This is best played against hard AI's. Otherwise it is just too easy.
Pirate base has a direct line to your rear, which is a military moon. The sooner you can manage to get the research to colonize it, the sooner you can focus on other more important things, like breaking out and pushing past the front door.
There are two phase lane ring networks of deep space zones and space junk. Be careful though, if you go anywhere without at least some military backup, you're going to have a bad time. Neutral star bases are abundant. If you get the luck of the draw, you may even be able to have four (maybe five) star bases in a gravity well. Won't that just be fun for the competition to break through?
There are a few hidden treasure troves here and there, and you must be careful about how you path your fleets or you'll wind up losing them to pirates.
Finally, there are neutral faction planets. They are [mostly] not to be trifled with. If you make an attempt at taking them over early, you're going to have a bad time. In fact, it might be a waste of your time. Some of those factions have left a few surprises for you, or anyone else, should you attempt to take their worlds away. But according to your scouts...there's something else there to. To live is to risk.
I'm still working out a few bugs here and there, but when I get to them I will repost the map.
Hope you enjoy!
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