Perhaps this will make it simpler for others to have multiplater games on SE.

Did you consider using a seperate surface for the lobby? or is the default spawn always on nauvis for new players?

Also, when you insert starter items, perhaps take the amount of red packs from AAI Industry's mod setting?

I hadn't considered using a different surface for the lobby, I can look into it and see if it makes sense. Either way Nauvis will always exist and be a homeworld. I guess I could assign it to the first team to be created, but that seems a little messy...

I'll look into the starter items a bit more, I didn't notice AAI Industry had a setting, I'll add a compatibility patch in the next version

Cities of Earth has a lobby function like that.

It creates a new surface for a lobby?
Can the script change the default spawn surface?

In any rate, it should probably only be made to work for new maps, converting the existing map would probably be troublesome.

I can certainly create a new surface for lobby and instantly teleport the player into the lobby when their character is created.

If I have a lobby, maybe I could set up some sort of a primitive portal hub or something to visit other surfaces. That could also be a set of commands or something, but I'd rather not add teleportation and break Space Exploration.

I don't think I'd clean up the old lobby on existing maps if I get this working, you can use editor to manually fix it up.