Growing concern - but optimistic

[arthurtuxedo]

You could claim every system you saw in SE4, but it didn't really mean much since it couldn't be a part of treaties. In SE5 it does mean something, so it makes sense that MM restricted territorial claims to territory you actually have a legitimate claim on.

As far as the exploration goes, people have pointed out that you should be able to see the planets, even if it's just with telescopes. That's true, if the other system is fairly close by, but think of it this way: There are a maximum of 255 star systems in a game of SE5. There are hundreds of billions of star systems in a real galaxy. So for every system that is connected with warp points, there are a billion that are not. Therefore, it stands to reason that even a "neighboring" star system connected via warp point might be so far away that you can't see the planets, only the star.

[Barnacle Bill]

arthurtuxedo said:
In SE5 it does mean something, so it makes sense that MM restricted territorial claims to territory you actually have a legitimate claim on.

But exploration gives you a legitimate claim on it! You know, the old plant the flag and "I claim this land for the King of Bling" routine?

As currently programmed, the net in-game effect is that I still don't dare agree to treaties letting the squatters past my warships until I've got a colony in every system within what I consider my borders (or at least every one with a planet in it). I have to reserve the right to kill any colony ships I catch on my turf, or glass any colonies founded by ones that slip through. That limits the utility of the diplomatic system vs one where my legitimate claims would be honored by my treaty partners.