Ok, here is what I'm planning on doing for the weapon techs:
Each broad weapon area will have a tech (eg: Laser Weapons)
Then each race will have weapons in different 'power' classes (eg: light, medium, heavy, mega, ultra)
There will also be some specific types (eg: point-defense, rapid fire)
Finally, there will be advanced broad areas for races specializing in an area (eg: Advanced Laser Weapons)
So, for example: Combat Laser will require : Advanced Laser Weapons - Centauri (prereq Laser Weapons) & Medium Weapons - Centauri. An Interceptor Mk I will require: Particle Weapons, Point-Defence Weapons, Light Weapons - EA.
This will force a variety of techs to be researched to open up new weapons - and it will start races in their 'prefered' weapon tech areas. Also, this will allow techs to be captured and researched from that point on. Finally, this let me have many weapons with the same tech levels, yet keep them somewhat racially seperated.
I'm working on plugging in all the techs now, and setting up the families for the AI. With any luck (if I don't do too much OT this week), I should have something this weekend.
Once the weapons are done, we will then have Ships/Bases/Sats/Mines/Fighters almost complete - just needing armor and some extra components (racial specific & B5 specific stuff). I'm reworking the troops and infantry in between weapon work
So, we are almost done!