wow i never realized the spiral systems looked that nice i usually play tight clusters i might have to try that hope i can get a start near one of the arm tips

I play the insane spiral almost every game, and I generally reroll until I end up in a spiral arm. I tend to roleplay my empire a bit, earth exploring an unknown galaxy. I love this game! I just wish it were a bit more balanced and polished before they push it out the door.

Well, I am in for the long haul. I love the game and have already paid for all the updates. I am only really concerned about launch because it can bring in a bunch of players if it has an awesome launch, or it can turn a lot of people off by having a less than awesome start. The game is playable and fun as is, but it is still buggy with unfinnished features. I would rather have things left completely out and saved for an expansion, rather than launch and work like crap. Battle viewer, multiplayer, invasions, AI that doesnt know how to place buildings, etc. I am playing the most recent opt in, and while it is far better than beta 5, I am still concerned about launch. I dont mean that as an insult to anyone on the dev team, I just really want their game to be well recieved.

I think what concerns those who say it is not ready is that it will get bad reviews and go South.

Personally, I am 99% certain that they will have it in good shape for release to the general public. IMO all they have to do is eliminate common crashes. I play a lot and I haven't had a crash in a couple of months so they are close on that score