Wyrdysm Games

Something important I figure we should work out is how many systems there will be on the map, and how connected those systems will be. There shouldn't be too many, but there shouldn't be too few either.

The current meta map has 50 systems or so discounting Sol (as it was added in manually) and that's probably too few for about a dozen factions.

Something to consider;

At the start of the game, nobody will know what the map looks like, nor will you be getting a before-game preview of the map in any form. All you'll be presented with is a tiny fragment of the map that shows your systems and the connected systems. After about four or five turns (depending on the initial speed of expansion/etc.), the communication networks will come back up, revealing the map and enabling diplomacy. Whilst you'll know which systems other factions hold, you won't know what they have in those systems, nor will you know anything about those systems.

Positioning will be determined at random-ish. You'll probably get to choose the general kind of area ("North of the Core, near the Edge") and have to give a couple of backup choices just in case.

i would say how many planets you want an average faction own, and times that by a number of likely factions.

It might be a good idea to divvy the systems up into clusters of stars that are well connected with each other, but with only two or three ways out of the cluster - that way, each faction has a little space to expand into while making sure that everyone has a little border security so that no-one gets zerg rushed by anyone at the start of the game.

I figure you should have 6 star systems you can get to start out with, and a few more "neutral" systems that are in the center. The star cluster is a good idea, but It will lead to fortress worlds, just because it's so much easier.

I personally like the idea of fortress worlds, requiring a battlecruiser or two to break through the ships.

Factions will likely only start with one system under their control. Nearby systems will either be uninhabited or neutral depending on what the planet is like.

Neutral systems can be conquered, or persuaded to join your cause. At the start this is much easier, but as time goes on, worlds will become more and more independent and stronger-willed. Some may opt to join the Remnant as well, once communications are re-established.

Obviously, having a fleet in orbit can be more persuasive. They may not join immediately, they may ask you prove your intentions (perhaps by eradicating pirate forces in the same sector or with a gift of resources) or they may reject you.

Personally giving a speech to them is also an option, but that's heavily dependent on your ability to, well, write a persuasive speech.

Bringing this back up again...

With the system I use to generate the maps, the technical maximum is 255. That would be way too many anyway I think.

We'll see. I don't want things to be too big, but not too small either. It'll be hard to get the balance right...

So you use a program for these?
And a poorly written one if a cap of a mere 255 systems.
Why not go and tailor make your own by hand and divvy it up to players as you see fit?
Then you have no theoretical maximum of systems, just a practical limit which would depend upon the sort of control a single player has, whether they can control only one fleet, or several, or an entire emerging empire.

I agree with the factions starting out with one system each. But only for reasons of balance rather than reasons of historical background and all. For a Species/Factions that gained access to node-space, or other FTL travel paths even just 100 years earlier would be rather near unbeatable.
It would lead to either large military alliances between smaller and younger factions, while they struggled to gain enough of a foot-hold to hold off the better armed and positioned fleets of the older factions. This could lead to some interesting historical developments in the early days of the Metagame, but would leave many players at a great disadvantage to those who had greater forces early on due to better early technology.

If this is what It looks to be, a follow up of a large scale war, where a main empire/faction was decimated and spread thin forced into small splinter factions vying for the powers of the old empire. Then you would be best starting players out with different levels to give a more realistic feel, and a tendency towards alliances and treaties, which gives great future plots from broken treaties or subverted alliances.

Ultimately the size of the map has to be dependent upon the initial number of factions, giving a large enough map for early exploitation and conquest, but small enough to keep late game battle-fleets in combat every second or third turn.