Could someone please help me out in answering some questions. Thanks.

1. In the first round of the game, who gets to go first (who is the "speaker" for the first round)?

2. There is a card (sorry can't remember the name) that allows you to "place" 2 PDS for free.Since the card says "place" and not "build" we assumed that these could be placed on any planet, even one without a Space Dock. Was this correct?

3. I'm uncerain if we were using the trade agreement cards correctly. If I was the Hacan, and I made a trade with 2 other players, does this mean that I collect the value of goods on their cards they give me? (This seems to be how it works, but it seems odd that since they Hacan's trade cards are values of 3, and all the other races are 2's and 1's, that the Hacan don't seem to gain as much from trade as others?

WolfLord22 said:

Per the "Creating the Galaxy" sidebar on page 8 of the rulebook, the first player is randomly determined before you begin setting up the galaxy, that player is given the Speaker token.

WolfLord22 said:

I would agree, placing is not equal to building so you could put these PDS on any planet you control. I wouldn't allow them to placed on a planet you don't control, of course, even if said planet is currently devoid of any other markers.

WolfLord22 said:

That is correct. I think there might be one or two other 3-trade cards out there, but the vast majority are 1s and 2s. This is what makes people WANT to trade with the Hacan, they have good deals. What makes the deal good for the Hacan is that once the trade is made, it cannot be broken by the other party, even if they want to. Short of violent conflict, of course. They belong to you until such time as you decide otherwise. Remember that the Hacan also get a bonus TG from each contract when the Trade SC goes off, so someone else's 2-trade card in your hands is functionally a 3.

WolfLord22 said:

The Hacan also have another benefit. They do not require approval to make trade contracts. They get to who they trade with and get to keep them until they don't want them anymore. With their racial ability and the tech Micro Tech, they can receive up to 13 trade goods a turn if they trade for themselves. The other races that have a 3 trade contract are Jol-Nar and Winnu. Even if Hacan only received 2s in return, they are still benefiting a lot more than other races.