Immature Ether Drake

[GrimStrider]

Great bummer that these cuties don't ever grow up/mature into one of these giants with 100k+ firepower that you have to beat to get the baby in the first place!

[Danny]

I mean the mature one has been alive for untold centuries, it's unknown how long it takes for them to grow into maturity.

[GrimStrider]

True. BUT! For supernations it should not be that big of a problem to find out a way to feed it the proper nutrients... or... whatever source they use to grow and sustain. I mean it does take a relatively short amount of time to hatch so...

[Danny]

Perhaps after a 1000 years or so?
That's a pretty long time to wait in a single game, most players get bored by that time.

Heck, 200 years would be too long for most players.
Especially as you're not going to get the hatchling till atleast 100 years in, and more likely 150/200 years.

Also, I never felt any of the creatures you can recruit very good, as you can't strap dark matter thrusters to them or upgrade their basic slow-ass bio-hyperdrives.
They can't even keep up with battleships!

[GrimStrider]

True. Early~ish game bonus ships are nothing compared to end game. But they make quite formidable trophies to circle around your homeworld and protect it. I always have a great feeling having an Automated Dreadnought circle around my homeworld capital! ^^