>Did you even play the game?

Yes, I beat it several times back in 1994-1995, not since then though. So you'll have to pardon me if I don't remember fine details.
But I still don't think the Spathi are highly intelligent, looks like we're going to have to agree to disagree on this one.

Oh good, an internet tough guy. <rolls eyes>

If Spathi were so highly intelligent, it makes no sense that they would be sitting around like cavemen geniuses one day and just suddenly decide to build starships.
More likely some other event, such as contact with another race or the acquisition of new technology fell into their laps and triggered this rapid advancement.

I don't exaggerate Spathi's cowardice; it's their defining characteristic. They are also incredibly gullible, which again demonstrates they are not highly
intelligent. How long was that Spathi waiting cowering inside his ship because he was told something scary was outside? Wasn't it 12 years or something? lol...
Also, the Spathi's ship is built to be most effective when running away and firing its rear weapon, once again demonstarting the dev's sense of humor and their
intention to make everything about Spathi cowardly. I'm sorry you're not in on the joke.

I'd have to surrender to The Orz, for three reasons:

1: Things with sharp beaks frighten me, and I get the feeling the Orz really know how to use theirs to establish a pecking order.

2: To get the chance to repeatedly ask the Orz about the Androsynth just to see their reaction.

3: The Orz are seriously hardcore. No other species has the ferocity to actually leave its ship, board enemy ships
    and kill the enemy inside of its own ship. That takes some serious cahones, people. They really are warriors,
    and you have to respect and fear the race you surrender to, or you'd feel like a wimp.

>They went from being one step above cavemen to a space faring race in like 50 years according to they story. That = highly intelligent.

If you told a Spathi you had a monster on board your ship that would eat him, he would believe you.

 Gullible =/= highly intelligent, sorry.

Highly intelligent? Explain "The Ultimate EVIL" situation to me, making them sound highly intelligent.

I'd have to surrender to the Spathi. Certainly, there are risks of doing so, but I have a plan that would raise my chances of success. Basically, you'd have to manipulate them and exploit their fears. Build up something else as being terribly evil and scary (when really, it's a sheep or something) and promise to defend all of Spathi from this menace as their personal bodyguard. They would probably be eternally grateful to you for protecting them and would not turn you over to the Ur-Quan. On the off chance they DID turn you over to the Ur-Quan, what's going to happen to you? You'll be put back on earth under a slave shield, which is as pleasant a Plan B as one could hope for in this situation.

I played StarCon2 obsessively on the 3DO for a couple of years, and consider it to be one of the best games I've ever played. The open-ended sci-fi theme,
the interesting races and some of the funniest voice acting ever just won me over. Of course, nobody I've been around for the past decade or so has even
HEARD of this game, and it makes me so *frumple* to think that so many *campers* have not *danced*.  I recently cleaned out some things from the basement,
and found my 3DO and this game, and of course had to hook it up and start playing again. A week later, I found this website purely by chance, and it has
made my month. This is *smiley* time! So many other *campers* I am *squirting nice colors* so much!