I think that as a philosophically compelling feel all of its own. But I am also sure the game will have ways of making sure you can identify plants that are "inhabited" by players and not just AI bots. I should think only a small number of planets (a few thousand perhaps) will start out with AI controlled meeting points like trading posts and space ports.
I also hope the game is designed a bit like how the universe actually appears in terms of presence of complex life, i.e. that planets where life exists beyond the micro-level are very few and far between, and that in any given galaxy there might only be a few 100K planets with complex life.
“The fundamental cause of the trouble is that in the modern world the stupid are cocksure while the intelligent are full of doubt.” - Bertrand Russell
"When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace."
Jimi Hendrix
