I love this game. But much of what I love is it's potential. The devs were brillant and made a wonderful base for this game. I am left with some desires tho. And I have seen/heard from many others a similar wistful longing for something. Many threads here try to find that something...

After a lot of pondering and kicking ideas around with some others who also love the game, I think we have figured out what the issue is and how to help fix it.

NOTE: Not sure if this is something that should be patched onto the game itself or just created as a mod. Personally, I think this is patch material.

>> Branching Tech Trees <<

Right now, all TEC (or Vasari or Advent) are alike. There is no decisionmaking: i.e. no 'I want this, so, I give up developing that'.

The game would be a LOT more interesting and less cookie-cutter if there were 2-4 decision gates in each tech tab. A line of tech that, if taken, forever locks off another line of tech. (for that game anyways. Choose differently next game, if you wish.)

A player (or AI) would have to make choices about what it wanted to develop. Better fighter/bomber tech or weapon/speed tech for frigates. Cloaking/faster trade ships or cheaper/better orbital refineries. Build this frigate type or that type and then be able to improve the chosen type. Choices like that.

Implimenting this idea would result in two TEC players to have and run very different empires/fleets based on their choices for tech research, just as much as choices about fleet builds/placement are significant choices now.

I don't want SoaSE to be Moo2. Or Starcraft. I love the fusion of rts/4x. But the current game is a bit too cookie cutter for the factions. This would fix that.

P.S. I'd also love another tech tab and lab to build. Same slots available, just priorities to have, choices to make and what to do and give up doing (for now).

As a game designer, I always told my staff "Always give the players deliciously difficult choices. The decisons they make will define them."