[dogscoff]

Just FYI...

I started a single player, 255-system game with the latest version of Proportions and my colonising neutral files installed. I had "not all warp points connected" and as a result found myself in a small disconnected cluster with no other races present. Rush-researched warp-openers (only took me 180-odd turns), introduced myself to the galaxy at large, and found the AI to be doing very nicely, thankyou very much.

~turn 200, the Jraenar are running around with some pretty formidable ripper beam/ basic laser+JP engine ships, the Praetorians have a multi-system empire and several fleets of 30+ warships, and the Texrak have colonised another world in their homesystem. I've yet to encounter anyone else.

Since I've been concentrating on non-military research, my best (only) warships have just Ion engine III and meson blaster II... gonna be an interesting game. I could win it easily by holing up and resaearching/building at leisure, but I think for a challenge I will go for a more aggressive approach and see if ai can grab and hold some worlds from the Jraenar, while encouraging the Praetorian to declare on me=-)