how about instead of the ruins giving you components or facilities have it give you access to new tech areas. the areas might gives just slightly better components and facilities than everyone else has or lead down the road to new techs no one else would have access to. you would still have to research everything to get the benefits.
edit: Erax beat me to this idea.
hehehe
[ November 23, 2002, 19:31: Message edited by: desdinova ]