[Hrothgar]

I just thought of an idea for a new feature for SEV--don't know what anyone else might think of it:

Variable weapons ranges and damage from game to game. In other words, in SEIV we all know before a game starts exactly how far an APB IV will fire and what damage it will inflict, so we devise our research plans accordingly. In reality, the effectiveness of new weapons based on new technical developments isn't known until they're made and tested [think of the atomic bomb program in WWII]. Could each different type of weapon have a variable starting point, with a variable incremental improvement as each new level was attained? That way, in one game, Ionic Dispersers might rule, while in another, they might be only moderately effective. This could also be extended to shields, and maybe ECM, sensors, etc.

This way, every game would be like the first one, with the player not knowing what might be the best research path to pursue. I've always been in favor of being able to discover things as you go along--I think it makes a game more interesting.