Re: Complexity/Campaigns

Everything you want has already been done in a MetaGaming classic still
available from Avalon Hill called "Stellar Conquest."  Its generic.  No
attempt what so ever at any background.  Turns go fairly fast.	Every
fourth turn is an economic/population growth phase.  The rules will need
to be modified slightly to fit Full Thrust, and you should be able to
integrate Dirt Side without too much trouble.

The mounted map board has a bunch of different stars and gas clouds. 
Stars are divided by spectral type.  No exotic stars (neutron stars,
black holes, etc.).  When you expore a system, there is not 10 minutes
worth of dice rolling like Imperial StarFire.  Rather just pick a card
from the top of the pile of cards for that star type and flip it over. 
Everthing you need to know is right there (Habitability and Mineral
status of all useful plantes in that system).  Systems can have from
zero to three useful planets.  

Record keeping is not bad.  The game includes a pad of record forms.  On
the front is a ledger for keeping track of 13 different colonies for 44
turns.	On the back is the entire map shrunck down.  Records for
colonies are just the basics.  You have a space to identify the colony
and type of planet, and data lines for population, industry, and
defenses.

The 12 pages of rules aren't bad (That includes the front and back of
the booklet that have no rules, 1 full page showing how to use the
colony record form, and another full page to show how to use the map on
the back of the record form).  That's it.  It is the simplest and best
"pre-fab" campaign available.  

If you have any question about "Stellar Conquest," please ask.	I'll be
happy to answer.

IAS