The way surrender is handled is marring every single game I play. Repeated scenario - I'm playing an insane map with 20-30 aliens. I mix up the AI so I have a few Godlike, bunch of Incredible, and heaps of Genius's with several Gifted chumps. 6-10 hours in, things are getting pretty hot, often very challenging, and then some douche-bag from the other side of the map surrenders and gives me 30 colonies, and all the shipyards, 70+ ships etc.
Two things at this point,
1) Either I go through making use of it - boring hour of microing the surrendered alien's stuff. If I'm careful and take the time, then tide turns and I now have an easy win which feels like a cheat and has ruined the game and I end up quitting because it doesn't feel earned.
or
2) I delete all their planets, then all their ships, then all their starbases/shipyards. Boring, painful diversion that can take 15-20 minutes to avoid accidentally deleting my own stuff. In this instance - taken care of, then I continue the game i was previously enjoying, only to find another hour or two in... boom, another chump who I've had no real dealings with on the other side of the map gives me another 150 things to delete. I can't be bothered and just quit.
This surrender concept doesn't work in aid of the spirit of the game! Please consider making surrender a switch-able option: checkbox = all aliens fight to the death.
Enjoying everything else about the game, except this, but unfortunately its a game breaker.