Geryon: to get Path's weapons when he gives them out, just unzip the files in to a different folder then look through the component text where the new weapons will be and copy them in to the same place in you component text. The n just do the same with the tech area text i'm path has made and changes to it.
THEN post up the new combined comp text so we will all have it therefore making it the latest Version of the text we can build on. (i just like the sound of assault ships
)
IF: The main thing about construction speed is it is based aLOT on population amount therefore in a new colony with few population construction will take longer, basicly u need to shift loads of population from your homeworld to colonys to get a decient production rate out of them, i can get Shipyards down to 1.6 years on my first non homeworld colony.
I do agree however that this can be slow at times, The main problem with the system at the mo is that the ai can't handle it very well as they rarely move population around so their colonys take a good 70 turns to get anything close to what i get in 30 turns. And since the ai relys on being able to expand and produce quicker that you to make the game a chalange, they ain't pulling it off, Computer on hard with medium bonus and 3 starting planets is still quite easy.