It sounds interesting certainly, and why I would like minors moddable. So we could for example build a massive resource single planet that is very hard to beat, but end game might give you a challenge to take it. I suppose you could do this with a major, if you removed all it's ability to invade, colonize or trade techs. Except a major might surrender annoyingly. 

Minors are very good for having as trade partners. They are also a good place to leverage technology trades. I have found that they are better to keep around and trade with over just invading their planet. Also the old even which one minor 'steals' all the techs of your adversary and you can 'buy' them all will be in GCIII.

Also minors do have traits that make them unique. The really on difference is they cannot colonize and may not vote in the U.P.

Were they not planning to have 1 vote for all minors? 

Sort of like babylon 5's league of non aligned worlds. 

It's not a bad idea but if it's too arbitrary people might moan, if they went that route perhaps a gameplay condition would work best. Like you need a fleet that can beat that impressive starbase, or you need to research a certain tech to invade a certain minor world, something that breaks their impenetrable shield. Perhaps you need to research breathing apparatus (or it costs you 5 times as many troops) because of the atmosphere for example. Perhaps invading a certain world is really difficult because of how isolated the minor race is, underground races. Maybe one minor race resists oppression (snathi) to their last breath, so they will constantly try to rebel with a very high unrest rating!

Support the snathi rebellion today!

UP Resolutions to help:

Colony AID for minors resolution, gives them 1 additional asteroid base or colony, military aid for minors gives them one starbase. Minor races might form the league of minor races, or minor race alliance, minor race pact, whereby they will protect each other. Perhaps someone could pass a resolution to deny invasions of all minor races for X turns, lots of things like that.

I expect (hope) we'll see events like the old games where we'll get some truly fearsome invading or rebelling later game minors, to spice up the end game a bit too.

Rather than micro pop types. How about an empire wide bonus for being allied, conquering or trading with them?

I always liked how in Star Trek all the minor civilizations were always in some kind of trouble and the Federation would swoop in, save the day and make them part of their Alliance. Resolving conflict (or taking advantage of it) for minor factions that still haven't reached spacefaring maturity could be interesting. It would give these, otherwise, dull NPCs some personality, and even make us feel some emotion towards them, be it hate, indifference, pity or love.

I like the idea of Minor Races being able to form leagues or pacts of mutual protection. Brings some spice to the game. Like they have some representation in the UP. Stardock could take a page out of Civ V: Brave New World with the World Congress, and have it that if you ally with a Minor Race, they give you their votes. It would be a good incentive to keep them around and be fought over by the major races looking for that one vote they need.