Playing Endless Space 2 again after 4 years and taking up Lumeris again has got me thinking about my gameplay yesterday. It might be an old idea, so feel free to point out, if already suggested, I'll take down the thread. Also, I know Planet Brokers have gotten a lot of flame over the years, so lets keep it civil.

Anyhow, since i started with Redsang, what i kept doing last night to get an edge on Resources, was keeping an active outpost up on systems with resource nodes. The extra food production thus helped me with resource aqcuisition, which with the +3 Luxury production helps midgame, until others also start getting 3rd, 4th level improvements. I kept 3-5 outposts running simultaneously and when they were completed and near, i decolonized them and started over.
1. This is a fun and interactive mechanic where i kept actively talking and persuading other players let me have outposts in their 1-2 planet systems, and is thematically appropriate.
2. The second reason for my following idea is the part where most guide for Lumeris advise you not to research free movement, to conserve growth on main system. Which is another "exploit turned feature" type of situation, that shouldn't happen in games, similar to the probe refresh that was fixed. (I did not figure this out when i played 3-4 years ago.)

But what both of these were, was a fiddly and tiring, and when food shipments arrived at different moments it was hard to track when the colonies would accidentally complete and crash my approval, and important thing for Lumeris. In any strecth of mind i couldn't think that this was an actual gameplay feature. Maybe if there was a an alert notification for "Imminent colony on ...." :D And the second the same, i would not believe that there was a research that a player was designed to avoid, this made me curse every time a found a good system with a savannah.

Since these are two mechanics players use anyways (i think), my suggestion would be twofold:
1. Give Planet Brokers the option to not complete outposts.
Even if they would be sent supplies until completion because of balance, stop them taking food and never complete. There is already such a state in the game, when an outpost is contested, and the state doesnt improve (such as against Riftborns). This would keep the colonies primed and ready for purchase for other players, a mechanic that is undervalued right now. Also, this way you would not have to snipe the turn when another players influence area would eclipse the system, to restart a colony.
I think this would make the faction affinity and the game a more social.

2. Allow Planet Brokers supply the colonies with Dust instead of Food. This would give them more usage for Dust (outside buyouts) to help them colonize in the beginning, without sacrificing progress in the core colonies. Population is a factor for System Trade Route Values later and Lumeris struggle for FIDSI anyhow. This Dust supply can ofcourse scale with buyout costs and inflation, to keep the balance. This is also very much aligned with their flavor of Investing in outposts.
I understand that this would make it hard to raid their civilian ships but a) the money can still be sent by civilian ship, by being converted to food; b) their flavor is
meant to be blockade breakers anyhow. Raiding civilian ships is kind of crazy micro for endless speed runs anyhow :D

Just my 2 cents. As again, if i'm late to the party, feel free to link the right thread.