Demo user seeks a few pointers

[derb]

I am an experienced 4x player but new to SE IV and am having a difficult time playing the demo. It is extremely under-documented � the tutorial doesn't get you far at all. I understand that the full game has an HTML-style manual on the CD � is it reasonably comprehensive?

I have "The Dubious "Strategy Guide" of Space Empires IV" but it assumes that you know about SE 3 or earlier to some extent, alas. Is there a user guide floating around elsewhere on the net? I am particularly interested in something that would explain what each of the ministers do and the difference between individual and global ones.

At the moment what I really need to know is what some of the icons mean. I noticed on more than one of the planets I colonised I see a little red icon that looks something like a battered red filing cabinet. Ever-hopeful I guessed perhaps it is a ruin so I built a research facility on those but nothing happened. What is the meaning of the icon?

[Nitram Draw]

The red "trash can" means you don't have a spaceport in the system. If you go to start/programs/shrapnel I think the manual is there, but it has been a long time since I played the demo so I could be wrong.

[Taqwus]

And if you want to find ruins -- look up the Planet listing (the button looks like, well, a planet, if memory serves), select Special, and it'll list the known worlds that have ruins on them. It's also mentioned in the statistics panel when viewing the planet (usually a reference to deserted alien cities or something like that).


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-- The thing that goes bump in the night

[derb]

Thanks for the help, guys!

"The red "trash can" means you don't have a spaceport in the system" - well that's intuitive!

And if I colonise a planet with ruins on it do I get the tech free or do I have to put research on it?

[Nitram Draw]

The tech is free and can be quite valuable, like a new colonization type. Colonize all ruins as soon as possible, even if you can't hold it. The tech goes to the first owner.
Also, under the empire button, crown, are the ministers and the empire options. Use the minister button to enable any specific minister you want to use. Use empire options to set options like showing where spaceports, resupply and shipyards are, remove confirmation dialogs for certain actions etc.

[DirectorTsaarx]

quote:

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Originally posted by Taqwus:
And if you want to find ruins --
<snip>
It's also mentioned in the statistics panel when viewing the planet (usually a reference to deserted alien cities or something like that).

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There's also an icon that kinda looks like Stonehenge on the statistics panel for planets that have ruins.