It's a nice idea, but for the amount of time involved, you'd be better off getting either writing some software to do it for you or getting Malfador to include a copy/paste function in the map editor.
Another way of doing it (if I have understood your method correctly) might be to create a huge grid of systems, and make the vast majority of them tracts of completely empty interstellar space. (maybe the odd asteroid field or storm). Then you connect each square (or every other square...) at the top of each system with the bottom of the system above it, left to right and so on. The top left corner of each system would link to the bottom right corner of the system in that direction... you get the idea.
Give the boundary warp points a different image (or none at all), and you can have "wormholes" (normal warp points) if you like. You'd still have to use the "warp" command for no apparent reason, but it could be a reasonable simulation, since it would effectively remove the concept of "chokepoints" from the game.
It would be good to take out the ancient race trait - it would take ages to find anyone or anything.
------------------
SE4 Code:
L GdY $ Fr- C- Sd T!+ Sf-- Tcp-- A% M>M+ MpD! RV Pw Fq+ Nd- Rp+ G-
/SE4 Code
Work out your code at
http://www.sandman43.fsnet.co.uk/se4main.htm
[This message has been edited by dogscoff (edited 03 September 2001).]