Seeking a new mobile MMO? Well, look no further than AstroNest - The Beginning, a highly complex sci-fi strategy MMO in which you build a fleet of spaceships and then participate in a battle of wits with legions of other dedicated players..

As an MMO, you'll be doing most of this battling alongside (or against) your friends, as well as taking part in weekly tournaments.

Perfecting your fleet isn't easy, as there are a bunch of different aspects to consider. You need to figure out what the absolute best heroes, weapons, and ships are, and then get them working in unison. No mean feat.

To learn more about this feature-rich MMO sensation, we reached out to AN Games to find out exactly how combat works, the difference between PvE and PvP, and what inspired the visual design.

How does combat work in AstroNest?

"Combat is largely automatic, but how it works is, both armadas start off on opposite sides of the screen and slowly approach each other. Then, depending on the distance, your weapons begin to fire and special abilities randomly occur.

"What’s important is what happens before and after a battle. You need to analyse your opponents to set up counters - that's the key.

"It's also important to regularly upgrade your fleets, do some research, and reassign your heroes regularly."

What can players expect to do differently in PvP and PvE?

"You basically play PvE to both collect items that allow you to upgrade your fleets and practice viable strategies. A big part of that is learning how to nullify and counter certain hero abilities. You wont be able to progress without learning these counters.

"The other PvE mode, Raids, are a bit different. Here, multiple players work together to defeat huge alien fleets, which gives players access to powerful alien technologies.

"As for PvP, there are a few different modes. Skirmish lets you take on anyone in your friend list and it’s a really fun way to show-off and get good rewards.

"Then there's war, which is a free-for-all brawl. Here, the winning side gains control over a territory that provides certain resources (which are crucial for research) for 12 hours.

"This mode is quite important, as if you’re not helping your faction out in wars, you’re essentially locking yourself out of upgrades.

"Finally there’s the League, AstroNest’s version of ladder PvP that really puts your skills to the test. Climb it and you'll you access to the most advanced skills in the game though.

"How it works is, you pay an entry fee then set up a defence fleet which remains static after the round begins (with rounds lasting around 36 hours).

"When you then go offensive in the league, you're essentially attacking everyone’s pre-made defence fleet, with the goal being to get at least 80 points and make it into the next ladder group."

Which is your favourite game mode in AstroNest: the Beginning, and why?

"League is a ton of fun, and we have a super supportive and active community about it over on Facebook.

"There’s just a ton of trash talk every League season and everyone knows each other. It’s one of the best communities out there and League gives everyone a chance to strut!"

What inspired the visual style, and how is this reflected in the game?

"We loved Micropose's Masters of Orion so much that we based the original AstroNest on it.

"AstroNest - The Beginning is actually a prequel to the original, so it kind of blends both aesthetics."

If you could start development from scratch, what would you change?

"Well, as always there are strengths and weaknesses in the game system, so we would like to change a few of them.

"For example, it’s a game that’s focused on two factions, which meant that a guild system didn’t necessarily fit at first so if we could go back we'd implement one from the start."

Head on over to the App Store or Google Play right now to check out AstroNest - The Beginning.

This feature is sponsored as part of Steel Media Preferred Partners.