The Iconians, I think, were supposed to be compensated with their powerful research structures. I find that their vaunted research capabilities help, but don't avail them in the long run.
Their biggest problem is the high maintenance cost for most of their improvements, combined with their relative weak economy (Merchant Trade Complex non-withstanding). The Precursor Library is also kinda weak. Increasing the output to 16 RPs, while keeping the research bonus at 10%, should make it more useful, without making it totally overpowered.
Lots of variables, just like weapons. Removing a variable, like maintenance, means reevaluating how the improvements stack against each other. Sigh.
Yeah, this will never end.
Who wants to spend a year or two upgrading after researching each new tech, anyway? Imagine what kinds of battles are going to take place when all that manufacturing spending goes to military production instead of trying to get production up and running!
I don't need to imagine it, as I have already seen it. Scary and frustrating at the same time. Frustrating mostly, because the AI can't really make good use of its advantage and crush its enemy like it should. Taking years to finally send the needed transport to invade the last enemy planet is not what I would call good resource management.
It seems to me that pretty much every morale tech is race specific. We think of the Traditional Entertainment techs as being the baseline, but since they're only available to Terrans, Arceans, and minors, they're also race specific. I'd argue that Planetary Adaptation should fall into that category, too. It may not be a yellow morale tech, but . . . it's a morale tech nonetheless. Expert Gravity Channeling I'm not sure about offhand. It unlocks a morale structure, but it's really more a propulsion tech. I'd probably leave it be.
It seems we have a different understanding of what "race specific" means in this context. My take on it is, that a tech is race specific, if it 1) only works culturally and/or biologically with a certain race and/or 2) the tech is too "foreign" for other races to understand. The following is my reasoning regarding the morale techs of all the races (using the un-modded game):
- Altarians and Drath use Temples for entertainment. This tells me, that they are highly spiritual races, probably using a combination of rituals and meditation to maintain a good morale. Most races could use this without problems. Especially the Krynn (religion) and the Thalans (meditation) could easily adapt this for their own use. The Drengin/Korath and the Yor, however, neither would nor could use it. Still, I can't see the Altarians and Drath give away a part of their culture. Not with them being so rooted in their past. Tradeable? No way! Stealable? Maybe.
- Drengin and Korath use telepathy to savor the agony in others to boost morale. I can't see this working for the other races, because this is highly biological. Even without telepathic abilities, a race would still need to be into "Hostel"-like "entertainment" for the techs to be of any use. Maybe the Korx could use it, but even then rather as a means to get more money than increasing the morale. Foreign morale techs wouldn't work for the Drengin/Korath either. They are not entertained by make-believe. They do not care about religion, meditation or spirituality. The are only entertained by the pain and suffering of others. Tradeable? No. Stealable? No.
- Iconians use Dream Conclaves for entertainment. This is a highly advanced form of virtual reality. So high, actually, that nobody else can use it, because they don't understand the tech (un-tradeable/stealable). On the other hand, I can easily see the Iconians use VR Centers, because they work quite similar, if they manage to get access to them. But still, the Dream Conclaves should be more powerful. After all, we're talking Precursor technology here. Temples and Recuperation Centers could work, too, but getting them might be impossible.
- Korx use ... money to entertain themselves? They really need more than just the Festival of Capitalism and the Entertainment Network. As has been stated before, giving them access to the regular entertainment line is the best and most fitting option. Nothing fits capitalism more than the entertainment industry. So, nothing new here.
- Krynn use their religion to boost morale. Needless to say, other races can only use it, if they join the Krynn (un-tradeable/stealable). Of all the foreign morale techs only Temples would really make sense for the Krynn. Again, getting access will be the hard part.
- Thalans have a biological need for meditation. So, most of the foreign morale techs are unusable for them. While most of the other races could make use of the Recuperation Centers, they wouldn't understand the technology behind it. The Iconians could possibly crack it, but they have no use for it. Planetary Adaptation provides both a bonus to Morale and unlocks a morale improvement. However, I don't see it as a morale tech. The way I understand it, is that Planetary Adaptation provides the necessary means to change Thalan technologies and improvements, so that they can work on the surface of planets. That it provides a boost to morale is a side effect, not the main purpose. The same goes with Expert Gravity Channeling. This one provides an improvement to Artificial Gravity, which allows ships to move faster. That this also allows an improvement on the Recuperation Center is pure happenstance. In any case, both techs (or rather all Thalan techs) use a technological understanding that is far too advanced as that other races (except the Iconians maybe) could understand it. Tradeable? No. Stealable? No.
- Torians use improvements that are based both on their culture and their biology to boost morale. Some of the other races (Terrans, Altarians, Arceans, Drath) might make use of those improvements. Question is though, if they can make use of all improvements, because some of those are more suited to Torian biology. Even if they could, I'm not so sure, if the Torians are willing to part with those techs. Healing Pools are an integral part of their culture. Tradeable? Maybe, but I'm leaning towards No. Stealable? Maybe.
- Yor don't care about entertainment, only about efficiency. All of their "morale" improvements increase efficiency by making everything run smoother. They wouldn't work for biological lifeforms.
- Terrans, Arceans and all minors use the Traditional Entertainment techs. They would be absolutely fitting for the Korx and could work to a certain degree for the Altarians, Drath, Iconians and Torians. However, they don't really fit the Arceans, in my opinion. The Arceans are a proud and honorable Warrior-race. Why would they spent their free-time watching Talk Shows and Soap Operas? I can see them making use of the Extreme Stadium and the Zero G Sports Arena. But the rest? No way!
All right, that's it for now. Sorry for the long treatise, but I wanted to be as clear as possible about it. Too bad though, that you can't make techs only tradeable to certain races. I probably end up making all morale techs un-tradeable/stealable.
Edit edit: you are entirely right about the mercenary academy - I didn't take into account that the rest of the galaxy's economy was pretty anemic. I may personally add a small soldiering bonus though, something like 5%, as the mercenariness of it connotes increased fighting skill to me.
If you do that, add the bonus to the tech instead of the building. A planetary improvement can provide a bonus only to one ability.
