Hi,

the last Days i thought a lot about this game. I play it since BETA through all DLC and Expansion.
I have about 700 in game hours and about 100 with intrigue.

The following idea based on to fundamental facts:

1. The natural shortage of all resources and to manage this shortage in reference to your play stile/needs is the key for great strategy and tactic.
2. The whole economic system is based on money

I tried to make sure all main mechanics interact with each other without creating to much micro management. 

The following points are important to interact for a closed system:

- The Galaxy Mechanics
- The Government mechanics
- Resource and credit system
- Food system

The Galaxy

At the moment there are 2 institutions (Galaxy  council and galaxy market)
I like the idea about a galaxy Bank. On money based Government (no matter what kind of government)
generate a big part of there financing about credits.
The kind of government which is using gives more or less difficulty the get this.
The interest for this could a result of:

the amount of money you need, Galaxy approval, in war with how many empires and how long, 
in peace how long, Income per turn, diplomatic skills = Interest you have to pay

--> BTW: Protection money to pirates would be a good idea?

To give the Bank a sense the Resource "money" needs a shortage and/or resources an Starbase improvements should be more expensive.
The tourism income should reduce but the whole mechanic is good like it is.
The access to the market and to the bank should be limited (every 10 turns like citizens) and the prices should be increased.
Prices for Species who needs a resource more than other get a higher price
The galactic council should be able the interact with the bank (Financing programs for small empires or something like this)
As weaker an empire is as better conditions it gets by the bank.

Food could by a resource which can trade (you could buy 4 units food for an amount of money per turn. as long as you pay as long you have that additional food)

Citizens could by trade (human resource) or exchange with other empires

There are much possibilities for events (for example a financial crises, changes of basic interests or some like this)

They galactic council could have influence to basic interests of the galactic bank or give penalty interests for bad empires...

The Government

The idea of government are great but in current state only a little additional mechanic the cap colonies.

The government with elections should be more attractive. A won election could hold or increase some bonuses.
Opposition  parties should give penalties for the points they stand for.

Governments without elections should have less bonuses because no election is already a big bonus.

The colony cap should be not fix. It should possible to increase it over techs/diplomatic skills/ideology
- The cabinet positions should have more people with different bonuses or penalties to choose from 
- The kind of government should interact with the galaxy market and the prices for sell or buy and with the bank and the conditions there
-Commonwealth should be a real part of your empire includes there influence and there production. It should be possible the give them
advise what they have to do and what the get by you and what they have to give to you 
-To change the government should give penalties or bonuses
For Example: Change from democracy to dictatorship = penalty (revolt)
                     Chang from dictatorship to democracy = Bonus (Production boost or so) 
The war right/state of emergency should be an option in every kind of government (not a separate government) for a couple of turns
with special bonuses an penalties. Perhaps with the possibility to give a general in your government for this number of turns.

I think the government system would really funny and get a own life

Resource and credit system

The focus should be mining i think.

Latest until mid game you don't need mines because you have more money than you need and unlimited access to all resources in the marked

There are many ways to change this without change the whole mechanic.

-Reducing tourism income, increase all prices of resources. Perhaps in reference how often and how much is need in the galaxy.
-Mining bonuses through governments
- only every 10 turns access to the marked (so you have think about what you really need and how much)
-Galaxy events perhaps extremely shortage of a resource for a couple of turns, resource prohibition for a couple of turns or something like this

Food system

The current food system is great and with the shortage of food tiles on planets it is a great tactic element.

I would like to see a separate slider in the galaxy option how many tiles should be created in the galaxy AND

a negative food balance should create penalties (Approval, revolt, destroyed city's)

Also there in combination of bonuses and penalties over government and/or galactic events like hunger crises
and the possibility to trade with

With this mechanic it will be also a "great war goal". Destroying or overtake enemy food planets to destabilized the whole empire in reference to production / Approval

OK that's all for now!
Could be that i forgot some of my thoughts while writing.

I would really happy about any feedback by the players AND devs

Thanks a lot