I just finished another 25 turn test v1.41 with the same 19 TDM-Modpack v1.72 races as Last test, added as controlled by computer using selected race style in the unfinished map8 posted Last night with a ten good planet (all else default) start. I put the Rage in slot 1 home Central. I played the Clays in slot 14 and turned control over to full AI on, but adjusted research to do PD and Ice colony. The table below gives score rank, then # contacted, #wars, #none, # NA, #TA, #TR, #MA, #P, then race name followed by my politics score. Scoring is same as Last post. My first race contact was Rage coming into my cluster on turn 15. Until then my AI never left the cluster. As soon as the first contact was made the Clays AI started sending warships and colony ships into the nexus going to other clusters. So race contact started then. As of turn 25 the Rage are in six wars and have lost two home worlds but have started colonies in six other clusters, so they will live a while. They are using missiles and PPB. I am going to continue playing this game to see how politics unfold and will post when I reach turn 50,75,100. My race this time was the old Clays empire used in the previous game, you can check it by download turn 60 of Last game from the scenario/mod archive. Politics is MUCH better, from not living in Central alone I suspect, because the Rage are getting hammered there too. Once again it took about four hours for 25 turns. Notice that when the human player is NOT within range two warps of the AI colonies then the AI does not meet him. That is why some races have not left their home clusters to meet other AI. I have long suspected this game feature. I expect it is intended to speed up the game so that you do not have to search every system to track down the AI players. OTOH it could just be that the AI only checks the systems within two warps of his colonies. It can NOT be a fuel range problem, because a transit from cluster to cluster is only range 6 to clusters in the two adjacent nexus - a total of 8 more clusters. Until my ships entered the nexus after turn 15 I was within two warps of only four races - the Rage and the other three connected to the same nexus as my cluster. Since my AI never went to check the other clusters until the Rage visited, I conclude that full AI on does not follow the same rules as using style from race, or an Ancient race is not interested in exploration.

16-15(-08)/1(-10)/2(-2)/1/05(05)/2(04)/2(08)/2(16) Colonials +13 met 17 TA 18\
07-16(-06)/1(-10)/2(-2)/0/10(10)/2(04)/0(00)/1(08) Phong +4 met 16 TA 19
03-17(-04)/1(-10)/4(-4)/0/09(09)/2(04)/1(04)/0(00) Cue Cappa -1 met 17 TA21
06-13(-12)/0(-00)/3(-3)/0/08(08)/2(04)/0(00)/0(00) Clays -3 myself
20-15(-08)/1(-10)/2(-2)/0/11(11)/0(00)/1(04)/0(00) Cryslonite -5 met 20 TA 24
02-17(-04)/1(-10)/5(-5)/0/10(10)/1(02)/0(00)/0(00) Abbidon -7 met 16 TA 19
05-15(-08)/1(-10)/1(-1)/1/12(12)/0(00)/0(00)/0(00) Eee -7 met 19 TA 22
09-18(-02)/2(-20)/2(-2)/0/12(12)/1(02)/1(04)/0(00) Drushocka -8 met 17 TA 20
10-15(-08)/1(-10)/5(-5)/0/08(08)/1(02)/0(00)/0(00) Sallegra -13 met 20 none
18-18(-02)/2(-20)/4(-4)/0/12(12)/0(00)/0(00)/0(00) Krill -14 met 18 TA 20
07-10(-18)/1(-10)/2(-2)/0/05(05)/1(02)/0(00)/1(08) Toltayan -15 not met
02-16(-06)/1(-10)/9(-9)/1/05(05)/0(00)/0(00)/0(00) Sergetti -20 met 18 TA 23
13-16(-06)/2(-20)/5(-5)/2/06(06)/1(02)/0(00)/0(00) Xi Chung -23 not met
11-14(-10)/1(-10)/8(-8)/1/04(04)/0(00)/0(00)/0(00) Amonkrie -24 met 16 TA 18
18-10(-18)/1(-10)/4(-4)/0/05(05)/0(00)/0(00)/0(00) Ukra Tal -27 not met
15-07(-24)/1(-10)/1(-1)/0/05(05)/0(00)/0(00)/0(00) Piundan -30 not met
16-06(-26)/1(-10)/0(-0)/0/05(05)/0(00)/0(00)/0(00) Toron -31 not met
09-05(-28)/1(-10)/1(-1)/0/02(02)/1(02)/0(00)/0(00) Pyrochette -35 not met
13-05(-28)/1(-10)/2(-2)/0/02(02)/0(00)/0(00)/0(00) Narn -38 not met
19-18(-02)/6(-60)/6(-6)/0/06(06)/0(00)/0(00)/0(00) Rage -62 met 15 none