. So, how to find a sub?
And what does spam units, spam outposts mean? This really makes me wander.


Thanks.


Regards (from someone soon to be a slave. )

PS: I have much more to say, but this post is already too long...