Some quick questions before buying

[gunnergoz]

1. The expansion requires the original game to run, correct? I don't see that listed as a requirement.
2. Is there some way to auto resolve tactical battles? I'm not a big fan of them and prefer to stay in the strategic layer.
3. All ship types are defined so there is no ship design/upgrading?
4. Are races moddable so that custom races can be defined?

I've looked over the forums and those questions never seem to be directly addressed.

[mbar]

1. Yes.
2. Yes. You can auto resolve or fight tactical.
3. Correct. Ship types are researched then they can be built. No designer.
4. Not via the game UI. I'm not a modder but from what I understand the xml files can be edited.

[gunnergoz]

Thanks mbar for the reply.

[Iceman]

Races and ships can be modded by editing the XMLs. You can have these files in the Mods folder, and create a shortcut to run the modded game, without messing up the base game.