When the ethical dilemmas occur, does the game actually keep track of your choice on a sliding scale?  I'm playing my second game as the Iconians in Ultimate edition, and they start with their alignment firmly set on good.   In my current game and previous game, despite having chosen only neutral and evil choices, when it came time to choose, the only free option was good.  So despite two evil choices, and two neutral choices, the Iconian alignment had not changed at all from the game start.   It does seem odd that the alighnment was not effected by my in-game choices.  (i was trying for neutral for the free terraforming upgrades and Neutrality Learning centers.)   I'll have to experiment more and choose nothing but evil as a good-oriented race.

And for something completely different.

I'm playing my sixth game of GCII and becoming more comfortable with the mechanics.  This game (Simple, Medium, Five opponents, Occasional Habitable, Extreme frequent) as the Iconians I tried something different from my usual peaceful early expansion and then turtle mode.  (I do that in all TBS games, not just this one.)  Being sandwiched between the Korath and the Yor, I militarized early and went up the Planetary Invasion line to Stellar Marines and Tir Quan training. While the transports were building, I researched some logistics, miniaturization, and some basic weapons techs so the transport could have escorts.  Then I went after the Korath, who had not expanded, thanks to my game settings.  While the invasions went well, they wereslightly delayed by the clutter of non-combatant vessels in orbit: I did not have enough warships to clear the high orbitals quickly.  Seeing the Yor researching Missle Weapon theory, I turned the fleet around and started building more transports.  I also had to build a Starbase to give the fleet sufficient range.  Reclaiming the original Iconian homeworld was easy: I had more warships this time, and the Yor and not finished researching basic missles.  Now I'm geaing up to finish the Thalans, who have expanded slightly. 

The Torians made out like a bandit.  They started in galactic northeast and apparently all the habitable by all worlds are there.  They will be the real challenge, but I'll take them out ASAP.  That will leave the Arceans, who as usual, have not expanded at all.  Once they are left, I can just experiment in peace.

Thanks again to those answered my early questions when I was getting started.  And yes, I'm enjoying the game.