I remember I used to play a RTS Space game a long time ago called Conquest: Frontier Wars. For the time, it was actually really good, and very similari to Sins.

I love Sins. I love everything about Sins and ICO. Thinking back to Conquest, there are a few good ideas there that may make Sins even better for some.

I remember that at the start of a game, there was an option to show the whole system, without having to explore.While personally I like having to explore with scouts, this may be a good option for some games where the players choose to get underway faster. There could possibly be an option which will show the actual planet types, and one that would show just gray, unexplored planets, while showing phase lanes. (There was also an option for universal fleet vision and planet vision)

Another thing I remember that could be beneficial at some point:

-Extractors which require construction of mining ships. The ships' capacities and effeciency could then be upgraded (all together).. This would give a strategic advantage to destroying mining ships. This could be used for trade ports/ships.

Just throwing some ideas out there. Give some feedback. If enough people think its good, maybe it will be picked up some time down the road.