I hate to say it, but I love this idea.

The AI is "wasting" resources by using Cobalts as scouts, then not using their superior combat abilities when appropriate (e. g. its scouting, finds a world with a trade post and no defenses and doesn't engage trade ships or trade post, just continues on its way).

I really like the idea of the 'jump anywhere you choose within 45 degrees' outer zone.

Yeah, it also solves the logic issue involved in fleet jumps. A ship will always jump in at the exact point where phase lane meets grav well... unless you have another ship jumping with it. The ships clearly charge up separately (cap ships charge first, then other ships with shorter charge times start) yet their jumps either effect each other or they can choose their exit point.

Plus, if you just make the new "jumpable range" be outside the current grav well, you actually get a lot more "real estate" to play with, without expanding the transit times too terribly. You get more combat room to manuever, with the only real cost being to defensive power. (It greatly decreases the effectiveness of "walls" of gauss cannons)

akkan gives civic research stations, constuction frigates, and iunno what else, a bonus to range and chance to hit?

a terran homeworld with 0 pop gives 4 cps?

but me like big booms

Realistic, no. Fun, yes.

But yeah, they should probably tone them down a little.

Pirates AI is still off. The pirates always attack the weaker player in a two player local multiplayer game. At the beginning when two players are closer together in power it can go either way, but the player with a clear lead seems to not get any pirate attacks! A little unfair.

Is there any plans for a SPECTATING MAP of any sorts?
Digital Admiral and I were discussing: How it would be nice to spectate multiplayer gameplay "Live" - not just a replay - but actually watching the game being played in real time with (ALL) chat allowed, single person talking would be unfair.

I'm not sure if this is planned or not. If you're talking to the players, however, that's not exactly spectating or necessarily fair.

for some reason, i really dont like the movements on the blue star... i dont know if they are different from the others or something, but it's the only one i really dont like

got another request on ICO for a way to buy/sell metal and crystal with a shift or control key option

Here is another vote for more diversity in the star system. Anything to spice up the initial discovery of what is there and anything that can make you want one planet/location over another would be wonderful. Planets spining on a different axis, moons, odd planetary rings, unstable locations (do gas clouds currently impact ship systems?)... deralict ships floating around.

I'm sure the group has lots of beter ideas...