Are conventional tech NPRs still unable to advance to transnewtonian? Is it possible to add an option allowing them to advance, or maybe add a spacemaster command to do so.
I do appreciate the idea behind low tech races that are stuck in the dark ages, and in fact my next game relies on them being unable to advance. However it would be good if they can upgrade at some point, even if it's using SM mode.
Specifically it might be useful when running a conventional level game to have NPRs that start on a similar footing and advance in a similar way to players.
Also in relation to this, maybe new slightly downgraded from level 1 techs could be introduced to allow low tech races to actually have conventional militaries and sprawl through their own system.
Specifically smaller versions of ICBMs with speed greater than 1 for ships, low tech sensors, rail guns, microwaves, maybe an advanced conventional engine that has greater thrust to weight.
Maybe even low tech infrastructure. Give them something to do while stuck at low tech.
Related to this, I recall that at least one of the production settings for creating a new empire doesn't actually change how productive the empire is. I believe wealth alters income, but production efficiency just changes starting industry without altering per factory production.
It would be nice to have options that change industrial output, research, population growth, per capita income, mining production. Etc for find grained control of races.
I'm specifically hoping for a way of changing research percentage so I can make a game drag on for decade at low tech levels, I can do it in a way using only human controlled empires, but of course NPRs wouldn't follow my self imposed restriction.
In relation to this too, assuming these options are added and would also be available on the create new empire screen that pops up when you make a new empire, how about an option to allow that empire to be sited on a homeworld in a new randomly generated system rather than on a soecific body. You can already add specifically crafted empires to certain worlds, or have completely random NPRs, why not a combination? Although the same thing is achievable by merely spawning a new system, adding the NPR then uh... Forget the system exists?