Ugh.
Well maybe I can come up with a simplified Version of that.
Here's my idea, and any of you that would like to have starting tech levels feel free to post your opinions.
For lack of a better term I am calling it the Accelerated Tech Mod.
The exsisting techs will be unchanged, but for several of them there will be an Accelerated Tech Version that you can get at game start by spending some racial points.
So far the categories I am thinking are fighters, mines, and troops. Say 1000 racial points for each and you have the ability right from the start to build level 1 equivelents of each without having to research the prerequisite Construction theoretical science or the level 1 applied tech. This would save you about 100K of reasearch in each case, say about a year of research time in a single planet low tech start.
Also, as a option I will have an accelerated tech tree for point defense and minesweepers. For those that don't neccesarily want to spend all the racial points, but dont want to get overrun in the first 6 months by a fleet of carriers and fighters.
These counter techs will be available at say half the cost in racial points of the others. 500. That may change.
Also, if you want accelerated mines, you don't get minesweepers. You have to buy both at game start, or research them the long way. Same thing for fighters/point defense.
Also I am thinking that the Accelerated tech trees should top out somewhere not as high as the regular ones. If you want to go higher you have to research construction, or military science or whatever. That idea is still being worked in my mind.
Suggestions?
Geoschmo