The new map does work on IE, you just have to swap the sidebar graphics a few times at your preferences.

do u mean reduce the number of systems? or the number of planets per system, or the map size?

because these all mean different things that will effect game play in different ways.

i disagree, exploration was done with 3 weeks left on the round still.

I do agree with a smaller map though, systems were way too spread out.

100 planets used to be a major achievement and the lack of  building space led to conflict.

great idea and easy to implement.

this would also curb infra whoring a bit, and force people into fights sooner and also close the gap between top fams and everybody else.  would mean top fams would have to work harder to stay on top

i see no reason not to at least try this for a round

i get where your coming from. but the smaller u make the galaxies the lesa room their will be for new players

We can't know unless we try, and document the effects.  Anything without data is just a gut feeling.  We can't prevent ourselves from trying these things because of gut feelings.

I'd rather try and fail than be too afraid to try.

Like I said, what you are describing is a gut feeling.  You or I or Mace could all be completely wrong or completely right.  There's no way to know without trying.

We need data.  Objective, documented, measurable data.  People can disagree all they want but opinions aren't worth anything when it comes time to make long term decisions.

Whatever it is, it isn't measurable data.

This is a matter of software development.  In order to make effective long term decisions you need to have data, not opinions or anecdotal evidence.  As much as you know from your own experiences, it will never be as useful as objective data.  The same goes for you, me, or any player in the history of the game regardless of their experience.

In order to get that data, we need to test things like this, even if they might fail.  If we refuse to do that, we can't move forward.

Probably, but not a good enough sample.  A test galaxy for such a thing might make decent sense if we had more players, but our overall player count is so small that any test data we get would from such a thing would be so ineffective as to be practically useless.

It's a shitty problem, but it is the reality.

Smaller galaxies is the easy techno-fix, short-term solution, which is fine.  Ultimately, though, we need a better way to manage planets, fleets, ops, coordinate activities, etc.

Goal should be for a player to feasibly control an empire of 1000+ planets, as many fleets, etc., all without wasting the majority of every day managing it all.

The fact is, not many players have the luxury of time or the desire to want to have huge empires because of the in-built monotony and unnecessary complexity of managing huge empires.  It is a disincentive then to most would-be players to get big empires.

I know developers don't want to hear what I am about to say but I say it with the intent to save this game and attract more players. 

Long-term development goals should be to develop options to automate processes, as the player might see fit to do so, as per the PLAYER's choice.  You wouldn't have to force it on them.  Just give them the choice to do so.

IC is the best game concept I have ever come across in all my time playing vids, and it needs to maintain its core concept.  Providing options to have processes automated wouldn't alter IC's core concept.  In fact, it would augment it, expand its core concept.

And in my opinion, it would then begin to  attract a huge number of players and begin to truly thrive again.