Perhaps additional upgrades could be in order, more population, logistics, (but please keep tactical slots the same), perhaps even make it slightly more profitable/plausible to explore planets for artifacts. New artifacts wouldn't hurt either.
Star I also don't think ground assault would work in this game...but if they were to make an mmo... anyways I accept my right to dream about it.
Your suggestions quoted above ar good, I agree that people who get rushed early and completely cut off should have SOME way to increase their ability to build labs to counter a tech up. The cost for additional upgrades of logistics slots could be very high for any upgrade past the standard planetary limit(perhaps as high as a starbase upgrade level). Likewise Asteroids should have very little upgrade options and shouldn't be upgraded as much as a regular planet.
A planetary capture option would be interesting If you were able to satisfy certian criteria (no enemy starbase, no enemy fleet in orbit, specialized bombardment ships, Having your starbase IN the orbit). This might provide a useful increase of bombardment ships early on to surprise steal an enemy world. Or it could be clunky and unfeasible, either way this is just a design suggestion. Good design on this could increase the options players have.
Planetary exploration as a whole should be re-done and be more important to game play overall.
Your PLANETS should make your empire as much as your orbital structures. Adding different planetary upgrades and a rethinking of the basic planet system in place would be interesting. Being able to invest more in a single planet would really add an important aspect to planetary play.
Perhaps adding a certain planet could increase costs of upgrades or structures at that planet to diversify the difficulties/advantages possible when making an empire.
anyways thats my 2+1 cents
