I think Pirates should not build colonies but the should build bases. Pirates always operated from a base and I've never heard of a Pirate nation.
I think tiny or small planets should be used as these bases. Special buildings that have multiple functions just for pirates. Cloaking the planet is a must. Pirates should have to be found. Maybe they could be cloaked like mines but only to level 4.
I don't think a Pirate could win in a hotseat or PBEM game so they should count it as a victory if they survive a set number of turns, 400-500 maybe?
I think the AI could never be a Pirate.
I gonna give it a try this week with some ideas I have. I'll post back.
There seems to be a lot of people trying this idea out. We should be able to get a new race out of this somehow
