A simple start, how to?

[Gommer]

How does one start a game with one colony, period? I think one of the "quick start" options has a setup like this, but it does NOT allow me to choose anything else, something I frown upon in my 'empire games'. I've tried the expansion slider at the far left, yet when I start games I've had anywhere from 2 to 7 starter colonies, and typically they're in multiple start systems. Is the 'expansion' slider a % vs a 'hard' number? IE: it's linked to map size and bigger maps will just start you out with multiple systems?

I just want to start right at the very beginning, home system/fleet and nothing else.

[DasTactic]

There are a few sliders to consider. One that just affects you and others that affect the AI setup.

On the start screen (The Galaxy) there is a slider called 'Expansion'. This is how advanced the AI is likely to be. I usually set this to 'Young' so they have a starting advantage in both colonies and research. If you set this to 'Starting' they will begin with just a single planet and zero research - although there is a bit of a random spread through these settings to keep things interesting.

On the next screen (Your Empire) there is a slider called Size. This is basically the same as the 'Expansion' slider but for your empire. Set this to 'Starting' and you will only have a single colony. I also usually set the tech level to 'Basic' so there is a fair amount of catching up to do in this regard as well.

Should point out that even on the most basic setting you will have explored a couple of systems around you and you may have been allocated some mining bases. This is so you can get some of the important resources you need to build things. Without these you would be dead in the water.