[blargue]

Some thoughts:

Yup, quests will be a problem. In my experience more complicated quests involving interactions with multiple races are especially horrible to work with when you're combining mods. So yeah, comprimises will have to be made on the quests.

Regarding balancing, stats would need to be changed in some instances. This is why I was suggesting that one person should be responsible for the balancing - so that one person's perspective could be used to alter everything where needed. The genius that you modders have put together isn't in the quantum of damage that weapons do, or the hp for a hull. It's in the neat particle effects on the weapons, the cool graphics and the good writing. Hell, I could make a impaler missile the deadliest weapon in the game by changing a couple of numbers and I fully admit to sucking at modding! That said, the overall flavour of the mods' hulls and weapons should remain intact. Uber pwerful enemies should still be terribly tough, crazy long range weapons should still have crazy long range, but all taking into consideration whatever else has been thrown into the pot.

I know what everyone is thinking: That's going to take forever to get consensus on everything. Totally agree, so some executive power will have to be vested in the balancing fellow. Otherwise this just won't work.

As for the starting ships - not really sure about that one. Good question! Might be a good idea to just have the original starting ships (they're fun to build up anyway) and have the other player ships included as allied ships that can be recruited or bought (if I ever get around to building that mod).

Did I miss anything?

Logistically, the way this would work is modders would pipe up and "yes, you can include my stuff in the massive collaborative mod." Then Mr. balance would throw it all together as best he could, taking into consideration what the contributing modders request for the way their content could be used. Their input ranging from total micromanagement to "sure, do what you want with it, just give me credit."

Blargue