The Happiness Engine wrote:

MM wrote:

Also, once you research Sensors 1, you can start putting survey modules on all your scouts. A couple 2,500 bc anomalies can really help jump-start a fledgling economy.

for about 10 bc more, you can build custom scout ships on a cargo chassis. Stuff it full of engines and a couple sensors and watch it haul ass around the map. If you're playing pre-patch, attackers fire first and destroyed defenders don't get to fire back, so packing a cargo chassis full of lasers is a cheap way to deal with the campaign.