It looks like we are discussing at least two games here, one multi system start, and one single system. It is getting confusing to parse out what is what here, might I suggest we move this discussion to a new subforum with two threads for rules discussion?

Or if Erik or another admin want to create a fiction sub forum for me I could create a thread there listing the basic ideas I have about what I'm planning to do and take feedback there.

It looks like we are discussing at least two games here, one multi system start, and one single system. It is getting confusing to parse out what is what here, might I suggest we move this discussion to a new subforum with two threads for rules discussion?

Also I am still strongly against more people in one faction. How do you want to do that? I mean one will do building and one will do ships? I want to play a game, not argue with someone over designs.... But maybe I am seeing this too negatively.

If I were to run a game with multiple players per faction, the one in charge of building ships would have complete control over the design of said ships. The CNO could submit requests to the one in charge of research.

I'd have a CNO (in charge of armed ships, not counting defensive only weapons), A Research Head, Chief of Colonization, and Chief of Survey Operations. Probably one additional "C" type to break ties. Chief of Infrastructure. The CNO decides what fleets to allocate to defense and how to run any wars. The research head decides where to allocate his scientists. The colonization head determines where colonies go. The head of survey decides what to survey and when. And the infrastructure chief is responsible for building facilities.

Of course this will probably lead to some friction, but can be hashed out I think. Any additional players could take fleet commander roles or ship captain roles.

Just to clafiry - by conventional start I meant what you guys refer to as conventional - nothing + BP/RP that the faction invests.

Also I am still strongly against more people in one faction. How do you want to do that? I mean one will do building and one will do ships? I want to play a game, not argue with someone over designs.... But maybe I am seeing this too negatively.

It looks like we are discussing at least two games here, one multi system start, and one single system. It is getting confusing to parse out what is what here, might I suggest we move this discussion to a new subforum with two threads for rules discussion?

I did an accelerated conventional start in different systems for my 2nd multiplayer game. Despite each system each being just 1-jump away from Sol it still took the players over 2 real life months and 20 in game years before anyone made player/player contact.

NPRs and spoilers could be activated accordingly to scenarios and game level. Having some AI opposition to the players would spice thing a bit.
I am not sure it would work if we had many NPRs.  From Steve’s campaign it seems NPRs started wasting a lot of their resources the moment they could,  then it would be a race who can capture most of them.

Cooling sun and Invading Aliens seem to be the most interesting. Aliens should be balanced to offer struggle but not guarantee annihilation.

Aliens done right are always interesting. I was thinking an asymmetric setup that gives the aliens a +2 tech level advantage and the Earth defenders a 2x? 3x? population/industry advantage. The idea would be for Earth to use the defender's logistical advantage to hold out long enough to use their industry to catch up technologically.

1) Conflict is sort of the point with multiple people leading a single faction. Since inter-empire diplomacy is limited in Aurora, joint control generates intra-empire diplomacy opportunities as players try to 3-leggedly race their faction to the top. The more dysfunctional the cooperation, the more entertaining the resulting AAR write up will be to spectators.

2) Multiple people per faction is the only way to accommodate everyone expressing interest here into one game without overwhelming the SM. We would need three, maybe four, SMs running scenarios to give everyone a player slot in a one player per faction game.

I don't have quite as much free time as I once did, but if I skipped the fluffy bits of AAR paper work (or had a designated scribe doing that for me) I'd be happy to run a 2nd game, either with one-player per faction or team factions control depending on player demand.

Special mechanics should not be kept secret. Both because it takes away when we do something that follows Aurora's rules but not the mechanics in this also the faction that figures out the mechanics first is at a (potentially huge) advantage.