I have just started playing and much confuses me. I find the onboard manual doesn't really explain much at all and the tutorial movies (which don't play properly) are equally unhelpful.

1. what do manufacturing points actually do specifically? How can i work out how many factories to build when i don't know what the points actually do. I understand the principle, but not how it actually translates in the game.

2. the same applies to food production. How quickly does population increase if i raise the cap? How quickly does it increase anyway? All it says is that if approval is greater than 50% more people migrate to live with you. But what about birth rates?

3. the research screen lists filters for cost, but there is no mention of the actual cost. It just tells me again how many weeks left to build. I can't find anywhere that tells me how many tech points a certain technology requires. Again, as with the factory question, what is their relationship? If i have lots of labs, how does that speed up research?

4. Why do ship design list a cost that is nowhere near what it actually costs to purchase the ship when you build one? What does that cost refer to?

5. What am I spending on each planet and where can i find out? Mousing over the spending figure tells me nothing.

6. How much morale do i need to not have a population in revolt? THe stats screen tells me, for example, +10%. 10% of what?

7. How many influence points do i have? Where is this listed.

I haven't even tried trade or combat yet. I hope they are better explained!

Thanks.

I don't have the game, but once I was noodling about, looking for info about it, and I found this guide. I don't know how much it will help, but it certainly seems well put together.

Hi !! I've just discovered this game a couple of weeks ago (I've bougth it, but it took me a long time to begin play) and I just love it !!!

I must admit it is not that clear and I don't think I can answer your all questions ...

Quote1. what do manufacturing points actually do specifically? How can i work out how many factories to build when i don't know what the points actually do. I understand the principle, but not how it actually translates in the game.

Production points come from factories. They are used for two things : military (construction of spacecraft) and social production (the building on the planets). The more factories you have, the lest time it will take to produce either one.
But note something : in the civisation menu, you have the overall production (going from 0 to 100 %) and the ratio for military/social/science.
So, how much you produce depends on those three : number of factories on the planet, % allocated to overall production and % allocated to the specified field. This is very structuring ... When you don't build structures on any planet, you may set it to 0 %, but this will increase your monthly flee.

Quote2. the same applies to food production. How quickly does population increase if i raise the cap? How quickly does it increase anyway? All it says is that if approval is greater than 50% more people migrate to live with you. But what about birth rates?

I'm not quite sure about the rate, but raising the cap doesn't increase it.

Quote3. the research screen lists filters for cost, but there is no mention of the actual cost. It just tells me again how many weeks left to build. I can't find anywhere that tells me how many tech points a certain technology requires. Again, as with the factory question, what is their relationship? If i have lots of labs, how does that speed up research?

Quite franckly I don't care about the cost ... The important thing is that each planet produces research points, according to the number of labs ... But then again, the science production is based on "overall production" and % allocated to science (but science costs a lot !!!).

Quote4. Why do ship design list a cost that is nowhere near what it actually costs to purchase the ship when you build one? What does that cost refer to?

I think it refers to production points and not money ...

Quote5. What am I spending on each planet and where can i find out? Mousing over the spending figure tells me nothing.

This is all listed on each planet screen. You have income/spending/profit(?).

Quote7. How many influence points do i have? Where is this listed.

Good question. But influence is important in term of territory.

I hope this could help !!!