Spore is cool. Not exactly the end-all be-all of gaming, but a fun time none the less. I was devouring entire species and eradicating whole tribes with ease, I even nuked half the planet with an ICBM, which I have dubbed "the win button". But now that I'm in space I just can't figure out what the fuck I'm doing.

All of a sudden I'm trying to manage colonies that don't produce anything, and defending myself from a relentlessly aggressive and openly hostile neighbor. So! If someone out there is better than me at Spore, tell me your secrets.

My questions:

1. How do I upgrade my space ship? I think I have some parts I can throw on there.

2. How do I get more than ONE space ship? (My enemy consistently attacks with half a dozen.)

3. How the FUCK do I get this terraforming shit working?

4. Lastly, any tips on making ridiculous amounts of money?
4b. What is useful to buy and how do I purchase it?

I hope I'm not the only one who felt a bit overwhelmed by the sheer amount of tips that pop up once you hit the galactic level.

Thanks in advance.