[Strategia_In_Ultima]

How 'bout;

-Ancients; They start with good tech (mid-game for the other races) but research VERY slowly, considering they're stuck in ancient paradigms. Some of their technology will not be as efficient as the max level of other races, some tech will be slightly more efficient, and a few techs will be much more efficient. You could also give Ancients some special Ancients-only techs (such as ultra-long-range warp openers far up the tech tree, or other pweddy trinkets), or even create multiple Ancients, each with their own special techs (such as Ancient Explorers, with ultra-long-range warp openers and enormous suplly bays, Ancient Imperialists with heavily armoured but slow superbattleships, Ancient Technocrats with efficient all-round tech etc.). These guys will be able to get some really good techs, but they'll still be researching long after most other races have scrapped their research centers for resource or intel facilities and the like.

-Primitive Barbarians; These guys can never research really good technology, although they can steal something. They're a race with primitive technology trying to maintain a foothold in a galaxy full of people with magic boom-guns and other advanced technology. Therefore they are more set for defense; they stop researching relatively quickly, but they can board and analyze enemy ships to see if they can produce a lower-efficiency version of some alien technology (say, the enemy has a ship with APB X, you board it, analyze and you get APB VI or something. Not higher.) but other than that, they won't get far. There are compensations, however; although their ships may be slow, they are more heavily armoured than most and have better combat capabilities (fierce defenders of their realm) and what technology they do posess they refine. For example, they might be able to build the most spectacular warheads, as they're more than willing to die for their people, but they won't get any really good long-range heavy-hitting weapons. The mainstay of their weapons will probably consist of seekers, warheads and projectile cannons; maybe a few low-tech energy weapons as "heavy" support. They will be able to build ships faster (but not much faster) than most; this to offset their poorer weapons. They will also have very good boarding parties, to take over the nasty alien boom-boom ships.

-Diplomats; These guys cannot research much, they have to trade for tech. However, they have enhanced production of resources, ships and units, to allow trade to occur without hampering their capacity to defend themselves. The tech they can research, is mostly geared towards trade; expensive but highly efficient components, which can be placed on ships which can be traded for other ships. Say, you have high engine tech and they have high weapons tech; you build them a long-range fuel-efficient scout ship, they build you an armoured defense ship. Human players only.

edit: More ideas! yay!

-Environmentalists; Eco-friendly technology, takes a looooong time to research but they are highly efficient in storing and using supplies. Most comps can store at least some supplies. Resource production is higher. (An alternative may be that Organics production is higher, Minerals production is slightly lower and Rads production is a lot lower - they're more considerate of the environment than of their economy, and are willing to take the production hit if it means safeguarding their environment.) They also have (much) better conditions, value and happiness improvement plants; therefore, human players might trade a planet to an Environmentalist to build a high-efficiency improvement plant or two on it, then trade it back in exchange for boatloads of mins and rads, or a good ship or whatever.

-Expansionists; These guys have fast, but low-efficiency engines and good colony modules and cargo bays. They're all set for rapid expansion into their neighbouring systems. Their research mainly focuses on the necessary implements for expansion; colony modules, cargo bays, engines, hulls etc. Their research facilities produce only a little research, but they're cheap and quick to construct, so there's room for one or two on most colonies, and once expansion really gets underway they're gonna produce a LOT of research points. Weapons tech and such has to be traded for.