The Good -
7. Little descriptions like the symbols the TEC finds offensive. Mhm. Are there gonna be be TEC symbols Advent sectarians find offensive ? The 'deviant' views the normal as the backward, otherworldly. The normal views the deviant as it implies. Peaceful coexistence if the differences are real, (not superficial) is impossible, if one wants to get rid or subdue another. (hatred of the other, or fear, so-called, xenophobia, is thus mutual, both or each three of themselves see themselves as the superior, while each one might see itself as bringing peace, plain wording, their rule) Text descriptions regarding the TEC describe a heavily brainwashed, addicted population 
What I mean, such people would value groupthink over truth and fact, so an empire easily subverted and before total collapse, do not rock the boat until the iceberg ripping the ship is too big. Addictive consumerism for a religion means an absence of other values, (while surface appearance might be different) because the addiction is the thing those folks are bound to, just like the cultist brainwash, that relies on other methods of submission. So, on both occasions, the factions look degenerate - one an excessive emphasis on the material, the other (also) on the narcisstic will to power, while claiming 'spirituality', or moral superiority. Non-submission to the 'authority' of the groupthink/'Unity' is rewarded with extermination, or its threat. Do as you're told, or else ! Oh, it does not make sense ? You gotta 'trust' them for your own safety. From them 
Maphia logic. TEC would imply an oligarchy pulling the money strings, money/profit as the values, those Unity deviants seem like wanting power for themselves to impose themselves as well. One via controlling the economy, destroying competition via monopoly, the other on weirdo wannabe 'religion', another monopoly. TEC guys seem to have 'evolved' or abandoned previous values and as such have none, which would make them more or less easy prey to ideological subversion if need be. Those Renegados or Rebels, seem like racial superiorists or something like it. They no like Zenos. Filthy rats, Goebbelsian indoctrination-like wording. Yarr, close the hatches etc. So, the values were not the previous, only replaced with something that reminds of the racial purity pseudoscience, but I havent seen much in that regard to substantiate it. Resisting enemy culture, well, ok, that is understandable, (those doing the subversion to the other side claims moral superiority by preaching all-encompassing acceptance of everything, but if the same is done by the other side to them to subvert, destroy, they would in the same sentence say that it is suddenly bad, because their culture is the unique, superior one. so, 'xenophobes' are the other, the bad guys, they hate our ways, it is them that need 'enlightening' from their ways - each one could say that ) but TEC is still supposedly a colection of states, so them to first develop an unified extreme antizeno culture in such time - well, under a 30-years war would not be unthinkable so as to finish the threat once and for all, while loyalists seem rather resigned to constant loss of territory. If they had a lot of territory, is one thing, if not, then that defensive only mindset would have problems as just another indoctrination detached from reality.
Vasari diplomat in the old has funny more cynical attitudes with outright imperialist superiority complex built in, scheming, deceiving to get an advantage, instead of looking for what is traditionally common interest cooperation/competition. Such an attitude means that for real there can be no diplomacy, because either you obey/submit or there is war, treaties not worth the paper they are on. Meaning, the want to live at others expense is at least stated much more openly. You can bet all 3 of the empires described would be a paradise to live in I mean, these very descriptions imply that freedom isnt a virtue in any of them. Especially with the external threat that came by. Those free can seem like a threat to the official 'Freedom', or those who rule, not necessarily real independence, freedom, sovereignty etc.
The Bad
1. I ran both the old and new version and the new lower menu seems worse to me. Extra clicks to set trade route ? fighters/bombers ? Buildings on the right side, with planet slots on the left seem strange. (but with them being able to be thrown out like equipment, its in the same place as ships now ?) Scuttle button near other buttons might have cause a problem to some, but set capital was also near the abandon planet, however, I prefer seeing most options without extra clicks, because I will most likely NOT click to expand.
3. Resources are hard to balance, especially with the trade - without an ice or a volcanic or ferrous I guess, you cant have enough either crystal, or metal. All other only make gold or some other surplus of value that isnt metal/crystal. Technically, I wonder how trading creates mined resources out of thin air tbh. Its not like the currency of an empire actually creates value. (that one is designed for neo/colonial order - give worthless currency for real physical valuables, like a wheelbarrow full of money to buy bread in case money is worthless) Idea to have another tier of resource generation is nice, but I think it could use a rework. Also, is there some central silo or it is distributed and impossible to steal from ? How does trade create metal or crystal.
4. Autorefill could work, if it waits until you have enough resources to produce but not to queue resources you do not have. The new alloy/exotic menu shows the noice pictures of the wannabe things, something smaller that would not show the pictures, only what is needed exactly, would be fine by me - the old menu did not hide 2/3 of the screen. I do not need to see those 5 big pictures and some other fancy stuff that shows how many refineries you have. Perhaps an option to have these graphical representations off for more functional things that reseble the 1.0.16 more. That one had still a large popup that was unused.
7. The new map if you do not move the camera angle will show the shiny background. But Somehow it is much more bright than the star in your system. 
8. I counted, I needed 3-5 wheel scrolls to get to the bottom. Again, the new spacey, nicely depicted menus are the shiny new thing, but the old one had more functionality apart from the tier-up, and the Space Pony with the builder helmet in appropriate coloring The new Research Tier system allows you to destroy all research stations once you reach T5, allowing to make more trade or PR-(opa)ganda, production. (I managed that at 1h 40m at best so far)
9. AI in 1.0.20 seems vastly improved in not being a total pushover, or I just do not push myself as hard. I think it is more difficult to play vs the hardest diff now. Seems like it attacks a bit more aggressively, however in the old game, on vicious, with my current easy playstyle I would get steamrolled Starbase firepower is currently too much at once. It should fire staggered, so that firing continues nonstop, 10 guns per side ? 5 seconds reload ? 2 guns fire per 1 second. With missiles saturation is perhaps what you want. Or you make them stronger so they are harder to intercept or faster. Is the missile offensive or defensive. That kind of stuff. Plus better firing angles
Things not in manual:
1. Had no idea
2. Ctrol-click now selects only units on screen, not on the planet, so if that is the same with planets, youd need a proper zoom out. Ship production is not really well selected if ther eare starbases and normal factories, the workload for factories will be less, so starbases will keep producing things much longer, while factories will idle.
3. I tried all sorts of things and I thought, well, you just have to wait for better newer ships with better upgrades for late game I did not upgrade planet slots, on capital you cant abandon it, that was what I guessed was the only option. Thanks for letting this sikrit info out
Glitches and Beetles:
1. Did not happen to me even once (but it says my 1080 is at 95% 3D performance, was 97-98% with an 1,5 old driver) When I start the game, it is like that the whole time, it runs great apart from when I zoom in on my 450+ garda blob up close.
2. I havent seem the option to custom scale ?
4. Multiple factories do not produce faster, they each produce one ship but 5 factories make 5 ships at once. Not sure if you mena that 5 factories make just 1 ship. Queuing in the planet menu you can queue up and down by 5 via shift key. But when it shows the production queue of what is being built, you cant shift - 5 minus it, only -1.
12. Starbases with a trade port will prevent even normal trade from commencing if normal trade ports are built after the starbase. Once starbase with nonfuctioning trade is deleted, normal trade starts working.
