Some how the AI is totally down to sell you all their loaded colony ships for about 89 BC a pop, which means not only do you not have to build as many of your own, but you also get to preserve the population of your home world.
You seriously just research universal translators, then send out your scout and then check in with the other races every turn or so and buy their colony ships as soon as they're made.
Is this a known issue, am I missing something?