quote:
Originally posted by capnq:
The AIs are hardcoded to claim any system they colonize, plus every system adjacent to the colonized system.
Which is why dead systems (asteroids, nebulae, and black holes) are helpful. Let the neighboring AI claim them; they can't colonize them until much later in the game. Expand in other directions. In the early-to-middle game, the ideal empire will have a dead system at each entry point, with an AI on the other side to provide a cushion against human players. (Good luck getting something like that! That's why it is "ideal.")