[douglas]

The main thing I don't like about warp openers is the sheer chaos that opening warp points directly to core enemy systems can cause, making effective strategy almost impossible beyond trying to ensure the destruction is mutual. I wouldn't miss the ability to speed up travel within my own empire too much if we just banned warp manipulation completely, though, but I think the rest of stellar manipulation should be left in. All the other offensive stellar manipulations are counterable with reasonably low investment.

Direct tech trading should definitely be allowed, as that's a major part of team play.

For the map, how about FQM Standard Paradise?