[geoschmo]

One thing I have found very helpful in reducing the amount of time for the long boring setup part is tweaking the components.txt files, facilities.txt, and vehicle sizes.txt files. I don't mean the same thing as what SJ is talking about. These tweaks are not intended as a mod for the player to play with, only as an aid to speed up the process.

For example, got the super dreadnaughts designed, but they take 2 years to build? Change the space yard facility to build with 20,000 minerals per turn instead of 2,000.

Trying to setup the players 25 starting techs and takes 3 years to research them all? Make a research facility generate 10,000 points instead of 800.

Once you go back to playing with standard files, or your scenario mod files, everything is back to normal.

Geoschmo