Empire Placement Bug Workaround |
I was getting frustrated with the "even distribution" feature for setting up games. In no version did that button work properly, always placing a bunch of AI's right in my lap to start instead of speading them out. I decided to start a bunch of games with the ability to see all systems and empires. I discovered that with even distribution the program bunches up AI's and humans with no even distribution. When I turned the even distribution button off lo and behold I saw even distribution! 
It certainly looks like that "even distribution" button is "wired" backwards. Turn off the even distribution for a more rewarding start. I got through 3 years before I found an AI player, and then all I saw were it's ships.
Omnius
Random not even
The distribution method is random not even and bunching is commoner than you would think in a random distribution especially as home worlds won’t be in systems where there are no suitable planets. Even distribution would require a map editor
You can also tell SEV where
You can also tell SEV where to put the start points. there is a button on the map creation page that allows you to place start points. Note it just beeps at you if you try to create a start point in a bad star system.