How to have a fleet in an hour

This is how I like to start my game. I cap ships right away, never firing a shot myself. Here's how:

Buy a Star Barge, follow the intro missions with James. At Hestia, buy a mass expansion and a bunk, so that you have seven bunks. Buy seven laser rifles, hire the crew, and head for syndicate space, particularly the system Alnair in the south west.

There you will see frequent interceptor pirate ships. You can't fight them, but the syndicate will. Usually the syndicate destroys the pirates, but soon enough there will be an extended conflict, and some pirates will be left disabled. POUNCE! Board those bastards - your seven crew will usually overpower the 6 or less pirates. Land that prize and BOOM - you've got your first prize (and escort).

Repeat this, and with your fleet of three, travel to Markab, buy another expansion and bunk, so that you now have 11 crew space. Arm them and hire the crew - your odds of overpowering an escort crew just increased. Return to Alnair (or Matar) and bag a few more escorts. Sell off anything but quicksilvers and headhunters, watching for atomic engines, which you can then install in your keeper quicksilvers.

When you have 2 million in the bank, or the same value in ships, return to Markab and buy a Bounder. Sell it's turrets, max the mass expansion and bunk. If your escorts have atomics, swap them into the Bounder. You now have a zippy quick boarding ship with over 25 bunks. Arm them and return to your hunting grounds.

With the bounder and several quicksilvers/headhunters, you're now a legit menace to pirates themselves. You can take on Mantas and Splinters, provided that you outnumber them. I now fly into Persian, gather my fleet, and wait. Plenty of opportunities here; you just have to act quickly, or the pirates will flood in and make mince meat of you.

Within an hour, I am flying a bunk heavy fast bounder, and at least 12 escorts. You now have to choose when it's time to make the next flagship. The bounder will not get you a falcon/levithan, but it will build a fleet that can take one down.

Notes 1. when you can, mass expansion and shield up your escorts - it gives them an advantage over their prey. 2. replace cannons and guns with heavy laser beam weapons when possible - much better for disabling prey