Collective questions

1. Demolish all industry and commercial infrastructure on your base world.
2. Notice that you begin with a negative income, but don't freak out.
3. Increase housing on your base-world so that there's just enough to fill it up (25 total). If you didn't research housing yet, don't. Not useful for the agri-collective
4. Research 20 agriculture, and build as much agricultural infrastructure on your planet as possible.
5. DO NOT worry when you see the negative income.
6. Once you get 50,000 food units, sell it on the market for 1 credit lower than the current price. It should get sold quick, easily replenishing your stocks of money. Note: Don't sell all your food, otherwise your population will starve, resulting in a lack of loyalty.
7. From now on, it's a simple matter of selling food so that your money comes back.
8. You can easily make 5 million in the first day on RT. So now, you have stability.
9. Buy a few minerals that the collective use. You should have 300 terran metal, 100 red and white crystal, and 300 composite and rutile.

Shamefully lifted from my guide.

Also, try to get some borders (6 is ideal). Try using the sloop, pinnace, and galleon. Extremely good collectives ships.

Don`t hide in newbie protection... you might lose your planets if you`re not careful (the server only refreshes your PR every once in a while, so if you have too much population on your planet... then the extra might push you above 5,000 PR).

Aim for 800+ land planets. Very easy if you`re newbie hunting. Get rid of your homeworld once you got some nice planets, you won`t need the 500 land anymore.

Get all ship tech.

In fact it is a bit hard to start with Collective.. that? they start with $100k.

1st, demolish the all the Industry n Commercial Infra. Then build some Housing (maybe 20 - 25) n nothing more. start research Housing tech. once your Housing reach Lv5 switch to Agriculture n 4ever research it (u can continue to research on Housing but it is not recommended, as it will pull u out from NP; Lv5 Housing is enough provide some pop for u while plunder).

later, u found out that your income had become positive (no matter how much income per turn, as long as u make positive or zero income) as your pop is max with tax for u. then check the ratio of Housing n Agriculture Infra, build with the ratio. if Your ore is out then wait, research those infra tech n ship tech while harvest ur ore with ur colony.

Your ore wont enough for u to build your Home World (Collective doesn? have a Home World, but i just call it as Home World as initial planet), u can spend more turn to get more food to sell n buy more ore OR u can ask some kind empire (u can ask me on RT ) to provide some $ artifact to u.

Get all your ship tech n also some minerals b4 start a war. u just need a few minerals as Collective ship cost less minerals. then u can start your NP hunting n make some big income from plunder. once u failed your attack, disband all ship, hide in NP n don? come out LOL well, u can stay out of NP. But only if u can make sure to get border before your damage protection out. Else, your empire might always die LOL

if u get any colony which is bigger than your current Home World... feel free to switch it as your Home World n plunder the previous. n also, DONT always Assimilate all those colony, assimilated those u want, n u can cluster them very quick without plunder those crabpy colony unlike other race which must cluster all in a column

happy hunting
by Hiigarans

attack someone in low pr before doing too much research, plunder those planets for quick cash, rinse and repeat, once you`ve some cash do your research in NP so you aren`t hit and don`t die.

then when you capture planets after that you always have a target before leaving np, so youv`e borders, someone easy say with 5 planets at under 6 k pr, try and think ahead look in rankings and pick a few targets before leaving np, and attack them all asap.

once you`ve a few planets and borders start thinking about assimilating them and populate, agri etc and mine the ore, sell what ore you can, plunder is more if the pop is higher, get a bit more cash behind you this way and then do whatever you like.