[dogscoff]

For a really really epic game, generate a map where you will start the game stranded in an isolated group of systems. By the time you generate stellar manip and break out the AI empires will have huge economies and high tech fleets.

Dogscoff's pointless proportions suggestion of the day:
How about some cheaper-than-spaceyards "repair only" facilities, or maybe allowing distribution centres to repair one component per turn?