Wade said:
Where can I get these mods that offer more systems ? They do not seem to be included in the deluxe edition mods. Do they alter the game AI/rules/mechanics? How does the "official" AI handle more systems?
Isn't
FQM (Fyron's Quadrant Mod) included in the deluxe mods? It makes lots of changes and additions to the map data, but nothing else. Lots of new quadrant options, far more system variety, actual abilities on the "blank" systems that just have a pretty picture in stock, and more. There are a few quadrant types that are bad for the AI, but they are marked as such.
FQM site:
http://fqm.spaceempires.net/
But yeah, editing Settings.txt is the fastest way to achieve your primary goal. Just don't go over 255.