Default population in building colony ship/colony should be main race.

[bjg]

If you've got less than 2 units of any population that's not either Primitive or Sessile, you probably shouldn't be building a colony ship on that planet anyway.

Why (besides the loading colonists problem)? Some "primitives" are quite capable workers. Also the Colony Ship build project requires orbital infrastructure, which requires a lot of metals and isn't built everywhere.

It doesn't take any more time to transport eligible colonists to that planet than it does to send an empty colony ship to a planet with eligible colonists.

First, transporting colonists require a few turns delay or a time machine. Second, if the planet is near full (some "primitives" use the same ecology "zone" as the main race) you'll have to deal with the overpopulation penalty for the duration of the project.

BTW, I didn't ask for any particular solution, just remembered the (minor) issue I've had in a real game.

[Arioch]

If you've got less than 2 units of any population that's not either Primitive or Sessile, you probably shouldn't be building a colony ship on that planet anyway.

Why (besides the loading colonists problem)? Some "primitives" are quite capable workers. Also the Colony Ship build project requires orbital infrastructure, which requires a lot of metals and isn't built everywhere.

Just because your troggs can work in dwarven factories doesn't mean a group of troggs can set up a new dwarf fortress on their own. If you want a new planet of trogg workers, I think it makes sense to have to send a dwarf colony ship first and then ship over the trogg workers after.

It doesn't take any more time to transport eligible colonists to that planet than it does to send an empty colony ship to a planet with eligible colonists.

First, transporting colonists require a few turns delay or a time machine.

A colony ship takes exactly the same amount of time as a transport to travel between the two planets.

Second, if the planet is near full (some "primitives" use the same ecology "zone" as the main race) you'll have to deal with the overpopulation penalty for the duration of the project.

Having to manage your population is a feature, not a bug.