One thing I feel is somewhat missing from the game is for some races to have home planets that differ from the norm. And I don't mean starting planets; I mean home planets, where they feel the most comfortable. It's somewhat limiting to know that the best planets regardless of race or abilities will be Terran/Jungle (ocean a close second). Also, that the races always have to keep the same approval maluses. For instance, my sowers-affinity race starts on a tundra planet - and hates it? I get negative approval from the planet I start on and all other planets of that type? Doesn't make sense.



Your starting planet should be independent of your affinity, and you should be able to buy bonuses (to FIDS, to approval) seperated by planet type. for instance, I should be able to make a machine race that does best on barren or lava worlds, and has a penalty to terran/ocean worlds. Right now, that's not possible, and everyone's best planets are the same. That really cuts out the 'different' feel that should separate one faction from another.

This sounds very Space Empires 4. Not necessarily a bad idea as it would certainly lend some more variety to the races.



From a balance stand point, it might be a little trickier to implement...