[jimbob]

going back to the Ferengi:

The Ferengi Alliance will remain a major race which might be a slight exaggeration of their actual canon presence, but it allows players to take different roles in a game. The Ferengi will rely more on their economic abilities than military might.

I'd like to see them stay as a major race too - just one that will need to be played differently to succeed. I'd just encourage you to give them significant financial edges - perhaps some cheaper facilities, lower maint. costs, etc. I've some nifty components made up for the B5 mod that I'd be happy to pass along - essentially improved Remote Miners without any environmental concerns (Remote Resource Strippers, etc.)

I'd also like to suggest an idea from P&N, the pirates have a civilian "cloaked" ships. They can't be detected by any scanners, so can move freely (except for those pesky mines) about and predate any stragglers - it seems a ferengi thing to do! I also agree that they should have no cargo ships per se but instead have a cargo requirement for all ships (thus introducing the military disadvantage at the same time)

Just my thoughts, great mod, yeah team!

I want to stay away from separate colony modules.

Yeah, that would be a pain, you'd need to go to the P&N system almost wholesale wouldn't you...

Cheers,
Jim