i think this would be a good idea. And instead of starting out with 10 Zorg Rubies, maybe start out with 5 and have the other 5 as a finishing reward. Zorg wont be out any additional and it will make sure that those rubies being used are going towards a better chance of an active player.

For steps, here's a rough idea for what I think they should be. Anyone's welcome to change them as they see fit.

Step 1: Basic Mines
Mines are the foundation to any successful empire. They produce resources which all things are created with. However, to power mines, Energy is needed. This is provided by Solar Plants at the beginning. Be warned though, negative Energy hurts the mines' production, so never allow it to be in the red for long.
-Build Solar Plant to Level 4
-Build Metal Mine to Level 4
-Build Crystal Mine to Level 2
Reward
200 Metal and 100 Crystal

Step 2: Defense
Defense is needed to protect your planets from any raiders. In order to build defense, a Ship Yard is needed. Even though defense is there to keep your planets safe, do not leave any ships sitting on your planet after you log off. This invites players to attack you, so you must always remember to Fleet Save.
-Build Robot Factory to Level 2
-Build Ship Yard to Level 1
-Build a Rocket Launcher
Reward
1 Rocket Launcher

Step 3: More Advanced Mining
Deuterium is one of the most vital resources in the game. It is used for fueling ships, as well as in most Research. With higher mines, you are able to do much more, such as building a wide range of ships, buildings, defense, and research.
-Build Metal Mine to Level 10
-Build Crystal Mine to Level 7
-Build Deuterium Synthesizer to Level 5
Reward
2.000 Metal, 1.000 Crystal, and 500 Deuterium

Step 4: Fleet
Fleet is just as, if not more important than mines. With fleet you can colonize new planets, raid for resources, trade and transport, and many more. Cargoes have a wide range of uses and are vital for any player.
-Build Research Lab to Level 1
-Research Combustion Engines to Level 2
-Build a Small Cargo Ship
Reward
1 Small Cargo Ship

Step 5: Communication
In any Massive Multi-player Online Game, communication is needed to survive. Zorg is no exception. The forums are filled with as much information as you could possibly want. Stop by and create an account.
-Visit the forums
-Visit Chat
Reward
5 Rubies

Step 6: Espionage
Espionage and attacking go hand in hand. It's common sense to know what you are attacking before you actually do it and that's where probes come in. Espionage Probes allow you to see what another player has on their planet, so you know exactly how much defense and fleet you need to watch out for.
-Build an Espionage Probe
-Probe another player's planet
Reward
2 Probes

Step 7: Attacking
Mines can only produce so many resources. You will need much more than your mines can provide, so for everything else there is attacking. If you attack another player and win, you will be able to take as much as half the amount of resources they have on their planet. But remember not to break the Bashing Rule, that is, don't attack the same planet more than 5 times withing 24 hours.
-Attack another player
Reward
10.000 Metal, 5.000 Crystal, and 2.500 Deuterium

Step 8: Recycling
Everyone loves to be green, don't they? Browsing through the Galaxy View, you may have come across something looking like rocks next to players' planets. That is called a Debris Field and is basically a bunch of free resources sitting there. In order to collect a Debris Field, you need Recyclers to get the job done.
-Recycle a Debris Field
Reward
1 Recycler

Step 9: Expeditions (This one might be a little iffy, feel free to add feedback)
With Expeditions, you have the chance of finding ships or resources in the empty wastes of space. To do so, send some ships to planet slot 16 in any system. But be warned, you might end up finding nothing. Or worse, your ships will be sucked into a black hole and be lost forever.
-Go on an Expedition
Reward
10 Light Fighters and 5 Small Cargoes

Step 10: Colonies
Colonies are the most important thing you can obtain. The more planets you have, the more points you can get. To get one, send a Colony Ship to an empty planet slot. You cannot take over another person's planet, so don't try.
-Make a Colony Ship
-Create a colony
Reward
5 Rubies

The order of these can also be changed around. Once again, this is just a rough draft so people can bounce ideas around

EDIT: If possible, the tutorial would be the first thing that pops up when a player joins, instead of plopping them onto the overview. That way, there's no possible reason for them to miss it.

that is a pretty good plan, maybe with a little editorial on the importance of each step added, like on step 10. When a planet is attacked or defended and ships are destroyed, a debris field will be created and there will be a possibility of a moon forming. In order to retrieve the debris field (comprised of metal and crystal only), you will need recyclers as Recyclers are the only ships able to harvest debris fields floating in a planets orbit after combat.



You could also maybe add one optional step, Buy 5 zorg rubies. Reward, 5 zorg rubies and an award Zorg Supporter. Dont forget the awards suggestions.

Added descriptions to each step.

Recycling should be right after attacking, IMO. Makes more sense to have colonizing as the last step, too.

Also, instead of a friend request under the communication, how about visiting chat? Some of these new players probably won't know many people when they first start, so going to chat is an easier alternative.

Just my opinions on the whole thing. Very nice overall.

Makes sense. Fixed.

Maybe the player should start out with 10 rubies like normal, and the other 10 that are awarded through the tutorial could be used for another tutorial. That way they get their first taste of what rubies can do, but not affect the game's economy very much.

/double

Exactly, they could buy 7 days of upgraded production, or an Imperial Support, which would get you well on your way in the beginning of the game.

imperial support costs 15 rubies. We start off with 10. I dont really know that many ppl will start off buying that with no idea how to play the game, but going thru this tutorial and earning some gives a great "buy-in" for the game and a reason to purchase extra rubies. Once you know how to do things in any game, you have a more likely chance to stay and continue.

P.S. dont you all think its funny that we all agree that this tutorial rocks, but we cant figure out how to support ZE ruby purchases in the most efficient manner. Damn Zorg you are a great marketer lol. We fight out the best way for you to make money and gladly volunteer to do it.

Badump.