PvK,
In fact I have two issues :
* While slow progress is perhaps more realistic it is also just plain boring ... 100 turns ahead research progress some 20%, while research costs rise fourfold, so tech goes slower and slower. I just NEED something to go faster
* But the main point is "facility space usage" in Proportions. My colonies often have only 5 to 10 spaces, my HW are full of CC since start, so what can I do ? I just cannot specialize any planet in anything : either I put "general purpose" settlements/cities etc that produce a little of everything, and the specialized ones are pure crap, even 10 of them doesn't produce much !
Additionnaly the facilities limit comes weird : I can put only 5 small research labs, but (supposing I can produce them) 5 Col CC on the same world will take the same space !
So I really think that bigger specialized facilities, for colonies as well as HW. These should be on an "upgradable" path to the smaller ones to speed up the process (and let AI handle them).
/rant
One idea :I'm thinking of using "multiplier" facilities for "cultural" simulation (CCs): what about some expensive facilities that would set production, research or Intel to 200-500% instead of producing a (big) flat resource output ? That would give a comparable result (HW will produce much more than colonies for long) but be simpler to handle for AI (no need of bogus abilitie !), and closer to original SEIV design as well.