Spoiler Alert - this guide may contain information you'd rather discover on your own!

Please note: After you win a sector, you keep your present ship (equipped as it is) when you start the next sector. Your ship keeps all of its components and stats that you attained in the previous sector. In other words, you do not start over with a new ship. Only new characters start with a new ship.

Playing Drox Operative has sometimes been described as "sandboxy" meaning you are given a place to play and provided a bunch of toys to play with. Which toys you choose to play with is pretty much up to you. You can play the game several ways depending on your mood and what goal you set for yourself. These goals can range from being a "good guy" and becoming a legend in the universe, to being allied with the strongest alien faction, to being a "badass" and destroying and looting everything. Or you may only be interested in improving your ship and leveling up, or in a combination of these. It's totally up to you.

There are several important things you need to do for your ship to survive in Drox Operative:

• 1. Learn to fly without using the left mouse button to thrust. Use the "W" key to thrust. Go to Options/Game Options and turn on "Thrusters Toggle". When you play the game, try to always keep your ship moving while in battle.
  
• 2. Use the Number Keys to Attack and/or the Right-Click slots (if you put a weapon in the bottom right-click slot located at the bottom right of the screen, a right-click of the mouse will then fire that weapon).
  
• 3. If you discover a Star Lane or Wormhole, don't to travel to the new system until you have improved your ship (made it more powerful). However, I should say, use the wormhole or star lane by clicking on it, and then immediately return - this will identify the system on your sector/system map so you will know where it will take you. Monsters in an adjacent star system are often more powerful than in the starting system, so it's best to first improve your ship as much as you can.
  
• 4. Improve your Ship by finding better components and equipping them as soon as possible.

This last statement (#4) is really important at the beginning of the game with a new ship. You will need to explore, find/collect all the loot you can, and equip items that will make your ship faster (more or better drives or engines), deadlier (better weapons), more protected (better shields/armor), and have more power (by adding a nuclear power plant or solar array). Listed below are some key components found in the early game that will help you survive if you equip them.

• Ramjet Drive: You already have one of these drives when you start. You can equip a second ramjet drive in an empty heavy slot or replace your existing ramjet drive with a better drive that provides more thrust. Later you will come across other items (nuclear drives, thrusters, etc.) that can also increase your thrust. Concentrate on improving the thrust of your ship as soon as possible.
  
• The EMP weapon: This weapon can destroy multiple ships and missiles with one shot, so it is particularly useful when you encounter a hoard of enemy ships. You can often just fly your ship into the heart of a bunch of ships and fire the weapon destroying several ships at once.
  
• Battery Rechargers: Equipping these will cause your energy to be regenerated much faster. This will allow you to fire your weapons more often as your depleted energy is recharged at a faster rate.
  
• A Better Weapon: There are many weapons in the game. There are Beam weapons, projectile weapons, missiles, and many more. Look for weapons with a higher DPS (Damage Per Second) value. Each type of weapon has advantages and disadvantages, so you'll need to try each to see how it works for you. To start, try to find a better beam weapon to replace your laser (a better laser or other beam weapon).
  
• 2 (or more) weapons equipped at once: If you have a laser and then equip an EMP weapon, you'll be able to use 2 weapons at once increasing your attacking power greatly. When you equip an EMP, it will automatically be installed in the first available open slot in you skills bar at the bottom of the screen. If slot #2 is empty when you install the EMP, it will install in that slot. Now you can fire your laser by pressing the "1" key, and you can fire that EMP by pressing the "2" key on the keyboard. You can also drop the EMP (or any weapon or other item) into your right-click slot to fire the weapon (or use an item) with a right-click of the mouse. Set things up in a way that's most comfortable for you.

There are several ways to win a sector in Drox Operative. By clicking on the "Win" button (shown below) on the skills bar located at the bottom of the screen, you can view each "Win Condition". You can either decide to pursue a specific win condition when you start a new sector, or you might want to wait until you see how the game is playing out before deciding on a strategy. It's totally up to you.


Since there are 5 winning conditions, you might want to check the "Win" screen occasionally to see how you are doing. The screen updates throughout the game to let you know things like "Are there any unknown races left?" (meaning races you have not discovered yet) and whether you've met any other winning conditions such as being "Allied with the most powerful race". Now let's talk about actual strategies you can use to win a sector.


One of the more important aspects of the game is establishing good relations with the strongest races. Please Note: Completing/solving Quests is only one of several tools you can use to impact race relations. Though difficult, you can even win a sector without solving a single quest.

Please Note: If you want a tougher challenge, you can even choose to help one of the weaker
races achieve dominance by helping them and completing/solving quests for them in order to make them the dominant race in the sector.

• 1. Performing missions (Quests) for that race = positive (+) relations based on quest difficulty.
  
• 2. Destroying enemy monster ships that are near a race's colony planet = +relations based on monster ship strength.
  
• 3. Destroying enemy monster ships that are near or attacking a race's cruise, diplomatic, or colony ships = +relations.
  
• 4. Submitting to a race's demands to break a treaty or declare war = negative relations for not submitting to their demands.
  
• 5. Declaring war on a race's enemy and destroying its ships and planet colonies = +relations for destroying the enemy.
  
• 6. Completing Quests for a race's enemy and solving them = negative relations for helping the enemy.
  
• 7. Completing Quests for a race's friends or allies = +relations for helping that race's friends.

Remember, helping a race by solving quests for them will improve relations with that race, but will cause you negative relations with any race who dislikes the race you helped. So you need to check the Relations screen (press "R") and decide how your actions will affect your relations with all the other races. Conversely, helping a race will cause you positive relations with all the races that like the race you helped.

When you first meet a race, your relations will be about 50 (neutral). If you wish to establish a treaty, you will first need to improve your relations with a race to a level of about 60. Then you can try to negotiate a Non-Aggression Pact (treaty) with them.

• 1. Press "R" to bring up the Relations screen
  
• 2. Hover the mouse over the race's icon to see the level of your relations with that race. You can also hover the mouse over the Drox Icon to see your relations with all the races.
  
• 3. Click on the race's icon with whom you want a treaty - this will display the relations menu for that race.
  
• 4. Click the "Trade/Negotiate" button
  
• 5. Click on the treaty (on the left side of the screen) that you wish to propose.
  
• 6. If they show agreement (center text in green), click the "Offer Trade" button.
  
• 7. If they do not agree (center text in red), click the "What would make this trade possible?" button. The race may offer a trade where you pay them money to obtain the treaty (the greedy extortionists!). The amount (if you have enough money) will appear on the left bottom of the screen. If the amount is acceptable to you, you can click the "Offer Trade" button to finalize the deal.
  
• 8. If your relations are not good enough and you don't have enough money; they will refuse your offer.

To obtain each treaty you will need to improve your relations to a certain level. If you don't form a treaty, your relations cannot improve further and will be capped at 60 (no treaties with a race). Below are listed the different treaties and about how much relations you need to achieve to successfully negotiate a treaty with a race:

• Non-aggression Pact: Reach about +58 in relations. Relations are capped at +60 until after you obtain this treaty.
  
• Mutual Protection Pact: Reach about +70 in relations. Relations are capped at +72.5 until you obtain this treaty.
  
• Alliance: Reach about +80 in relations. Relations are capped at +82.5 until after you obtain this treaty.

So, if your eventual goal is to negotiate an Alliance with a given race; you must first obtain a Non-aggression Pact, then obtain a Mutual Protection Pact, and then finally an Alliance.

What you need to do to achieve a military win is be allied with the sole remaining race after all the other races have been eliminated. The key in this case is to help that race to be the sole survivor. It's important to negotiate better treaties with this race as the game progresses. Remember to check the Relations screen, hover your mouse over a race's icon to see your relations with that race, and it's relations with any other discovered races.

The challenge comes in that often one race will be the most powerful for a while, but things can happen that cause that race to slip from the lead. a different race may devise better technology giving them the advantage. Another might declare war on a race who has better military technology causing that race to lose the war and get wiped out. So you need to consider carefully how to proceed. There is not necessarily one correct choice as to who to back during a game.

• One tactic would be to try and defend the race you picked to eventually ally with. But this could prove fruitless if the race you backed is too weak militarily. Even though they start out in the lead, they could be cupcakes when it comes to fighting. You might succeed, though, if you sell them great technology and/or defend them vigorously in battle.
  
• Another tactic might be to switch sides in the middle of the game and work on forging an alliance with the new race in the lead. In this case you might have to fight against the race with whom you were friends earlier.
  
• You can also use positive or negative rumors as a way to increase or decrease relations between two races. This kind of manipulation could eventually result in the two races becoming allies or enemies. If all the remaining races are allied, instead of a Military Win, you might try for a Diplomatic Win.
  
• Even another tactic might be to declare war on the weakest race; destroy that race; and repeat for the next weakest race until there is only one left. But make sure you're allied with that last race when you are done, or you will lose.

When several or all of the races are friendly or, more specifically, allied, you might want to try for a Diplomatic Win. In this case you would want to do everything you can to improve relations with the allied races. One nice thing is that doing things to improve relations with one allied race will also improve relations with the other races that are allied with that race. It's sometimes possible to get 2 races that aren't allied to start liking each other (and eventually ally) by spreading positive rumors about the other race. Conversely, you can also cause 2 races that are friendly to start disliking each other by spreading negative rumors about each race, which would mean you're trying for a military win instead.

Getting two races who dislike/hate each other to ally can often be nearly impossible. I have done it once or twice, but it was costly and time consuming! Also some races are friendlier than others (i.e. the Dryad) and are easier to get to ally with another race. Often it just depends on a bit of luck and having just the right races present.

In addition to using rumors to improve relations between 2 races, you can also protect any diplomatic ships to ensure they make it to the other race's planets as this improves relations between the two. You can also concentrate on completing the transport diplomats quests (if any) that are offered for the same reason.

This is well explained in the game. It means you simply need to collect and sell items you find to planet colonies; and trade, sell technology, contacts, and planetary information using the Relations - Trade/Negotiate screen. It's not an easy victory - very difficult to achieve.

Here you need to be a badass. Do everything you can to make your ship powerful, destructive, and well protected. Declare war (preferably on one race at a time) and wipe them out. Don't try this tactic with a weak ship! If your successful, you'll scare all the races into submission and achieve a fear win. You will receive a lot of rewards from the Drox High Command and a tribute (reward) from each remaining race!

Again this is well explained in the game on the "Win" screen. Just be a good guy. Rescue stranded ships, do some quests that don't offend any of the races (this may not be possible sometimes), explore everything possible, kill as many monsters (especially higher level monsters) as possible, and don't attack any of the races. This is, again, a lot tougher than it sounds - another tough way to win a sector.

So, as you can see there are many ways to win a sector. It's up to you to decide how to win. You can choose how to procede when you start, or you can decide how to procede as you go along (which is the best strategy). A key consideration is to take note of what is happening in the sector around you, and adapt to the situation. You may have to change your strategy several times to win a sector. But, as with all Soldak games, it's your choice.

One of the most important aspects to winning a sector in Drox Operative is Alien Race Relations. During a game, you will need to keep track of your relationships with other alien races that you discover during the course of play. In addition you will need to pay attention to how the different races are responding to one another. You will need to make your decisions based on all the different race relationships and standings. Discovering all the races is important! You need to know how all the races are relating to one another as well as with you. So explore as much as possible until you find them all. If you choose to ignore the aspect of the game involving race relationships and the Relations screen, you will most likely lose the sector!

The Main Relations Screen can be displayed by pressing "R" or by clicking on the shaking hands icon at the bottom of the screen. On that screen you will see icons representing you (Drox Operatives) and any other races you have discovered. The lines between each race's icons are color coded and depict how each race regards you as well as how they regard one another. Just check the Relationship and Treaties keys on the left of the screen to see what the line types and colors mean.

At the bottom left of the Relations screen you will see a section showing the Power Rankings of all the races you have discovered so far. This graph will give you an idea as to which race is the most dominant race, and aid you in decisions as to whom you may want to help or not during the game. It is important that you explore the systems and discover as many races as you can so that you can determine which race(s) you want to help, not help, or even declare war on. One possible win condition is to be allied with the strongest race when there is only one race left. If you are not allied with that race, you will lose that sector. Below are listed the 5 win conditions for the game:

• 1. Being allied with the last remaining race (a military win)
  
• 2. Being allied with all remaining races (here, you and everyone else are allied - a diplomatic win)
  
• 3. Collecting enough money (an economic win)
  
• 4. Destroying everyone and everything possible to instill fear (a fear win)
  
• 5. Becoming a legend by destroying only monsters, helping the races, exploring everything, and rescuing ships (a legend win)

On the main Relations screen, placing your cursor over a race's icon will provide you with additional information about that race and it's relationship with you and the other races you have discovered. Also please note the following regarding the race icons:

• 1. A red question mark indicates that a race has quests (missions) they'd like you to perform for them.
  
• 2. A green exclamation point indicates that you have completed quests (missions) for that race and need to solve them to get credit for completing them. You don't have to solve them unless you want to solve them. Solving a quest for a race with a powerful enemy will cause that powerful enemy to dislike/hate you; they may even declare war on you as a result! So consider things carefully before solving any quests.
  
• 3. There are also small icons that depict the traits associated with each race.

There are several other Relations screens pertaining to each specific race that can be accessed from the Main Relations screen. This is done by left clicking on a specific race's icon to bring up another menu from which you can choose to do the following:

• 1. Trade/Negotiate: a screen from which you can offer treaties, technology, information, race contacts, or even money to a race to affect relationships (you just click on the item you wish to offer/sell or buy (such as Jump Gates) and then either click "Offer Trade" or first click on "What would make this trade possible?"
  
• 2. Get Quests: presents a full list of quests from that race. You can choose to accept none, one, or more. Note: Some quests, such as delivery quests, can only be accepted at a specific planet in person.
  
• 3. Solve Quests: a full list of quests you have completed for that race. You won't get credit for completed quests unless you solve them; but you may not want to solve them based on what the consequences might be!! - consider carefully.
  
• 4. View/Cancel Treaties: a screen where you can view or cancel any treaties you have with that race.
  
• 5. Declare War: Lets you choose to declare war on that particular race if you want.
  
• 6. Propaganda: Allows you to create propaganda that can cause unrest, riots, or even a rebellion on a race's colonized planet.
  
• 7. Espionage: Successful espionage will steal a technology from that race. You can possibly later sell it to another race if you want.
  
• 8. Sabotage: Successful sabotage will cause problems or disasters for a race's colony such as radiation leaks and poisoned water supplies.
  
• 9. Rumor: Successful rumors can help or harm a race's reputation with another race.
  
• 10. Relation Breakdown: Shows numbers that reflect how the colony is functioning.

So you can see that there are a lot of ways to influence your relationship with a given race. It's up to you to make the choices of how you want that relationship to turn out. Trying to get on friendly terms with the most powerful race seems like a good idea, but you can choose to support a less powerful race if you want a particularly challenging game. Also, sometimes another race will leap into the lead after the most powerful race is beset by some calamity (and you may need to change your tactics as a result).

The most important thing to remember is: Check the Relations screen often to see how you are faring with the other races. It may be key to your winning the sector.