Of course, winning is hardly the point. For me, the game has played out like an endless series of Kobyashi Maru tests.
Rather than trying to win every time, I've focused on unlocking new ships and testing different builds. Here are some good tips I've either read about or learned the hard way:
* It's a really good idea to upgrade the medbay as soon as possible, because it provides a "blue" option in many of the random encounters you face. (The blue choice is always positive--or as positive as it can be--and is often the key in unlocking new ships, recruiting new members, preventing the loss of crew members, and avoiding negative effects in battle.)
* The teleporter similarly provides many "blue" options. I'm not sure about this, but once you have a teleporter, Rock and Mantis crewmembers seem to fall in your lap as well. A leveled-up two-Mantis away team can kill an enemy crew of four humans as long as the humans can't heal. A Rock-Mantis team is also highly useful, though the AI will wisely try to kill off the Mantis first and will do so if you don't evacuate him early or run him around.
* Taking ships by coup de main is definitely the best option in most cases. If you can kill the enemy crew without destroying the ship, you snake the highest possible scrap and fuel rewards, and sometimes new drones and weapons. It is also the key to unlocking at least two ships (Stealth and Mantis). It's nice to be able to play without worrying about fuel, and regular bum-rushing ensures that.
* In later sectors, teleporting in to an undamaged ship is a one-way ticket. The game's AI will happily micro its injured crewmembers back to its own medbay, and circulate them in and out of the battle zone at least as well as I can. The trick is to blow up the medbay, then teleport in on top of the crew as they attempt to fix it. Oh, and be sure to de-target the medbay once your guys are aboard. That is how my two Yellow-level Mantis boarders, Jackie and Sammo, met their end last night, just before the last sector. In fact, it's a good idea to minimize the damage you inflict with your weapons while you have boarders away--they'll die with everyone else if you blow up the enemy ship when they are aboard.
* Missiles are what always get me in the end. It is my understanding that the Defense Drone Mk II can handle everything including the boss, but I have yet to acquire one.
* Beams without shield penetrating power, like the fire beam, are almost useless in later sectors. Later enemies are just too good at restoring their shields. If you focus all your weapons on shield suppression so that you can use the beams, the enemy's full broadside will crush your own ship in two or three volleys. Invading the shield room is also usually suicidal because the injured enemy will use medbay micro against you. So I find it is better to use my own weapons against their weapons, drones, and medbay.
* One of the very best weapons in the game is the Burst Laser Mk II, which comes stock with your very first ship, The Kestrel. Get a second one and you can shoot your way to the end--but they won't beat the Boss by themselves.
Anyway, I'm still loving this game. Lots and lots of fun.
= new reply since forum marked as read