COLONY TRANSPORTS

Colony transports can be used to move populations and ground troops to assault enemy worlds. In both cases, you must have the required ship range to reach the star system and the appropriate planetology tech if the planet has a hostile environment. No more than half of a planet’s population may be transported to the new star system and only a single destination may be chosen per turn.

Transport Speed: Colony transports move at one less than the maximum speed of your best known engine type. For example, if you have developed Sub-Light engines which move starships at warp 3 (three parsecs per turn), your transports would then move at warp 2.

Forming A New Colony: The first step in colonizing a new planet is to create a ship design that includes a colony base as one of its special devices. When a ship with a colony base is in orbit around an unclaimed planet that you can land on, you will be given the option to start a colony on that planet. If you choose to do so, the ship will be scrapped and the materials used to build the new colony. You may now transport more colonists to the planet to enable the colony to grow faster. In addition, you can now use the planet as a base for starship operations, allowing your ships to move deeper into the galaxy.

Invading Enemy Planets: Only star systems that have been explored can be invaded. Enemy starships in orbit and missile bases on the ground can destroy colony transports attempting to land on an enemy planet. If you intend to land on another player’s planet, you should eliminate the ground and space forces first. Otherwise, a significant number of the colonists will be destroyed. Once the transports have landed, both sides engage in ground combat with the winner retaining control of the planet. Space combat is resolved prior to transport landings.

Ground Combat: Ground combat is resolved in a series of engagements until one side has been completely eliminated. Each side receives a bonus according to any ground combat technological advances it has acquired. The Bulrathi also have a natural advantage in ground combat.

Taking an Enemy World: There are several advantages in capturing enemy colonies, compared to colonizing unoccupied planets. First, you do not need to build a ship with a colony base to start the colony. Second, you can use the factories that were previously owned by the enemy player (enemy factories must be refit, however). Finally, there is a chance that you will discover some advanced technology that you did not already have.