sorry I Forgot the forums is full of bads who couldn't beat them. Game on losers.
We bads, we bads...LoL!!! bads...I am sorry the bads had to ruin it for all the goods out there. You keep wining those games and feeling skilled, winner.
On topic: The pirates should not be another player on the map...not in the same capacity as a race anyway. They are a nucence, and while they SHOULD be somewhat of a threat, I think the basic pirate raids (the non mission ones) should just be cause for moving a fleet to defend, not a full-on second combat front for a player that may have outbid you by only 250cr. A 250cr planet killing fleet is kinda broken, even THOUGH the bid-winner does not have direct control over it. A paid for mission on the other hand WOULD/SHOULD be able to get crazy, more so in number than illogical, seemingly arbitrary, damage/armor-value increases.
So, while some of you are Juz 2 1337 4 M3, the rest of us would like a ballanced game. If you want to cry over nefed pirates add another Visious AI to the game...your mom will still think you are cool (and let you stay in her basement), even if it IS just a race and not the pirates.