I'd like to have the option. In the Amiga version when a population reached maximum, they would over populate and some would die off. Thankfully this is not a feature of this game and I hope is doesn't become one unless as an option. It seems to me that when building colony ships, population should be deducted from the host colony. As it is, you just magically have enough people to fill a colony ship without any reduction.
Game play is outstanding.
The one game of this type that succeeds when crunch time comes. I love it. Any space exploration game can do well when you have three or four planets. The tough part is giving you enough control over your planets to make the game interesting, while not giving you 30 minutes turns when you get to a dozen or more. You can easily adjust priorities between planets.