Jumping in at the deep end

[Jtownsend]

There's no AI, (10 players on a medium map I think) and only one identified gas player, who may not be near me very soon. I'm hoping to luck into an amenable gas player, if there is one.

I have 4 pretty good systems blocked off and colonized, I've stopped my EB at turn 9, have PPB3s, PD, stealth armour and thanks to a set of ruins, Fighters 1. This gives me (with the end of my EB) 3 light carriers which are probably the finest in the galaxy owing to heavy mounts. My useless worlds - I built too few shipyards, not reckoning with the impact of my limited expansion - have been churning out pretty basic fighters that will hopefully make good warp point fodder while I build more CYs, SSYs, and PPB escorts.

Only one contact thus far, and I'm looking to expand into an adjacent colony I didn't notice before, which will not add any extra warp points if I can grab it and hold the other side. Not sure if it was visible at the start - if it was, it was an oversight not to colonize it immediately.