So here are a few tips to help with micro hell:
- First and foremost, use the Summary screen to go directly to where something happened, by double-clicking on each SitRep entry; this feature is not working for some special (blue) events though. Use the Filter button to sift through what requires your input (red, orange) from what doesn't (green).
- A SitRep for arrival at destination will not be displayed for intermediate waypoints, so using these might result in some events going unnoticed - like scouts exploring new star systems. In such situations it might be better to avoid using waypoints.
- A SitRep for arrival at destination will not be displayed for battle fleets (unless they have Troop Transports). Keep tabs on those.
- The Task Forces tab in the Assets screen lists all fleets and their current locations, the latter being an hyperlink to the corresponding sector in the starmap.
- The Colonies tab in the Assets screen lists all colonies and their current build task, with the time to completion. Look for tasks that will finish next turn (reading x% / 1 Turn). If it is a Building, check if the colony has enough free energy to activate it (energy display is right above the build task); if not, use the hyperlink (colony name) to go straight to that colony, and assign labor to energy production.
- In the same tab, click on the "Building:" hyperlink to rush build the current item under construction; make sure the colony has enough energy to activate it though, as per above.
- In the Galaxy screen, switch to Economic view and find any colonies with their population display in red; those colonies have unallocated labor, so double-click on their sectors and assign that labor. Use mouse-wheel down and drag to move the starmap around to look for those colonies.
- When you get a planet terraformed SitRep for an already established colony, double-click it to go to that colony and check if the new planet unlocked a new Building (Aquaculture Centre in Oceanic, Solar Array in Desert, etc).
- In the Diplomacy screen, use the "Home System:" hyperlink in the Race Info view to quickly find the location of any minor (or major) race you have contact with; the hyperlink will only work if you have explored the star system though (as you might have learned of the existence of the civ through a treaty with another civ).
- Use the Overview view to check the relations of any civ you might want to establish a treaty with with the other civs they have contact with, by clicking on that civ's node/pic; might be useful to save you from getting dragged into a war you do not want to fight, or deteriorating relations with friendly civs.
Hope this might be useful to someone.
Post any tips you might have here in this thread!