[Batman]

Jimbob, I like that idea. Especially if you make warppoint manip a racial tech, and make repair a tech that the guild cannot get. That way the guild has to have a constant influx of resources to a) maintain warp point openers, and b) build new ones. It also puts a nice lower bound on the cost of a warp jump (i.e. you have to at least supply value equal to the organics cost of the component)

It would make for some interesting economic factors in the game. People would stockpile spice, could flood the market with it (i.e. give lots to the guild, guilds need goes down, cost goes down too) to devalue other stockpiles, etc. You would also need to eliminate resource conVersion technology for this to work.

And as far as the guild scanning the ships it transports: equip the guild with long range scanners, and have a special price list for allowing ships with scanner jammers on board. I.e. you can 'buy' a form of diplomatic immunity for an invasion fleet, otherwise, the guild remains all-knowing (and perhaps can sell that information?)