Alliances – How do I get more members?

If you establish a new alliance, a common problem at the beginning is the lack of members. To gain more members, you have a couple of options:

1. Recruit through ingame messages.

You can try sending ingames to people, which don’t have an alliance yet. Some people will answer, others won’t. There are also players, who will find these recruitment attempts rather disturbing.

2. Presenting your alliance here in the forum

Every universe has a section for diplomacy. There you can choose the prefix “alliance presentation” when opening a new topic and present your alliance there. If people like your presentation, they can contact you via mail, PM or ingame.

3. Advertising your alliance in your own signature

Every user has the right to advertise for his alliance in his signature. You can edit your signature by going Edit profile –> profile -> signature. Here it might be useful to put in a link to your alliance presentation (see #2).

Of course you can combine or chose between all the methods as they aren’t mutually exclusive.

For method 2 and 3 it might help if you link to your ally page. If you want to know how that works, click here: Ally page – How do I create a link to my ally page?

Attacking – How does a combined attack work?

In order to start a combined attack, you first have to start a normal attack to the target. As soon as this is done, you can go to the fleet menu on your top right and klick on “fleet movements”. Now you search for the according fleet and click on

Now a new menu appears where you can change the name of the bond and/or invite other players to it.

To add new fleets to the bond, just go into the fleet menu again and select the desired ships. In the next window, you can select the bond in the dropdown menu on the right under “fighting bons”. The coordinates of the battle will be copied. In the third window, you can now select “combined attack”.

Attention: You can only add fleets, which will increase the flight time by 30%. If the fleet will increase the time by more than 30%, you can’t select “combined attack” in the third window.

Attacking – do the resources of an attacking fleet also go into the debris field?

No. Resources located in the load room of an attacking fleet are completely lost if the fleet is destroyed. Those resources do not land in the debris field, not even 30%. Because of that, it isn’t useful to load cargos for a moon shot.

Special feature: Even if only a single ship of the attacking fleet survives the battle and returns to the home planet, none of the resources are lost. The whole amount of resources will be unloaded. This is also the case, if the storage capacity of the remaining fleet ist not enough.

DIDF – What are DIDF Unis?

In defence-in-debris-field universes, 30% of any destroyed defence lands in the debris field, alongside the 30% of destroyed fleet.

Dark Matter – What is this and what is it used for?

Since September 9th 2007, Commander and other Officers can only be hired through the use of Dark Matter. You can buy this type of resource in the Officers Casino. Another way to receive Dark Matter is through expeditions, buddy points and Sponsorpay offers.

Together with the expeditions, the merchant was introduced with version 0.78. To call a merchant, 3.500 Mark Matter have to be payed.
The game distinguishes between Dark Matter which was bought and which was found. Only Dark Matter which was bought saves your account from deletion in case of inactivity. Please keep in mind that purchased Dark Matter will be used up first. Therefore, an account could be deleted if the remaining balance of Dark Matter was only made up of found Dark Matter.

Expeditions – What is that and how do I do it?

Expeditions were introduced to Ogame with version 0.78. On an expedition, you can find different events:

• Resources (always only one type)
• Dark Matter
• Ships you can keep (they are worth the normal points)
• A free merchant (The type of resource he trades is already set)
• Pirates or Aliens you have to fight
• an unexpected event which delays your fleet
• an unexpected event which accelerates your fleet so it returns earlier
• your fleet disappears completely
• nothing happens

To start an expedition, you have to have researched “astrophysics” to at least stage 1. Then, you can start the expedition with any kind of fleet combination from the fleet menu. There, you can also determine the number of hours, the fleet should stay there.
The total number of expedition slots is calculated taking the root of the stage of your astrophysics. The maximum number of hours equals the number of stages.

The more hours you stay at an expedition, the higher the probability of an event happening. The probability of an event occurring is also influenced by the amount of expeditions taking place at this position. If the position was visited very often, the probability decreases. To find out how often a position was visited, you can send a spy probe with your fleet and it will tell you in the expedition report.

Fields – I have colonized a new planet, which has only a small number of fields. Can I increase them somehow?

The number of fields of a planet can be raised using the Terraformer. For every stage, the Terraformer provides you with 5 extra fields. In addition, for every second stage, you get an extra field. On the other hand, the terraformer also needs a field for every stage.

Because the Terraformer is relatively expensive, it can be easier to give up a very small planet and only keep the big ones. There are different opinions about how many fields are enough. Some people are satisfied with 180, because they can do without some buildings, others don’t like less than 200.

The highest chance for a large number of fields is obtained by colonizing positions 7 – 9.

Research – Why is it useful to research stages further than required?

Any stages you research give you points, but some also provide an extra bonus:

• Espionage Technology: The higher the stage in comparison to others, the less spy probes are needed to see everything of an enemy’s planet. Furthermore, the chance for successful counterespionage increases, if others spy you.

• Computer Technology: Increases the number of fleets you can send off at once. There are always (Computer Technoloby + 1) Slots available.

• Weapons, Shielding and Armour Technology: For every stage, your attack, the shield strength and the shell of all units (ships ans defences) is increased by 10% of the basic value. Any research done, affect alle fleets immediately, even if they are already on their way.

• Combustion drive: every stage raises the speed of cargos, light fighters, recyclers and spy probes by 10%

• Impulse drive: every stage raises the speed of heavy fighters, cruisers, colony ships, bombers and small cargos (with at least stage 5 of the impulse drive) by 20%. Furthermore, the range of interplanetary missiles is calculated with it. (Number of solar systems = (stage of impulse drive * 5)-1).

• Hyperspace drive: increases the speed of batte ships, destroyers, death stars and bombers (with at least stage 8 of hyperspace drive) by 30%

• Astrophysics: the higher you research this, the more planets you can colonize. (Number of planets = 1+ round up(stage / 2)) In addition, the duration of an expedition can be extended by one hour for each stage (Number of hours possible = stage), also the number of expedition slots is determined (Number of expedition slots = root(stage))

• Energy Technology: raises the energy gained by fusion reactors.

All other research only have to be researched as far required for all the buildings they are needed for.
Example: researching Laser Technology higher than stage 12 makes no sense as this stage fulfils the requirements for the battle cruiser. Any further stages won’t provide any advantages.

Buildings - How do I tear them down? What effect does this have?

To tear down a specific building, you have to click on the building so it shows you its details. The “tear down” button is located under the “improve” button. Clicking on it will open a popup asking you to confirm. Once confirmed, the process begins.

Effects: Tearing down costs resources. They don’t give you any points. In fact, you even lose the points you had gained from the stage you are now tearing down. Only the last stage of the building is taken down, which releases an extra field to build on.

In general, every building can be taken down. Only the Lunar Base and the Terraformer are exceptions.

GO/SGO – How do I contact my GO/SGO?

There are two ways to get to your GO/SGO

1. Ticket-System
2. IRC

Ticket-System:
The ticket-system is available under the following link: support.ogame.de/. There you need to fill out the form and the responsible Gameoperator can respond promptly
More information about the ticket-system can be found here: Ticket-system FAQ

IRC:
You can easily get into the IRC by using the IRC-applet. CHAT
More information about the IRC can be found here.
Once you are in it, you can find a Gameoperator in his according uni-channel: The most important channels in the OnlineGamesNet
You can identify GOs by their OP-status (mostly shown by the @ in front of their name)
Alternatively, you can ask for your GO/SGO in the #ogame-support channel.

Attention: You cannot contact your GO/SGO per pm in this forum, as most of them don’t check their pm-box regularly.

Graviton Technology – How do I attempt it the best?

This type of research requires energy, just like the Terraformer. The 300.000 energy units don’t need to be free (204/1024) but available (204/1024). To achieve this amount of energy, building a solar plant is not enough. It is inevitable to build solar satellites. The number of satellites needed depends on the temperature of the planet. It can be calculated here.

There are a number of ways to carry out this task:

Quick and unrecognized
A relatively warm planet is that is already in use, is taken. A high nanite factory is build (stage 5+). Now the resources need to build the satellites are gathered. Once all are together, the satellites are built quickly. The higher the nanite factory, the faster, the satellites are built and the lower the chance of becoming a profitable target. Right after the research, the satellites can be shot down to collect the crystal from the debris field. If this is done fairly smart, you can even get some moon chances out of it.
Advantages: fairly cheap
Disadvantages: If the satellites are discovered, you are almost unprotected

Bunker
On a planet of your choice, satellites are built over a longer period of time with an appropriate investment in defence. After some time, the energy level is achieved and a very large defence.
Advantages: the planet can be used even after the research
Disadvantages: No defence is totally save. The costs are a lot higher as defence also costs resources. The satellites are then permanently stationed on the planet as hardly anyone is able to destroy them profitably.

Graviton-planet
Here, a new planet (positions 1-3) is colonized and build up. Because those positions have a high temperature, fewer satellites are needed. Once all the required buildings are there, the satellites are built quickly just like in tactic #1. After the research, the satellites are destroyed.
Advantages: The costs of the satellites are lower, as less of them are needed
Disadvantages: Because planets on those positions are usually very small, the planet most likely becomes useless afterwards and is given up. The building on it are therefore lost including their points.

Which one of those tactics you use is your own choice. You can also pick a combination of them.

Trade courses

There are no stuck trade courses. The courses can be defined by buyers and sellers, but they also depend on their general availability in the universe. The courses must be reasonable (no courses like 1 Metal : 10 Crystal) and generally should stay between 3:2:1 and 2:1:1

Merchant – Who is this guy and what is he used for?

The merchant was introduced with v0.78.
For 3.500 Dark Matter, he can be called to buy one type of your resources. The course fluctuates around 3:2:1. The maximum resources tradable are defined by your storages. You can only get as many resources as there is space in them. After the trade, the merchant disappears. A new one can be called by investing another 3.500 Dark Matter. Whenever you call a merchant for a different type of resource or a new course, 3.500 DM are deducted.

Colonization – How do I colonize a new planet?

You can only colonize free positions. A takeover of other owned planets is not possible. Empty positions are easily found in the galaxy view. Every solar system contains 15 positions numbered 1 to 15. If there is a coloured planet located in the “planet” column on the left, the planet of this position is already colonized. If the position is free, the symbol for colonization is present.

In order to colonize a specific planet, you need a colony ship and a certain stage of the astrophysics. The higher your stage of astrophysics, the more planets you can colonize. On top of that, more positions can be inhabited. You can find a chart displaying all this information ingame in the techinfo about astrophysics. Once you have a colony ship and the required stage of astrophysics, you can send it to the free position by completing the following steps:
1. go to the fleet menu
2. chose the colony ship
3. type in the coordinates of the free position
4. possibly change the speed (optional)
5. click “next”
6. chose colonization as mission
7. click “send fleet”

The positions with the best change of getting a good amount of fields are 6 – 10. More information about planet sizes can be found here.

Moons – What is this and how do I get one?

Moons may arise randomly out of very big debris fields. For every 100.000 resources in the debris field, the chance of getting a moon is 1%. The maximum chance is 20%. Therefore debris fields bigger than 2.000.000 resources have no influence on the formation of moons. Also there is no guarantee for a moon.

Moons arising out of a 20% moon chance have a diameter of at least 8.000km
Moons forming out of an under 20% chance have a random diameter

The following chart shows the different probabilities of getting a moon with different ship types.

The composition of fleet/def in the debris field, the current time and also the On-status of the player has no influence on the moon chance.

A moon always belongs to the planet on which the fight it arose from took place. The moon can not be colonized or taken over.

Moons carry some extra features. You can build special buildings on them such as the Sensor Phalanx or the Jump Gate. Other buildings like mines, the Research Lab or the Nanite Factory can not be built on a moon. You also can not phalanx a moon which is why people like to save from them. Moons can be destroyed by Death Stars.

Warning: If you give up a Colony with a moon around it, the moon will disappear with it.

If you give up a moon, a “given up” moon stays behind first. These type of moons are marked red in the Galaxy view. More information: Red Moon

Moons – How can I destroy those?

A moon is a very powerful advantage for its owner. You can saver your fleets much safer from a moon than from a planet. Furthermore, you can build two new buildings on it that give you an advantage over those players around you without a moon. With the help of the Sensor phalanx, you can see foreign fleet movements and the jump gate is an easy way to bring your fleet to far away distance without any costs. This is why some players may want to destroy the moon. This can only be done using death stars. The formula for a moon destruction is the following:

Chance to destroy the moon = (100-root (moon size)) * (root number of (death stars))

Before the death stars try to destroy the moon, they have to defeat the stationed fleet and defence in a normal fight. This fight generates a normal debris field but no resources can be captured. Only if at least one death star survives the fight, a destruction attempt is made. Attention: Since Mai 17th 2010, moon destruction flights fall under the bashing rule.

Furthermore, there is a chance that the death stars don’t survive the attempt. The formula is the following:

Chance of destruction of death stars = root (moon size) / 2. The bigger the moon, the higher the chance of destruction.

Therefore, there are a number of events possible:
• moon gets destroyed, death stars survive
• moon gets destroyed, death stars get destroyed
• moon survives, death stars get destroyed
• nothing happens

In any case, no debris field is created.

Moon – Do it need storages on my moon?

You don’t really need storages on a moon.
They are useful on a planet, so that production can keep going. Once a storage is full, production stops automatically. Because you cannot build mines on a moon, storages are therefore of no use. The precious fields can be used for other things.
The only time, a storage on a moon can be useful is in case of the merchant, as the amount of resources tradable depends on the storage capacity. This isn’t the best idea though as fields on a moon are simply too precious.

Moon – Do I need higher jump gate stages?

Building the jump gate to stage one is enough. Further stages bring no extra functions

Nickname – How do I change my nickname?

You can do that yourself. Just go to your options – userdata – player name – enter a new name – confirm with your password – save your changes.

You can only change your nick once a week.