I like the big black hole at the centre of the galaxy idea hope they produce that scenario. 

After looking at the alignment stuff in the vault a little closer, I'm pretty sure that has to be old. The Stuff on alpha makes more sense and is more balanced. Plus there is no tourism in the vault list, and very little in the way of producing more alignment based on what you get from your tree.

EDIT: just saw the thread where Frogboy announced that he added this to the vault, so it seems it is the next iteration. If that is the case, it seems like a step back to me. I'd be interested to know what the issues were with the original tree that they are trying to address.

Ask SD not me, they make our ideas real...but. I imagine the black hole scaling with the galaxy size.

DARCA.

I imagine that blackholes are currently fixed size objects, but how difficult would it be to add a bigger version, obviously the scanario would need to be fitted to an appropriate sized map.

You could also do Galaxies with giant nebula at the centre, etc. That's the good thing about having this space terrain it opens up lots of new possibilities.

On (1) I suggest since a lot of people don't like the monochrome, although I'm not one of them that instead they just lower the saturation on the areas of the planet you can't use a little to make the active part stand out but still allow you to see some color on the rest. Although personally I kind of do like the mono chrome thing.

(4) good question.

(6) I seem to remember that they don't intend to include espionage until one of the expansions because they have big plans for it or some such but someone from stardock tell me if I have that wrong. Otherwise good idea.

Yes a few people seem to hate the monochrome, which is why even though I quiet like it I suggest they rethink a little and try and come up with something people don't feel so strongly about. A slight desaturation might work just as well to make buildable tiles stick out rather than full monochrome.

I hope I'm wrong on (6) as well but I really do seem to remember reading that somewhere when going through various old journal posts and things. So as I say please do correct me Stardock if I'm somehow miss remembering.

Ah thought so, to be honest I think it a mistake to have no espionage at all in the base game it will feel like somerhing is missing. I can appreciate of they have big plans but espionage has always been part of running a kingdom or empire in real life and it's will be missed.

I agree. There will be serious consequences from game critics and fans be not having at all. We don't even know how far after release espionage will be available. I hope there will be time and will to put it in.

Congratulations on becoming a founder Chepelink. I forgot to say that before. Now you just need a cool avatar like me.

DARCA.

I have tons of picture on my PC that match that description, but a game called "Final fantasy" has what your looking for. Search the internet for pics, and if your lucky you'll be half as cool as me. Lol

DARCA.

Yup, know the game, payed some of them actually. I searched for a pic with that description long ago and I found that I'm quite picky about that girl. And yes, your avatar is cool. Any way, we are going off topic here. I also fear that the lack of spies, would make the game critics (specially players/gamers based) somehow harsh on the game and reduce the sales at the end. I think that a quick and simple implementation and a promise of change in the near future would be better than just the promise. Even more, if you set the mark low by introducing spies at the first game and later improve them they (critics) would see that as an improvement rather than a "hey, do you take this long to deliver this espionage system? could be way better" (talking about the expansion).

True, but there are things that can be really useful that are really easy to implement because they are already in the game or are going to be in the game anyway: 

• Spy a planet (like galciv 2). It is just a view screen with all tiles, tiles bonuses and buildings. You can add a little of "complexity" saying that with one active spy you can see  just the tiles, with three the bonuses and with five the production score of that planet (research, income, etc), and, like in galciv 2, the spies are not "spent" in doing that.
• Sabotage a specific planet: this is implemented in the ideological tree or it is planed. -50% in the diplomacy outcome of that planet. Spies can do that also, the "variable" is already there or it is going to be. Just add a big bad button that say "sabotage" next to the "spy me" in a planet pop-up.
• Sabotage civilization: -10% hp in all ships of the civilization. It is the same as before, it is already planed for a perk in the ideological tree.

Just with those three (or two if you wish) you have a nice option for spies that are already in the game or that can be implemented or going to be implemented. And those things are what some people were asking all this time for spies to do.

And whatever plans SD would have for spies in the future are going to make it better.

I could be mistaken but I don't see any miniaturization techs. If ships will still hold the same amount of components then I don't see why we can't work to unlock the bonuses. It seems like a waste to have just one specialization tech for 10% when miniaturization scaled with the games era and added so much to tactics and fun.

did anyone see miniaturization techs?

DARCA.

That's all very nice but hull miniaturization doesn't equal 100% its at 50%. I want more. I don't want to have it get OP either, but from start to finish our empires should have miniaturization at 100% as it shows part of the games progress and its cool.

If its cumulative how can each missile tech give 50% to range? Usually stuff gets capped at 100% or so. Also I am not to sure they are cumulative because when you shrink weapons sometimes values get dropped which is a inefficient and irritating way compared to cumulative hull miniaturization.

specialization techs are one of my favorite new features but miniaturization should be higher and have a category. (maybe its gone because they were scared to put a description for the techs. )

DARCA.