hellp!

You will need to register on Impulse to download the latest patches. 

I'm not sure of the distinction between registration/serial numbers.  The number you need is 30 alphanumeric digits long and for me is on the inside of the case the game came in.

i found it. it was on the back of the manual; since i got the GOTY edition. ive already played my first 2 matches.

btw, whats a PUG match?

When the game is full, two people will be selected as team captains.  They will then alternate picking players for their team.  This is the favourite way of ensuring even teams, since both team captains will (ideally) pick in order of most skilled to least skilled.   Don't worry about being last pick; that's normal when you're starting out.

A PUG is a (P)ick(U)p (G)ame.  See this thread for more information about the origin of the term:

https://forums.sinsofasolarempire.com/354207

Basically, it's a way of trying to end disputes about who should be on which team while also balancing the distribution of talent and skill between the two teams with the goal of having a better game.  The way we do it is that everyone starts off on Team 10 and two people become team captains and choose a team number.  A non-captain chooses a number from 1-10 and /w whispers it to another player.  The two captains then pick numbers (normally 5 and 6) and whichever one is closes to the chosen number decides whether to pick first or defer to be the second captain.

For a 5v5 the draft order goes like this:  A-BB-AA-BB-A with the first captain (A) having the first pick, with the second captain having the next two picks (2nd and 3rd picks), and so on with the first captain getting th last pick (sometimes affectionately referred to as "Fat Boy", just like in gym class).

Most 4v4's use a slightly different draft order:  A-BB-A-B-A.

Funny thing, I've never encountered that stereotype in RL.  It's always been the scrawny kid who is picked last.  If anything, the "fat" kid is really strong...

thanks guys. you seem to know what your talking about