Re timescales .
I started my v5.56 game as shown by the date of my first mdb save , on 29.8.2011 and I am now , nearly a year later , at stardate 13.12.2085. I must admit that I have the Star swarm and Invader options off , just having the Precursors and NPR's available to fight. Even so I have 347 known systems , surveyed 185 systems and have 15 colonies spread throughout the systems. There are also many systems which are controlled by the Precursors which I occasionally try to conquer.
The only down side to the long running game is the sometime very long wait whist the computer processes a 5 day turn ( the lag can be several minutes at the worst )
Like others I am eagerly awaiting v5.7 but having spent so long with v 5.56 I may have to run 2 games at the same time.
Many thanks Steve for the game which , although without flashy graphics , can absorb hours of one's life.
DavidR