Feed back Beta 6. Initial thoughts.

This beta is perhaps the best I have played so far. I sat down at 545pm and could not stop till 1015pm. Great job. Fluid and smooth playing. I was on Excessive with 13 factions all Minors on 'uncommon' habitability and loose clusters. In no particular order.... Oh and I am blind and like big fonts!

• 20 Turn lock out on Diplomacy is a bit long. Either lower it to 12 or give us techs or ideologies to lower it. Many times I wanted to just look at the number of planets or ships the other Faction had and I was not able to do so. The lock out awesome but we need bit more happy medium. I say 10 or 12 turns. 
• Pirate Bases are a tad too strong. The high defenses (16-20-16) combined with 400 hps are overpowered till you get heavier ships in fleets mid game. Either lower the defenses or the hit points. I should be able to take a 2 or 3 medium ship fleet and beat them but they are cleaning house on 3 fleets. 
• Pirates are a pain in the arse! I love it. Lets do more with them but I know its going to be later.
• The combat viewer is slightly odd. I seems too close up for me when doing cinematic view, a bit farther back and a lower angle plane seems better. 
• Diplomacy is EXCELLENT. I love the responses I am getting. Minors coming to me with  a gift and others saying hey we like or hate you! The galaxy feels much more alive now, good job!
• I want a way to upgrade my Flagship Survey-ship. Its one of a kind but I want to upgrade it somehow, can we get a tech for that?
• The 'Uncommon setting' on planet habitability still feels like too many. I was running into class 10, 11,12 and 18 planets just a few stars away from home world. I do not know formula but it seems like just 'one planet' too many for that lower end setting. 
• No anti-matter missiles? Why?
• Tech tree {feels} shorter, I know we are 'done' but the tech tree feels shorter with the specializations. 
• Kudos to Brad and team on making strategic resources a must have early, mid and late game. It drives me to have to do 'EVERYTHING' at once, build Colonyships, build Constructors and build military ships (against damn pirates!).
• Where/what is the Precursor defense module? I did not see it.
• The text for the Benevolent missionary build reads 10 points once built but our B6 notes say its 1 point per turn, which is it?