Drakmon wrote:QUOTE (Drakmon @ Mar 6 2012, 11:14 AM) I used to have written research/build orders for when I would command (as a reference), but I no longer have those docs. Are there any such resources out there like a tech tree diagram or recommended build orders? I couldn't find anything like that on the wiki. I'm not looking for a full decision tree... just sample build/tech orders, number of active miners or constructors you should have active, etc.
I'd also love to see recommendations of what tech to completely avoid researching... basically get the most for my $.
Well, this is command advice, not really a newbie question.

But the answer is that since your income stream is so dependent on map, settings, faction, and the presence of any early-game miner disruption -- it doesn't make sense to have a formalized, preplanned, starcraft-like build order most of the time.
The only ironclad rule is that your first three purchases MUST be an outpost, a 2nd miner, and a teleport. (Okay, not 100% ironclad -- GT sometimes substitutes a pali con for its initial op). A refinery is a semi-obligatory fourth purchase, for the factions that have them, although you can sometimes forgo them if you're good at managing miners and can live with the small delay.
Garr tech is mostly the commander's perrogative. Some go enh cons, some go carriers. Giga has the option of patties and the specmine rush. Bios tends to get a jump start on adv scouts, gunships, and sometimes bombers due to their long lead time.
The key tradeoff here is that the more you invest in garr tech, the less money you have for "real tech" and the longer you'll have to make do with fragile and weak starter ships. This is what makes buying bombers early such a gamble, and many a game lost has been lost by an inexperienced commander making an ill-advised focus on early game bombing. The opposition simply kills miners in retaliation, stops the bomb run at the next base, continues to mine freely, techs up, grabs the rest of the map, eventually replaces the lost base, and it's GG.
A third miner and then a techbase are usually the next drones purchased. Be careful at this point to manage your money carefully so that there is no delay in getting these out. IC and OH have particularly long techbase con build times so you want to get on that early too. Sometimes, depending on the matchup, commanders will delay the techbase for a second round of cons to grab more map before settling in to the tech race.
If it looks like you're on the way to map dominance, where your miners are relatively safe, and have plenty of space to mine -- buy a fourth miner. If on the other hand the pressure is getting too great, you may need to go to enh miners instead.
Another strategic decision needs to be made whether you want to rush to advanced tech, or whether you need to grab more map first by pushing cons. 2nd teching is also an option at this point too. If the opponent is sup, you may need to think about pushing a non-galvable forward base.
As far as what offensive tech you should buy -- obviously, it depends on what techpath you go, but think about what you would benefit most from as a pilot. If you don't know what a good pilot would want ... maybe you shouldn't be commanding yet.

The major rule here is to avoid buying tech that can be stolen and used against you. Don't buy mini3 against exp, but be sure to buy SS2 against Belters. GAs are usually a safe purchase, but don't spend money on things you don't need. For example, you don't really need mini3 heavy ints to kill stealth fighters, but you do need pulse probes, and they're a lot cheaper.