Ok, this idea may not come soon (baby Deathstalker is almost here, doc says it could be any time now
) but I've been thinking of a new mod. It has to do with different 'Houses' and 'Companies' who would each have basicly thier own tech tree (ie, such and such a house would be better at Torp tech, longer range/better damage etc or a house would have bigger ships by 50kt per level etc). These would be 5k racial picks at the start of the game and other 'small' racial picks might be included (or company 'bonuses'/minor company techs).
Does this sound interesting at all to anyone?? suggestions??
So far (my own musings)
House Organi: Organic ships, Organic weapons, Bio-weapons (plague), Colonize All, cheap organic facilities, ships repair 1 comp/turn imbedded into hull.
Stark-Fujiwara Corporation : Low tech beam weps but incredible range of ballistic weapons (most of which use the 1/2, 1/4, damage to shield modifier), dumbfire missiles (torps with +100% to hit but 1/2 shield damage), Acid Projectiles (massive damage but 1/4 to shields), access to great range of mounts and cheap build bases that would act as 'think tanks' or factories.
Cyber-Mech Systems Ltd.: Mech racial trait, emotionless, cheap ships (20% maint reduction), greater spaceyard/spaceshipyard build rate, cheap master computers, TAG mounts (mount with +100% to hit), greater multi-track ability (up to 8 targets). Miniturization mounts. Drones cheap.
House Kestrel: Torp mounts, cheap torps, massive fighters (up to 50kt in size...LAC's anyone
), figher bays launch and carry more, ships +movement, reduced ship sizes (200/300/400/500/600/700/850 max), but carriers (1000/1200/1500 and 800kt escort carrier with 30% fighter bay requirement...)
Miners Guild: +125 to each level of resource extraction facility. +20% plantary size use for facility/cargo etc. Resource storage facilities store +50% more than normal, Robo-Miner mounts, resource extraction ships/bases, Natural Merch ability, Hardy Industrialist.
Merc Guild: Cheap ships, bigger/stronger troop units, reduced resource extraction abilities. Specialty mine warheads (tach/ionic etc), boarding parties strength increased, different types of missiles (bombard, sprint, plasma).
The Church: Most of the religious abilities (talisman changed to +1000% to hit instead.)
etc
thoughts?.....