[dogscoff]

Anyway, what I want to change about the game is to incorporate more of a sense of strategy rather than tactics (ie, with more logistics & economy building)...
Planet population should mean more and there should be reasons for capturing a planet rather than nuking it from orbit.

Sounds like you want to play PvK's Proportions mod. There's a copy on your Gold CD, and a more advanced Version available here on the forum.

If for no other reason, a Mean Evil Empire(tm) such as an "Arachnid" race might create facilities on a captured planet to convert them into organic resources and research points...?

It's been suggested and discussed, but this can't be modded using the current game engine. At least I don't think so. Future patches might make it possible.

Anyway, I want to do something like making transport ships required and meaningful to actually defend-- ie, making support more important.

Proportions mod, or maybe Derek's mod, which (as I understand it) is a sort of Devnull/ Proportions hybrid.

Perhaps by making cargo required as ammo-- have capital ship missiles/heavy bombardment missiles simulated as drones. Be nice if you couldn't reload all weapon types (ie, missile bays) via solar collectors and actually needed a production facility once in a while. :-)

Your drone idea should work as you intend, but it won't be easy. FOr one thing, your new missiles will be able to fly from one system to another on their own - they won't be restricted to the combat screen. For another, you may have trouble balancing the cargo sizes. You should be able to do it though.

I also want to adjust carrier-to-fighter ratio quite a bit. An 800K "light carrier" should only be able to carry, say, 8 or 12 25K large fighters, rather than 70 or so.

Easy enough to do, but again, you may have trouble reconciling the new cargo capacities with your drone/missile idea and the modified cargo storage of Proportions/ Derek's mod.

Does anyone have a source of numbers for the ratio of component types (ie, weapons/power/drive/control/crew space) for 'real ships'.

I have seen such a thing posted, probably over a year ago. I'll try to find it (but I'm not sure I'll succeed=-)

More types of warp points are definitely needed, and there should be a reason to equip explorer ships with sensors

Agreed, although these are largely hard code issues. Still, you might be able to do something that I might not think possible- After all I'm not amodder myself.

Well, time to start tweaking.

Good luck!