Simple suggestion:



To make the hero selection somewhat less baffling (why can you pick x race heroes when youve never met them?), limit the initial hero selection to 3 of your race, each with different abilities though (as highlighted in this thread).



When you meet new races, new heroes of that race might be added to your pool provided you are neutral or higher with them. Those heroes will stay once you've got them, as even more complexity may not be warranted at this point as far as heroes go.





Of course Cravers may feel left out, so the system is reversed for them: When you meet a new race and go to war with them, their heroes become available, ala slavery or something similar.





This would make the hero selection make more sense, simply put

Agreed I had two craver heroes on my first game and one pilgrim which didn't make much sense to me.

Restricting heroes to your own starting race has already been proposed here: /#/endless-space/forum/28-game-design/thread/12220-hero-recruitment-only-out-of-your-own-race

This thread has been linked to the former and is moved to the archives.