You can find some ideas behind this in

https://forums.sinsofasolarempire.com/334476

My initial test was quite encouraging - the game starts off faster if you have some stuff already available. Of course this leaves the early build order optimization out of the game, but maybe we don't need that in competitive play - at least the better players would be about equal in this aspect. Also with competition maps you will have the options to put all your extra resources into building a rush fleet or spending a good amount for further expansion/research.

Razor's Edge plays pretty fast as a standard map, and with these modifications I'm pretty sure most games would end in less than an hour, should make Sins viable for ladder play etc. I'll do the same modifications on a select few other maps, or perhaps roll some of my own, and hopefully I can put up a preview map pack in the near future.