Proposal:

Single player game mode.  1000 turn plus, conquest victory.  Scenario editor or game options for galaxy creation.


Gameplay:

Primary victory condition is conquest.  All secondary victory conditions award buffs if player achieves them.  Eg:  If a player gets a science victory at turn 645, the game does not end.  A reward is given in the form of a buff or other such idea.  The only way to win outright is with conquest.  More neutral nodes for combat and expansion options.  End game mechanics added, super ships and techs.  Pacing unchanged but late game stuff, extended tech tree and events added.  


A full suite of game options to allow players freedom to set up scenario for long game mode.  Life is not fare, so make the game more asymmetrical.  This game mode is for hard core single player experience that takes days to play.  Remove all multiplayer constraints.  Allow AI empires to have advanced start options.


Expansion:

Two types of empire expansion.  

Core empires, grow around a home system.  (Roman empire.)

Island expansion, isolated star system conquest.  (British and French colonisation.)

Gameplay must adjust influence to allow for both types of expansionism.


At the moment ES2 only allows for core expansion gameplay.  This results in empire blocking on large maps.  It is restrictive and unrealistic.  Please change the way influence obstructs island expansion.  Also allow for the relocation of empire capital.  Give the player the freedom to have separated star systems that are linked by trade routes or stations.  


Change the way some factions colonise planet types.  

Non human race specific tech trees allow for some races to colonise artic or desert over human planet types.  This stops all empires from taking the same type of star systems during the first phase of the game.  Special planet class would allow any type of race to colonise.  This also adds to the replay ability when choosing a non human race.


The concept of this game mode is to return the game to single player experience.  Play the way you want, how you want.