One thing I'm learning about the offworld market is just how much of an investment it can be in some games. Sure, if building material prices are worthless, you absolutely should look to get your launchpads up asap (same goes for upgrading and building generally). But sometimes they can cost upwards of 100k to build, and the more profitable items to launch require a hefty cost up front to stock. Plus fuel prices can be expensive. And the more obstacles like these there are in a game, the more any sabotage will magnify these obstacles. Yet people will still do everything they can to be the first to get their Offworld Market up.
So something I've started doing a lot more in my games, is buying other players' stock early and often. Try to identify which opponent is growing the fastest in the first few minutes of the game. Find time to buy their stock. For example, it's mid-game and you want to upgrade to lvl3, but building materials are massively overpriced due to shortages. At the same time, you notice someone playing extremely greedily, winning an expensive auction while already in massive debt. If they're left alone for 10 minutes, this greedy play will have them far ahead - but what if, instead of rushing to upgrade to lvl3, you instead spend your money to buy 40-50% of his stock? You slow yourself down a tiny bit but as long as you've chosen your claims wisely, you'll make back the money reasonably fast, by which time the cost of building materials has returned to more normal levels.
Being able to pay 5,000-6,000 for stock that, at end-game, is worth 50,000-60.000, is so much stronger than people realize. It's just about knowing when to strike. Now as end game approaches, you can once again linger at level 4, saving money up, and - often - be able to buy the guy out right after he's built his offworld launchpads. Suddenly you're winning the game decisively. On top of that, this stock you bought for dirt cheap in the early game can, if absolutely necessary, be sold off to net you a sizable profit for a quick blast of emergency funds.
To use SC2 analogies. It's about building an army (buying stock) instead of building workers (buying infrastructure). It's about recognizing timing windows where you can do a deathpush instead of missing opportunities by making more drones. If you own 70% of someones company as they hit level5, and you're a level behind but the market is looking really good for your main industries: Go for the kill. Don't be constantly playing catch up. They got level 5 first - as soon as their offworld goes up, their share price is going to start skyrocketing. Liquidate all your resources, sell everything you produce, and buy them out while they're still weak and transitioning. Be aggressive!
In a way it's kind of the reverse of SC2 (or how I remember it, anyway). There, it's about sneaking in some tech/economy while you constantly pump out military. Win a fight? Tech up, drone up, claim an advantage. In this game, you're constantly working on your tech/economy, and instead it's about sneaking in some stock buying.
Buying other players' stock while maintaining your own momentum throughout the game is, ultimately, how you win.
