Tell me you're planning to significantly improve the AI and overhaul the diplo system before you put out an expansion and I'll give you a great big one. What's more, I'll actually enjoy the game and probably buy the expansion. Sound good?
Vinraith, how many times do people have to tell you that the Diplo and AI are going to be overhauled before you stop telling them to overhaul it?! Geez, cut it out. Craig Fraser has already said that it's going to be overhauled, and several other people have pointed that out several times. And if you'd read the announcements on the main page, you'd know that 1.04 and 1.1 are coming up, and will rework AI, diplo, and such.
Now, I'll admit that diplo is flawed. I'm playing a 10 player pre-made map with 6 stars, and I was having a hard time, with allies telling me, 5 minutes into the game, to kill ships of an enemy in another star system, and enemies doing the same. Worse, I had some allies and enemies telling me to give them 3,000 credits or 2,000 crystal within 10 minutes, and I didn't even have a chance to capture my first colony. So, my solution? Start a new game and lock teams, because I know that until the next patch comes, there will be issues. I don't come on these boards and complain about flawed diplo, ignore Ironclad's messages that it's being worked on, and say it's rubbish and tell people not to buy it.
Now, on the flip side, when I was playing on 1.02, I had no problems with diplo on a 5 system map and 4 total players. I only missed a few missions because I was tied up with another enemy, but normally, I finished them because they were doable, because the missions involving attacking the enemy came after I established a foothold in the enemy system, while other missions involved giving resources.