For my next game, which I'm waiting for 1.14/2.0 to come out before starting, I was thinking of doing my first ever multi-faction or multi-race start. I was considering doing one with two races starting an unknown distance apart, to give myself the suspense (as both races) of encountering first NPCs then each other. Has anyone does that, and if so, is there some way to ensure you start a reasonable distance apart (e.g. more than 4 jumps but less than 15), without directly SM'ing in where the two races start? How was the suspense building up to/resulting from first contact?
Also, I'd like to have them start in non-Sol systems. Is there a way to do that without first creating a player-race on Sol which I'd have to subsequently delete?
Sorry for the n00b questions, but I haven't played anything but straight player v. NPC so far.
Update/Edit: Just tried it and yes, you have to create the races on Sol, then move one or both of them by creating a new system in SM mode. As far as I can tell you don't know where that new system is relative to Sol, which preserves the suspense. Only thing I couldn't figure out how to do easily in SM mode was add minerals to the stockpile, so I SM'ed in a cargo pod, had it load mins from Sol and unload at new homeworld, then deleted the Sol pop for the 2nd race.