How many angels can dance on the head of a pin?

Anyone have any experience with thousands of fleets at the same time?

Good heavens no! I've never played anything larger then a medium-sized universe and my fleets number in the tens. My patience is very limited so larger games are not in my future. (Well, I actually 'started' one game with a gigantic map once, but then I had to go change my britches.)

Max I've had is about 5000 ships in a single parsec.
Then I gifted them to the AI.
Then the lagging pursued oooooh so badly when i realized I hit turn... with those ships in focus, and had to watch the AI run it's intensive algorithm on each ship, then move it it's measily 1 parsec...
Don't test the max
Your CPU will be mad at you

max ships I have ever had was 250. you testing the outer limits on military score?

No, it was during a Trojan Horse attack, as properly named by wheel. See the "Gifting to the AI Thread" (I'm too lazy to post links)

I can't imagine playing like Mumble. I am on gigantic with two remaining opponents. All three have equal influence. I have 11 starbases and 4 large ships. After I spike the military chart with defensive capabilities on the starbases and get 15 transports, I'm moving in for the kill against the Drath.

That said, Mumble's writing has been invaluable to my strategy. I value starbases for money and production. I'm smarter with the sliders and research in general. I'm a better player. I just can't sit too long without picking a fight. I only need a tiny edge to justify war. No need for giant fleets. So far, anyway.

What I like about the Metaverse is not the score but the win. By logging metaverse scores, a player demonstrates that they played straight up without cheating. It helps defend against the whiny anti-Wheel crowd.

Looks like Mumble takes the "big stick" part of the old "speak softly and carry..." thing *very* seriously

Wheel, did you do the beta this round? I'm really hoping to see some gigantic-map input from you old hands. Mumble definitely keeps me thinking, but you've poked the occasional thinking spot for me also, and I'm hoping smarter-than-me people might be able to help Stardock strengthen the GCII engine for the big games.

My games are setup as random as possible. Luck of the draw gave me a gigantic galaxy. Right before I was ready to bail, I found a class 26 planet and decided to stay. I'm into my third week at an hour a day. When I'm finished (estimating another week), I'll pickup the beta so I can offer specific criticism.

I can win peacefully, I believe but, for the sake of time and patience, I am going to destroy the Drath. I'm building monster ships and I haven't logged a Metaverse military victory yet so the Yor are also going down.

What I'm noticing with gigantic is that the AI will eventually kill itself with ship maintenance. I can make it happen faster with a Trojan Horse gambit but it should happen anyway. It helps that I keep them at war with each other.

I just can't sit too long without picking a fight

So the game's pretty much like the forum for you.

What I like about the Metaverse is not the score but the win. By logging metaverse scores, a player demonstrates that they played straight up without cheating. It helps defend against the whiny anti-Wheel crowd.

I agree wholeheartedly. At least you know they play the game. I find myself impressed by perseverance as much as anything else. Also demonstrating improvement over time is far more important than the absolute level that you’re playing at. As far as defending against the “whiny anti-Wheel crowd”, I guess trying to impress Jodie Foster was already taken.

So the game's pretty much like the forum for you.

Mumblefratz! What has gotten into you lately? If I didn't know any better I would say that some of us "bad seeds" are starting to infect you. Just a few more steps and the transformation will be complete... MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!  

So the game's pretty much like the forum for you.

  

Also demonstrating improvement over time is far more important than the absolute level that you’re playing at.

Agreed. Tiny/challenging was my first game. Large/challenging was my first game where I understood most of the game. Now Gigantic/tough is where I'm sure I know what I'm doing and I want to see how that knowledge stacks against the computer with the same rules. Map sizes are random but the difficulty is my choice.

For reasons of street cred, difficulty will move up the next game.

Updating the game is also important. Is your current game above 1.2?

Mumblefratz! What has gotten into you lately?

It was all meant, and I think taken, in a good natured vein. But it points out the ambiguity of the medium. Was I just joking with a bud or was I slamming my worst enemy? Even folks that should know the situation and context might not be sure. That's why you should be careful of what you say, it *always* can be taken as far worse than you meant it. But rest assured, if I slam someone there will be *no* ambiguity. If you've noticed the two or three times that I've actually slammed someone out of the 852 posts and replies that I've made, then that should be obvious.

Updating the game is also important. Is your current game above 1.2?

You bet. I’ve been working on my v1.31 game for eight weeks now. Part of the problem in how long it takes is my crappy 900 MHz Celeron PC that I’ll be replacing as soon as I finish. The other part is the bug with auto-launched ships forgetting their rally point. When your strategy includes making 148 starbases requiring a total of 1372 constructors, not being able to depend on autopilot is a killer. Next stop is whatever the v1.4 base of the Beta is, then the Beta once it's calmed down a bit.

Was I just joking with a bud or was I slamming my worst enemy? Even folks that should know the situation and context might not be sure.

Thus the perennial crust of my great online personality!  

That's why you should be careful of what you say, it *always* can be taken as far worse than you meant it.

Fortunately, being politically correct absolutely appalls me, so putting that much thought into my words is a time waster. Read it, like it, hate it, move on.  As I am sure you have already discerned... I shoot from the hip.  
P.S.: Just in case you wondered, yes, I knew full well that you were kidding with Wheel, and I am sure he did too. Now if we can just get that diplomat title tarnished a little...  

politically correct absolutely appalls me

I dislike PC'ness as well, that's why my only source of news is Jon Stewart. I'm also quite partial to Louis Black and Dave Chappelle, neither of which can be accused of political correctness.

I can also appreciate brutal honesty (Wheel) and shooting from the hip (Evil) but each of these can easily cross the line into plain mean spiritedness, sometimes when that’s not really the intent. I know, I do tend to lecture, but we all have our crosses to bear, don’t we?

I have actually built 2000 huge ships with maxed out guns (attack ~1100 w/bonuses) and have a saved game of it, but the thought of putting them all on the same square makes me cringe!