Spaceward Ho! is a rather easy to play game but not so easy to complete. It’s an old game and although it does not have graphics and videos like games such as Master of Orion 2 or Homeworld the gameplay beats them hands down.
You can choose between 5 difficulties, which dictates how many enemies you come up again (you can set up to 20 enemies). You can choose how large the Galaxy should be, and how great the distance between the Stars should be. You can also set how many Resources and Ships you
should have to begin. (My tip for beginners: take the Colony Ship and Scouts to begin). After that you can begin to colonize the Galaxy but this is easier said than done!
You must find the right balance. If you colonize too many Planets to begin with, (they cost money to develop) you cannot spend enough money for Tech-Research (e.g. you have weapons level 4 and your enemies have weapons level 6 or 7 and you will be lacking compared to them)
My advice is to find out the right balance between colonizing, researching (weapon and armor tech is most important but speed and range tech is important too) and defending. Don’t forget to build shield satellites as your ships cannot be in all your colonies to defend. Abandon non-profitable planets if they are out of metal because they only cost you money, and there is no benefit.
