Here is what I do:
Options
Reduce sound volume (If I'm playing in the early morning or during work hours I don't want the sound to disturb others
)Loaded games are paused. Like to start paused. Just in case!
Auto Save every 20 minutes
Automation:
Deselect Fleet Formation I prefer managing all my fleets
Agent Missions - Fully Automate The AI does a good job of this. I don't want to be hassled with the pop-ups.
Attacks against Enemies - Control manually
War and Trade Sactions - Control manually
New Game
The Galaxy:
Varied Clusters
Star Amount: Usually Tiny or Small I like fairly short games with limited resources.
Colony Prevalence: Occasional
Indepenent Alien Life: Normal
Expansion: Young I start the AI one level higher than me so I have to graft my way through the early game until I've caught up.
Aggression: Restless
Research Cost: Expensive
Space Creatures: Few
Pirates: Few or Normal
Your Empire:
Random starting location
Home System: Normal
Size: Starting
Tech Level: Starting
Corruption: Normal
Government: Random
Your Race: Random But will restart if Atuuk, Teekan or Ikkuro.
Other Empires:
Auto-Generate Starting Empires
Generate (between 5 and 12) starting empires
Allow independent alien colonies to start new empires during the game.
Victory Conditions:
Usually work these out depending on the number of empires in the game.
Deselect Enable original Distant Worlds story events This gets rid of the massive ship graveyards etc.
Deselect Enable Return Of The Shakturi story events and conditions
