by Limitless333
Then you aren't talking about standard opening but rather Optimal Openings when you are getting a lot of things to line up your way
I think pretty much any faction can pull off one of these opening even if things go a bit poorly for them. Here is David's description of how to open PI+RL with Firaks who start with less Ore than normal.
I only play 3 or 4 player games so cannot comment on the Automa game. But if you want to open with both PI + RL it is often possible to do so. The best round booster to accomplish this is "QIC+2 coins" but any round booster that provides ore will do.
Start resources 8 ore (convert the QIC to ore and gain 1 from round booster) and 15 coins.
-Build Research Lab: -5 ore -8 coin, Pick tech tile "gain 4 pwr" and advance on terraform track and gain 2 ore
-Build Trading Station: -2 ore -3 coin
-By this time you need to have gained at least 2 pwr from leeching, activate "gain 4 pwr tech tile". Now you have at least 2 pwr in bowl II and 4 pwr in bowl III.
-Burn 1 pwr to make it 5 pwr in bowl III. Free action to convert 5 pwr to 1 ore and 2 coins. Build Planetary Institutre: -4 ore -6 coin.
There are variants with better pwr leech from opponents that let you do this more efficiently, for example get the "ore+pwr" tech tile instead of "gain 4 pwr". Or if you manage to do a power action for 2 ore you can even save your starting QIC for later.
For this opening strategy I would do two steps on economy tech track along with the initial step on terraforming track. Your income for next round will then be:
+2 ore, +5 coin, +6 pwr, +2 knowledge (+ whatever tech and round bonus tile you got).
In round 2 build RL gain tech tile and advance to step 4 on economy tech track. Depending on how it goes you might be able to place a mine in this round as well. Otherwise you have OK income for expansion and the Firaks ability fully active going into round 3.
This opening would give a very favorable and flexible position going forward but, as both Space Trucker and James Wolfpacker has mentioned, will delay expansion which might be costly.
Start resources 8 ore (convert the QIC to ore and gain 1 from round booster) and 15 coins.
-Build Research Lab: -5 ore -8 coin, Pick tech tile "gain 4 pwr" and advance on terraform track and gain 2 ore
-Build Trading Station: -2 ore -3 coin
-By this time you need to have gained at least 2 pwr from leeching, activate "gain 4 pwr tech tile". Now you have at least 2 pwr in bowl II and 4 pwr in bowl III.
-Burn 1 pwr to make it 5 pwr in bowl III. Free action to convert 5 pwr to 1 ore and 2 coins. Build Planetary Institutre: -4 ore -6 coin.
There are variants with better pwr leech from opponents that let you do this more efficiently, for example get the "ore+pwr" tech tile instead of "gain 4 pwr". Or if you manage to do a power action for 2 ore you can even save your starting QIC for later.
For this opening strategy I would do two steps on economy tech track along with the initial step on terraforming track. Your income for next round will then be:
+2 ore, +5 coin, +6 pwr, +2 knowledge (+ whatever tech and round bonus tile you got).
In round 2 build RL gain tech tile and advance to step 4 on economy tech track. Depending on how it goes you might be able to place a mine in this round as well. Otherwise you have OK income for expansion and the Firaks ability fully active going into round 3.
This opening would give a very favorable and flexible position going forward but, as both Space Trucker and James Wolfpacker has mentioned, will delay expansion which might be costly.