how do i play as a pre-made race?

You can use quickstart to use the pre-made races, then save the empire thusly created.
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There are 10 types of people in the world:

Those that understand binary, and those that don't.

There's a default password somewhere.... I can't remember it offhand, I think it might be master.
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There are 10 types of people in the world:

Those that understand binary, and those that don't.

Master unless you have changed it at some point which I would only do if I was hosting a multiplayer game

I am not sure if its case sensitive or not. Its master (all lower case) if case is important.

So you have to start a dozen quickstart games with all the different races, save the empire, just so you can add them to a non-quick start game? I must be missing something

Unfortunately, yes. I'm sure MM will add default empires with 2/3/5K versions eventually, but for now you have to save them manually. You can save time by going into the player list in the ingame menu (IIRC) and setting all the computers to human controlled. You can start a new game and add the max number of computer players and save each's empire file, once for each starting racial point count.

Should work that way.

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Watch for my mod - codename: Dimensions - coming by Summer, 2007!

Yes and no. If you want a SPECIFIC empire, you need to do that. If you want any, you're set; the game will automatically generate AI empires unless you tell it not to. So you just have to put in your own empire.

Ok I saved all the empires manually. So now I can use my custom empire and load any or all or [none (randomly chosen, but how can I determine how many I want?)] deault empires?
I tried this and I got the message listed above that too many research points were already set. I would guess that now I have to edit each of these empires by taking all of the research points away so it shows 0?

Well wait. I tried that (first I had to bump up the research points given in one of the menu selections or else it would not let me load the race because of research) and when I try to remove all research, it still lists something like "10000 points". What does this mean? How do I make it so all the races start out at the same level of research (non preferred)

This is a bug. Colonization tech is saved with the empire file but not properly counted at game setup. Raise the tech level to where you can use them, go into technology for each empire, lower the colonization tech they have by 1 level. This frees up that cost and allows you to use any research starting normally.

Annoying, isn't it? But that's what workarounds tend to be. I wonder... did any submit this bug?

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Watch for my mod - codename: Dimensions - coming by Summer, 2007!

Ok I think I got it. Its amazing all this has to be done before you can simply play a game with the paraneters you want. Someone had to figure all this out just to get the game going.

Is it a good idea to allow each race tech 1 for the colonization of their home world?
If you allow research points, will the computer choose 1,000,000 worth of research when you begin the game unless you choose 0 research available?

master, as default password, does not work in the eureopean version of the game... could one please help???

Try translating "master" into the language you are using?

Look at line 6183 in Data\MainStrings.txt. Mine reads:

GameOptions 1 := master

That might be the line defining the default password. For ease of locating it, it is just below these lines:

FrmMain 1 := FPS:
FrmMain 2 := Space Empires V
FrmMain 3 := Windowed

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a very good tip... it workes quiet well (i wonder why i never tried this out), but nevertheless thanks