If you have a bit of experience, then the highest difficulty settings makes the game longer, but not more difficult. Pirate hideout are incredibly easy to destroy and give so much cash.
turtlerock: mission 10. No more than 3 beams (don't waste energy!). Spread the bases (one top, one middle, one bottom). Maximize energy collection by spreading collector network as fast as possible. Then one mortar and two cannons per pool (fly cannons in and out of the pool when health is low). One extra mortar in between bottom two pools. Then fly mortars to the wall (retreat when energy is low).
My strategy for pirate officers: activate afterburner at 100km from officer, launch missiles, and get the hell out of there before his missiles hit me. Repeat when missiles are charged again.
We definitely need a place were we can upload (and compare) our results. If we could also upload images of our network and add notes, we could learn a lot of strategy from each other.
would love to know what strategy is needed for three and a halve minutes for sep 5... my best so far 5:30 (move odin city and get 2 upgrades close to outer totems, then 2 mortars to contain creeper, then 3 blasters to get to middle totem)
 "Astrox"){kind=icon}
 "Creeper World 3: Abraxis"){kind=icon}
 "2048 Flash"){kind=icon}
 "Creeper World: Evermore"){kind=icon}
 "WarLight"){kind=icon}
 "JellyGo!"){kind=icon}
 "CS Portable"){kind=icon}
 "Pockymon Pet Simulator"){kind=icon}
thats not a horribly bad idea, might cost you on fuel alittle.