tech tree

Why not just remove the techs you don't want? It is a plain text file, so all you need is Notepad and a little patience.

Just make sure you backup the original first.

You might also notice that each step of Warp Drive reduces the size of the engine. But yes, simply edit them out of the tech tree file.

(I find it slightly amusing that the rather spartanic tech tree of DL is 'too long' though. )

Way to long? Left to right or top to bottom?

The point with any techno-trees undertaking is that it can be either challenging or easy to handle *once* someone knows the essential; concept wise, there are a few choices to make and some to ignore.

I'd also recommend personal editing (be it extensive or limited to lowering the techs count) but be warned that any corrections would have to 'adapt' at a new context which may even completely redefine gameplay and usual situations.

Oh, and please, don't get into the TotA new multiple & unique tech-trees... since THESE may all prove to be an even greater problem to your 'shorten version' needs!

Btw, in X-Worlds (v05-F) i have re-designed sooooo many things (to *renew* the experience and to provide an additional set of features) in the tech paths and configuration that you wouldn't want that much extra-work also! After all, there is 4 new Capitals, 37 Trade-Goods, 71 Self-Upgrading "Normals", a temporary enhanced espionage attempt, five terraforming expansion(s), plus three alternate Victory conditions in a highly compressed (as in, grouping nodes of weapons, defenses, politics, esoterics, etc) customized tree!

I'd say that given a number of games, one might eventually get used to the fact the default tree IS long (relatively speaking) and complex (for some players, too much) ---as it was designed and balanced by SD coders---.