Hints for defending against pirates

[Don Maddox]

I keep getting hit by pirate raids early on. What is the best defense against these?

[Scott Tortorice]

At this point, the best strategy is to avoid the raid by being sure to out-bid anybody putting a bounty on your head. I've taken to the habit of placing a de facto bid on any AI player just as a precaution against a sneak, last-minute bid on me. Also, build a bunch of defensive structures, such as hangars and fixed cannons, to harass and whittle down the raiders. But once the pirates arrive in system, there is little you can do besides blasting them out of the system with a fleet action. They are not particularly dangerous, but like rodents, it takes some time to clear the infestation.

[Don Maddox]

Okay, just discovered that you can build your first capital ship for free. That helps! :paperbag:

It seems like the pirates come after me in force very early on, so maybe I need to start experimenting with putting bids on people. I haven't paid much attention to that aspect of the game so far.

[Scott Tortorice]

The bidding system is CRUCIAL when playing against the AI. The computer uses pirate raiders to hamstring oppenents in a very effective manner, so stay on top of it.