Guide to storyline?

[Kevin2202]

Hey there guys. I have started total of 3 games or more, but never completed the storyline. Why? Because I'm lost. Okay so.. I've bought every bit of information that pirates provided, sent exploration ships to where the blue circle highlights in the galaxy map view. That's the only thing I followed.. But now there's nothing more left to search.. And I destroyed the Mechanoids and took their homeworld, Utopia. I've even mass produced automated exploration ships, and they are coming back home with nothing. Now I've got a pile of over 100 exploration ships with "no mission". It is year 2978, it's been a long game. And yet, I cannot proceed with the main storyline because I don't know what to do anymore. Oh yes, this is Original storyline AND Return of the shakturi storyline combined... I have yet to encounter any shakturis either.

Does destroying Ancient Guardians have anything to do with this?

My speculation says that I should have left the Utopians (Ancient Guardians Mechanoids) live until I have acquired the World Destroyer. But I have destroyed them before I completed building the World Destroyer.

[Data]

there are some prerequisites to this, so: did you wipe out every other civilization in the game? did you research the complete tech tree? what's your empire strategic value?
from what i've read development in the galaxy has to go beyond a certain point before they come