[Q]

I agree with most of what you all said.
Additionally I would like to make the counter-intel easier, more or less like in SE III but with the proposed factor of loyalty as additional race modifier, that you can determine in the race setup.
I like the idea of a minumum time necessary to complete a specific intel project very much: like you can only build a ship at the construction rate of your space yard you would only be able to add a certain number of intel points to a specific intel projects per turn.
And I would really like working facilities (like the fate shrine is supposed to do, but doesn't) and may be components, that decrease the success chance of enemy intel operations in a system and/or on a planet. May be even some facility/component (expensive!) that renders a planet/ship immun against PPP or crew conVersion.