Some comments from the scenario designer:

1. I hope you enjoy the scenario! Please remember this is a fictitional scenario in a fictitional setting.
2. As usual for scenarios there are 3 kind of files which you might need to copy depending on how you unzip:
	The 2 text files fyi
	The pt2 which should be put into the bin/scenarios folder
	The graphics folder which should be put under bin/graphics/SpaceColonization
3. The scenario is set as a four player scenario. Possibly one or two factions might be turned off but I have no idea how this affects balance.
4. As the scenario is quite modded it cannot be played against the AI. Sorry.
5. The scenario needs some calculation time between turns (on my machine about 1 minute). Please be patient.
6. Tips to play:
a) I have tried to balance the scenario between the factions. The factions who go first can better decide where they want to settle. The factions going later have more ressources and are at the edge with respect to the starports. Therefore they might be faster and their starport is more difficult to attack.
b) The Earth Alliance will dissolve around turn 8 - 15 (you get 2-4 rounds advance warning). Then it is a fight all against all and also the Earth can be invaded for ressources. It is randomly determined which faction has the first shot. You might see it necessary to reinforce your starting starport against attacks or bombardment.
The Earth Alliance will not field any units or fight in any way. 
c) Unit production in this game takes place in orbital constructions which can be built in the planetary orbits. Only 1 construction site can be built every 3 hexes. If your orbital construction pod cannot build a new orbital construction there are some reasons to check out: 
- another orbital construction is too close (maybe from an enemy?)
- your orbital construction unit does not have enough EP
- your orbital construction pod does not have a hq assigned (this is needed even if you need 0 supply)
Orbital construction are not impacted by ressource producing sites and can be adjacent to those.
d) Orbit is considered a "land" hex. You can unload your explorer/orbital construction there from a transport ship and it can then move onwards to the planet. Ships can enter orbit only if you built an orbital facility there first.
e) You should make sure that you explore and colonize as fast as possible in the beginning. Send out your scouts to see where the other factions are going and then decide if you want to follow them or go another way. 
Normally you should build a spaceport on the first free world.
The Spaceport Defense is intended to defend your spaceport once the fighting starts.
f) Ressources seem plenty at the beginning but once battle starts you will need large numbers of minerals, food and supply. 
Ressources are distributed randomly with the percentages being:
Asteroid Field: 12% chance of minerals
Moons: 60% of radioactive elements
Gaia (Earth-like): 25% chance of Food
Barren: 25% chance of ruins (political points)
Gas Giant: 25% chance of supply
g) If your ships do not reach their final destination while you are still at peace remember that blocking units of other players might be in the way.
h) Your units will need ressources to finish production. Ressources are very important. If you lack ressources your units will just be stockpiled in your production centers without getting finished. If you observe this happening you should increase ressource production. Dont know for sure but afaik only the ressources available at the start of your turn can be used to produce units for the turn. 
i)  Be sure to bring enough defenses against missiles if coming close to the enemy. Defend your ships, a fleet without shields is an easy target.
ji) You can only shoot all missiles from a unit at the same time. As they are one-shot only you might want to transfer some missiles you dont want to shoot out first.
k) Bombers bypass shields. Against bombers you need fighters to defend.
l) Remember that missiles and small craft are the same unit type. If your missiles dont attack you might need to transfer the lower range small crafts out first.
m) The system as it is should reward the attacker, if he is well prepared.
n) Because of the limit on fleet size of 10 ships you need to construct sensible fleets. A fleet of only one ship type is probably not optimal. Build fleets of diverse units to be able to attack and defend.
o) The recon value of most units is much smaller than in normal AT and most hexes have increased hiding. Bring scouts and explorers in order to see your enemies. Without scouts you will not be able to find ressources on asteroids or moons.
Most units have some equivalent in AT. Rather new are missiles (one-shot strong attacking units) and shields (take a lot of damage to defend fleets).
p) In this game dreadnoughts and cruisers do not have a shore bombardment value against ground units. Use assault ships for this role. It is therefore vital to distinguish between shore bombardment (ships against ground units) and sea attack (ships against other ships).
q) Research is streamlined. There are grouped research fields for unit types as well as a research field for enhanced production and a research field for combat strength. 
r) Play with the raster grid off. It looks much nicer this way...
7. Some more open topics for future versions (I do have more ideas but did not want to overload):
- More units
- define several layer of ships like attack, line, reserve
- Change Wormhole technology
- Random events
- Technology Combat Effectiveness currently only works for attack values. Additional tech for defense still to be implemented
- There is one graphical issue with the space station which I have not been able to find. Please mail me if you have an idea
- Sound effects
- Aliens
- 
Most important is currently the game balance however.
Ideas: Change price by 2, nerf shortrangemissiles, make player 4 stronger, reduce spy cost by 10% / turn
8. Some nice things to incorporate which however need changes to the AT rules:
- Paratroop landings from carriers
- Ship artillery against other ships over a distance
- build locations on sea hexes
- having several different squadrons of air units on a carrier