[MrSnuggleBunny]

Dear Santa,

When SEV is released I would like to have...

1) Maneuverability - It just doesn't seem realistic that a unit can go from dead stop to full speed and make a bootlegger's reverse (180-degree turn) all in a single turn.

Can we please have some mechanism to dictate the acceleration and decceleration of a unit? Nothing extravagant but something along the lines of: a unit can acel/deccel 1/2 of its total current movement allowance in a single turn.

Limiting the number of turns a unit can make in a single turn should be reduced as its speed increases, i.e. at a dead stop a unit can make a complete 360-degree revolution, at half speed and can turn up to 4 facings at full speed it can turn up to 2 facings (assuming a square map with facings being the four sides and four corners collectively).

2) Firing Arcs - One aspect of this game that makes it so entertaining is that the vast expanse of the tactical battle map and the limited range of weaponry means that maneuver actually matters. If a ship gets hammered on one side the commander should have to manuever to reposition his ships to present a new broadside. Designating firing arcs at time of construction would be a plus. The tonnage allowed by arc could be set ratios of the overall unit tonnage.

This would be particularly helpful whn making planetary assaults. Let's face it: attempting to take a planet with troops while the planet has a robust array of weapons platforms mounting missiles and point defense weapons is all but an exercise in futility. Why should platforms mounted at the south pole be able to hit me if I'm concentrating my forces at the northern pole?

Dividing a planet into quadrants for the purposes of basing platforms and troops would be nice. Troops could be limited to moving to one new quadrant per strategic turn.

3) Stacking Limits - I can understand that stacking all of one's units in a single space could lead to some lop-sided tactics but can we have limits on the tonnage, say 500 to 800 kT? At least allow us to move a unit through a space occupied by a friendly unit; sometimes the AI will designate a movement path for a unit that costs me 1 or 2 movement points and ruins the calculated movement I had planned.

4) Customizable Formations - A formation editor and some method of designated which units are 1st, n 3rd etc within the fleet would be really keen.

5) Customizable Weaponry - Can I trade range for damage/rate fo fire/etc? Weapon mounts allow me to trade range and damage for tonnage; let's make a good thing better.

6) Interstellar Travel - besides warp points. A system 2 sectors away can take less time to reach than a system 10 sectors away depending upon the placement of warp points within a system. What if I want to cut "cross country" to save time? Such movement could also balance us mid-tech slobs against empires that can open and close warp points at will.

7) Planetary Orbits - I exploit the fact that planets do not revolve around their suns by picking planets equidistant betwen/near warp points to place military installations. MAKE ME STOP! In real life the planets would be orbitting the sun thus denying the use of "permanent basing."

8) Auto-Retrofit/Upgrade - If I lewt ministers handle upgrading production facilities they tend to onle upgrade one facility per turn...over the entire bloody empire! Fire these bums. How about upgrading one facility per planet per turn? Designating units to auto-upgrading ship/base designs as a particular technology improves would be nice.

9) A Pony - I promise to take care of it, and brush its long silky mane and name him Buttercup and I'll be good forever and ever. Puh-leeeeze!

Anyway, that's my wish list...

...for now.