Oh boy, lots of ideas, some aren't good, some are. Let's get started.
Towing a starbase with a titan, not a bad idea but it could use some refining. Say the speed it moves through phase space with a starbase in tow should be drastically slower than normal movement, maybe say: longer phasic calculation time, slower movement through phase space( especially the Vasari seeing that their starbase is essentially two pieces), an early warning system that tells you an enemy is moving a starbase to one of your planets (because realistically something moving through space the size of the starbases wouldn't be too hard to spot), slower movement through a gravity well, a power-up time (say 3-5 minuets gametime because i agree that 10 minuets is too long) when the starbase is undocking (in which only basic defenses are operational [basicaly only close range weapons at only a quarter their full strength and low shield mitigation this goes for the titan as well as most of it's crew will be busy with the undocking procedures]). but enough about the towing of SB's.
I've bolded a few parts for emphasis. To be frank, it's probably one of the naffest ideas I've ever seen. Phase space movement slower than realspace movement? Do you have any idea just how long that would take? Particularly for interstellar transit or movement across an oddly long phase lane (like you might get on a random map).
I think it would be fitting if the phase drive for a SB tug had a longer charge time; it has to (possibly) link the SB's power supply to itself, and then charge the drive to allow both tug and SB to transit. I think it would be acceptable to have slower phase jump speed for a tug with an SB in tow, but not to the degree that it'd be faster if it didn't go through phase space. It's simply a daft idea.
Further, the Vasari SB shouldn't move slower through phase space. Remember how there's a metric ton of Vasari techs that make use of phase space? Well, it'd make more sense (and fit in with the race design better) if the Vasari SB was faster when under towing.
Now, the idea of having the SB take time to move to full functionality, I fully agree with. Lowered mitigation, regeneration, and lesser damage and range would be perfectly acceptable; the SB must reroute power from the tug back to itself, and in the meantime it must make do with backup systems that are only adequate for minor defense. A possible drawback is that during the "power-up" time, an SB that has been towed would actually take more damage than usual.
As for the "titan tows starbase", well, you already know that I consider that to be pretty daft.
Since the titan is going to be one of the largest ships in the game then why not upgrade its fighters and bombers strike craft instead of the tiny specks that the capital ships and the carriers have why not give it larger heavy fighters and bombers(or better yet [let me draw from my experiences of "X3" the light frigates you build you can assign to a titan as it's strikecraft instead of the heavy fighters and bombers) , as well as unique abilities per race
If the only reason we're upgrading the SB's strikecraft complement is to give it SC with larger models, then we shouldn't do so, because it adds nothing of worth to the game. I do see merit in the idea of assigning frigates as the "strikecraft" complement of the titan, however.
TEC
____
In areas that the TEC's titan are if their pirates the pirates will not attack the TEC (due in-part if not in-whole to the TEC's connections and trade in the criminal underworld) and can "hire" the pirates to steal tech for the TEC to upgrade the titan with, with the titan in question being in the vicinity of pirates thus adding more use for the pirate bases other than setting the pirates upon the enemy. (giving the TEC reason to protect the pirates from those who would destroy them.)
Nowhere in the feature list for Rebellion was tech-stealing given. Ergo, I think we can safely assume that there won't be tech-stealing. Which makes around 90% of this idea useless. Further, why would the TEC support the pirates? It's stated that Sova carriers were especially useful for anti-piracy, so at a guess, I'd say that piracy has been a fairly long-term running problem for the TEC.
Rather daft that the TEC would suddenly support the guys who've been picking off their tradeships, don't you think?
Vasari
______
This is somewhat similar to the SB's ability but the Vasari Titan can cannibalize other ships around it for rapid repairs say if it's one of your ships the repairs are greater that salvaging the junk from destroyed enemy ships and the Vasari titan gains upgrade through the junk it salvages from enemy ships. (thus giving reason for the Vasari more reason to be aggressive)
The Vasari playstyle is already pretty well built around aggression. A Vasari player doesn't need more reasons to be aggressive; some of said reasons just need some tweaking and/or fixing.
I'll also point out that this ability is already present on the Vulkoras Desolator.
Advent
______
Instead of buying the upgrades for the titan (minus the towing ability) the initial use for the Advent's Tractor beam as enemy ship acquisition so the Advent can study the tech and make upgrades to the titan. (as to keep with the lore of the Advent being more scientific and to give reason to the Advent to be more assertive.)
Once again, there's no reason to expect some kind of tech-stealing or tech-study mechanic will be implemented in Rebellion. TBH, this is also one of the naffer ideas I've seen. There's also the fact that, AFAIK, there's nothing in the lore that points to the Advent being "more scientific" than the other factions.
Further, the ability to acquire an enemy ship is already present in the game.
as for the sub-factions that have broken off from the main three that it still up in the air. But in-general i think that the Tech tree should be an open tech tree. I mean this is a rebellion defections are going to be common place i think that avenue should be explored in the upcoming sins allowing each race to steal the others secrets (again drawing form other games such as star-wars forces of corruption) each race should have another tech tree devoted to stealing tech or in the case of the upcoming sins, exchange the diplomacy tree for an espionage tree who's only two set research's are building an undetectable ship with no weapons, armor or shields who's sole purpose is to steal tech (say requiring 3 warfare labs to research) and a detection system (in the later part of the tech tree requiring 5 warfare labs to research). The tech that these ships will steal will be placed on the espionage tree for you to research yourself (being so to keep the game balanced) but will cost you more than the original race's cost is/was.
sorry for making this so long i'm just brewing with ideas and possibilities so much so that i could write a short book on the possibilities, or so i feel.
The idea you present here WRT the rebel factions (I presume), is absolutely daft. You obviously have no understanding of how the game engine works, because, as a former modder, I can tell you that there's no way we'd get anything like what you describe.
Stealth ship? Your concept is pretty, well, sucktacular. The idea of a stealth ship isn't off the board, but your concept is simply daft.
The tech stealing? Simply impossible with the game engine, even considering the fact that it will be altered for Rebellion.
Hmm... you're talking about a Titan towing a starbase, but what I was talkng about was:
Special phase module frigate+ vasari starbase = morphing into a Titan.
This means a Vasari Titan shares some upgrades with the orky.
An interesting concept. Has promise.
maybe the titan should have some upgrades based on experience and some based on buying them. this would sap some of the experience away from the caps but not letting it rely totally on the experience of upgrades.
also let me add, that the usa carriers are all tankers too. they carry the fuel and other supplies for their fleet. they themselves dont require any fuel.
US aircraft carriers are not fleet tenders, which is what you've described in the latter half of your post. They carry fuel and munitions for the aircraft that they carry, but they most certainly do not carry fuel, munitions, or consumables for their attending escorts. You probably didn't know this, but aircraft carriers take on supplies after they leave port.
