Okay here, goes, to date I agree with a lot of these ideas.
Though for an expansion I'm more interested in seeing more subtle add-ins, as significant changes mean it'll take longer to be released as there'll need to be lots more new code written. Some of the ideas to date suit Version 2 better than a revision, but they're all good.
MINES MINES MINES
It's all about the mines people. Its been said before, but I'll go into greater detail.
These are laid by a new class of ship.
They can be laid
anywhere in a grid.
So the idea is you mine the entry/exit points to the area.
Each mine takes time to lay, but you could go into an adajcent empty asteriod belt and mine the *@W# out of it, nice little "welcome to my neighbourhood".
ONE MINE TYPE per GRID square.
CLUSTER MINE, auto triggers, has a bunch of small mines that cluster and attach to the first ship that enters the grid.
GRAVITY MINE, auto triggers, increases the gravity in the grid for a short time. Mine burns itself out eventually, but during that time decreases the speed that units move by 2 or 3 times
NUCLEAR MINE, auto trigger, manual trigger, goes off and takes out everything in the square below captial class, captials are heavily damaged.
How do you counter mines? Either with a shield ship, that takes certain damage, or with electronic counter intelligence, which only lasts so long, before the mines adapt and you can't. Result is you can make your way in to a certain size field.
MISSILE BATTERIES
We've got "gun turrets", why not have a tactical structure that is essentially a bank of missiles. Fires until its empty then auto recharges. Capacity, Recharge time and missile range are upgradable. Increased range on the gun turrets.
Perhaps different types of missile. Faster straight or homing missiles.
MASS DRIVER CAPTIAL SHIP
Idea is it recharges at an asteroid belt. Takes time to "fill" up, has a limited capacity of mass, say 3 asteroids.
Jump in to target system, as soon as it comes out of phase, targets the planet and starts firing its "rocks". So this occurs from way out in the system.
The rocks cannot be shot down, but travel SLOWLY on a direct line to the planet.
Any structure in their way is destroyed and in turn destroys the rock.
You can intercept with a capital ship and the collision destroys both.
Planetary shield will take the impact damage till the shield is exhausted.
Mines can be used to damage the rock and if enough is inflicted will destroy them.
After that, they're very heavy in damage they yield.
I was thinking that 6 consecutive collisions with an asteroid colony DESTROYS the asteroid, the result is a new asteroid belt, maybe as a side effect you get extra resource deposits seeing you've lost the colony and the tactical/logistic slots.
You cannot destory planets.
SOLAR ACCELERATOR ABILITY
Capital ship ability.
Fires a payload that accelerates the life cycle of a star.
Effect is near immediate once payload is delivered.
Result is one of two.
SUPERNOVA - which goes off initially and destroys ALL craft in the area. You and them both go up. After the initial firestorm, the result is that the grid now has super charged plasma. Think ion storm, but with some of the things people mention earlier.
NEUTRON STAR - an initial shock wave damages ALL craft in the area. Then there is an intense first period in which the effect is the same as a gravity mine, but much greater. Then it decreases and becomes a permanent field, but not as strong.
The idea here is that it's a gamble. You're going to get one or the other. Either way it's a desperate move. It doesn't destroy the location, so you can still move through it, but there are lasting side effects to your solar vandalism, which BOTH players must live with. The idea is to inflict heavy damage on an in bound armada.
EMERGENCY PHASE JUMP ABILITY
Capital ship ability.
Capital ship can immediately phase jump out of the system, in a random direction. Any squadrons are left behind. Can be set to auto-emergency jump.
Has levels.
When you're 0 - 2 the jump will be in any direction, but there is also the risk that the inexperienced crew will foul up the calculations and you'll just explode.
When you're 3 - 4 you're not going to explode.
When you're 5 or above, there's an increased chance that you'll jump in a friendly direction.
GENOCIDE
A planet ability. In short, if I can't have this neither can you. Well, not for a time. Sets off a chain of planet wide nukes. Planet cannot be colonized till radiation dies down.
NUCLEAR SCUTTLE
Tactical and Logisitic structures can be rigged with NUKES. Side effect is the same as a nuclear mine. Upgrade to this ability.
Anyway, that's what I'm thinking.