Space Empires 5

[Egregius]

I see a lot of people wishing for the stars, but I really would just like to see just a few things:

1) AI revamp, where the AI can actually figure out stellar manipulation, asteroid-mining/remote-mining and politics (which includes trading!), and maybe even new added components (although this would just be a bonus as it's moddable anyway).

2) Remote mining being even remotely usefull

3) A real character for all the races, and every special ability having it's uses. NO MORE Narn-regimes with non-existant ground combat capabilities and high research and maintenance-reduction abilities owning everybody! When I meet the Cryslonite, I want to tremble for having met a psychotic race, with genocidal leanings and dangerous tech, instead of going: "Cool, I can get gas-colonizing tech somewhere finally. Good thing they havent been exterminated yet like usually is the case.". When I meet the Orkz, let it be experienced as if I met a zany warlike race (actually I'm pretty content with that race, it has a pretty good own character compared to most races).
That is what I want to see. Of course there should be space for easy-to-modness, but now it feels a bit improvised, like they're all coming from the same mould, but with different paint on them.
More special racial abilities would be nice. For example: giant race (half population maximum, ships standard one size bigger; just a random idea)
Also this character should extend to diplomacy, and of course everyone likes to see the EEE really at conflict with the Drushocka, and races like the Drushocka really having energy-depleting weapons.

4) Integrated ground-combat. Problem with troops now is that it's such a hassle, especially for the AI (!). I feel a lot could be solved by making conscripts/enlisted troops part of the population. Possible adjustable, marines would be recruited automatically and gradually. (optional: costing resources like minerals, albeit little)
Every planet should have troops, and every ship should have some troops. Automatically. With optional components/facilities for more for planets that are in the frontline, and for ships fending off boarding or conducting boarding operations on their own. Marines dont take up that much place (barracks!) so why small troops take up so much is a riddle to me. Space-ship crew can double as security troops.
Then you could leave medium and large troops to be the really nasty weapons of ground-war, that DO take space up in cargo, and give nasty bonuses.
Then ground-combat can become interesting, especially with added suppressing fire from starships added to the equation.
(dont forget wars are rarely fought with soldiers alone, or tanks alone for that matter)

Perhaps ground-combat should be left moddable, so some smart wizzkid can code some really nifty plugin for SEV for GC.

Of course, in the best tradition of SEIV, this integrated GC-S could be left optional in favor of the current system =)

5) A use for all 3 resources. Heck, I'd be content if populations fed on organics, just give me a reason to trade, and to have more than 3 organics farms. Same goes for radioactives. Perhaps things would be different if refineries would produce one tenth of what they do now (and more realistic), but that's moddable.

6) Oh and a program that makes it easy to mod (and scenario-edit) would be nice

7) On start up, pre-select amount of random races, and *randomized* races. Yes randomized races. If it's moddable, it's randomizable

8) One Last simple request...make the game remember my selections I made Last time when starting up. It's infuriating when I'm starting a game, forgot something, and have to click-click-clickety-click all the options I want on again. Especially when I prefer certain settings. I was so pissed off when Blizzard fubared this up in WC3, while Total Annihilation has had this for centuries.

======================================
And yes, a real-time 3D space-combat system would be my wet dream. But considering how (even them!) Lucas Arts fubared the space-combat in Star Wars Rebellion, I think it's safe to keep this out of everybody's wish-list. The game is a lot more playable when it's simple, not a resource-hog, and fast and overseeable.
But again as with a moddable GC-S, this would be nice to be up for mods! If the game calls upon a function, giving the number and position and qualities of ships/other involved to an external program, where that external program will give back the number, position and qualities of ships/other involved at the end of combat to the main program, someone could also make an improved SC-S all the same.
But perhaps this is just fancifull dreaming.