Sam Skinner

The Vasari have a special tech to make their capital ships repel culture (shock and awe- also known as the Tarkin Doctrine). If they have capital ships around a world it is going to take alot of culture to sway them. So you can't win a war using culture alone. Sorry... unless on easy, in which case you'll slaughter them. When playing the Advent go for "Eyes of the Converted" (All planets with your culture give you line of sight (applies to enemy worlds)). Saves you the need to scout.

It is for the (Inevitable) fan fiction! Seriously though, I don't think the Vasari are male. Given their Fleet support line, not to mention their focus on nanotechnology, it looks like they probably manipulated their geonome so that they are completely different from the origional survivors. I don't think they have a gender anymore. They keep the male voices because 1) It is considered default, 2) Sounds creepier, 3) This is fiction- what makes you think aliens are also going to have au

Some of the maps start you off with a fleet (about 60 fleet points). However others start you off with nothing- no logistic structures or ships. You always begin with constructor ships though.