1) I had a decent sized fleet. I had all of the the resource asteroids mined on my 5 systems. I don't know if scuttling a ship frees up its crystals or not, but maybe it should. At one point I lost my whole fleet in a battle. I wanted to build a new one, but I had too few crystals and I would have been an easy target for the least of the races. I took over a few planets prior to that, but their asteroids were spent. I gained very little. But I know of races that had twice as many ships as I with as many planets. Don't know how that happened. Seems like either resources can be re-newable or new ones discovered? Maybe that ability (to detect new ones) can be researched??

2) It would be cool if random events that affect you or every race could occur.

3) Do you have to play to conquer, or can you choose a peaceful but profitable existence . . . .well liked . . etc??