SR2 Reboot: Are the first years always slow?

[DRNewcomb]

I've started playing Reboot. I thought I was pretty good at getting a good start at SR2 but the first few years in Reboot seem really slow. First thing was that I could never get the engine out of the IPX-437 and it looks like the engine it has is not as good as in the original version. Next, the dominators are a lot tougher. So, systems aren't as easy to liberate. It's taken me six years into the game to get a decent start. I now have a largish (>500 cu, 8 pt.) Rapid Housing and a Singular engine that will jump 30 psc. This is way behind where I would have been in the original version.

Are there any new tricks for getting off to a good start or do you just have to slog it out?

[modo]

A couple of tricks are to do easy missions (take the easy option for ship and syetem defences as these are often in the begining and the techs are not so advanced as to pose a problem).

Sure, the money and exp are not as good but you can do alot of them quickly and safely (the short time means you've got good chances of succeding without having to babysit the target ship / system and can concentrate on other things).

Blowing asteroids will also get you money (both from selling them and the rewards from planets).

Try to visit each system that had dominator attacks, at about six months apart planetary combat can be found on them. It gives you more money and exp than any other type of mission.

[DRNewcomb]

I'm doing all those except the planetary battles. I know I should try to do them but I just stink at anything that doesn't have a pause button. The only planetary battle I beat is the training mission. Mona-Island just whips my butt. I wonder if there's a some sort of BIOS hack that will let me slow down the system clock?

[modo]

Mauna Roa is the worst of them...that and the one on the sea ship (forgot it's name). The rest are doable once you get the hang of it.
You do have a pause option, just enter the robot build screen if you need to think your tactics. Then come out guns blazing.