The most recent update appears to have broken mouse behavior on Macs. I now have to select areas in order to highlight strongholds, and click and drag spells, both operations used to be simple click to select, click to activate before today.
For 4th level: start with miniguns close in (left, left-top, right-high, right-low) and work your way out. Build the inner ring of miniguns first, then put heavy weapons and miniguns as you like on the outer hexes.
+1 on farming. +1 on item searching. Buy 3 x item search, and spend the rest on weapons when you get above 4000. To farm, buy nothing and just click. :(
3-5 build a laser 1 as a shield between enemy missile launcher and your base. Build fusion + supply + laser x3. The laser will absorb 2 hits, so build lasers, supply, energy, etc. Each time the shield gets blown up, build a new one.
For 2-6: at start, build 2 fusion + 1 supply + station:fighter. Next upgrade shipyard to frigate. Next upgrade fighter->advanced fighter x2, then upgrade third base to adv. fighter or torpedo boat. Finally, build heavy laser (top), then heavy laser (left side).
On 2.4, build some fusion, and some heavy lasers on the left. Add some auto-lasers on either side. Then wait to upgrade fusion and accumulator. Finally, build 2 missiles launchers.
On 2.3 it's still a race to the missile base. Build a couple of fusion cores, then some heavy lasers, then a supply, then wait for a missile base. Then wait for another one.
On 2.2, the key is that your missile base will destroy everything if you give it time. So build some fusion cores, then a heavy laser (on the right), then accumulators, then another missile base.
Level 17 is not impossible on Blind, but it's somewhat hit or miss. My formula: finish capturing your 1st planet. Move to small planet closest to mother ship. Next 1-4 ships created by 1st planet go to fat planet in background. (Mother ship will send ~4 ships to attack planet 1. Let planet beat them.) Next is small planet at bottom closest to mother ship. (Mother ship attacks last planet.) Move from 4 to 5. All planets are yours. Now respond to one more attack from mothership, taking a couple of seconds. This products more ships in your "main" cloud. Then send main cloud to mothership. THOSE SHIPS ARE DEAD - FORGET THEM. Now focus on beating leftover aliens with your own leftover ships.
This is a pretty fun time-waster, even after I got all the achievements. The thing that is really pissing me off right now is that the objectives don't credit actions I've already performed. Please consider basing the achievements on minimums (like: have at least one office) instead of events (like: build an elevator).
Considering how often it is necessary to restart the game, I'd really like to cruise mindlessly through the first two days or so, instead of having to wait for the slow-ass goal system to catch up to me.
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 "Cloud Wars"){kind=icon}
 "Nuclear Plant"){kind=icon}
 "Utopian Mining"){kind=icon}
 "The Last Shelter"){kind=icon}
 "Rod Hots Hot Rod Racing"){kind=icon}
 "Cruiser -Battleship 2"){kind=icon}
 "Obliterate Everything"){kind=icon}
 "Solarmax"){kind=icon}
 "Corporation Inc."){kind=icon}
 "Mooo!"){kind=icon}
 "Master of Fortresses"){kind=icon}
Which browser? Safari?