Hello Alex, just got into the game about two weeks ago and have been loving it!
I made an account specifically to ask (or suggest, if it wasn't considered) whether or not you might provide elite upgrades to skills outside the combat tree (for the same price, or higher if you so desire, but that cost being story points)? I believe an earlier comment mentioned hullmods that might boost ships. While I think hullmods are too cheap for things that boost skills (they only cost OP, a free resource if you bring an extra ship or two), perhaps boosting a skill to elite might provide a simple bonus to the normal skill, some examples provided by SonnaBanana when he said "increase the maximum of Carrier Group from 6 to 8, or increase the number of Automated Ships in your fleet". I just personally don't use combat skills very often (I'm terrible with the KB/M and don't pilot my own ships) and think that the elite system would be welcome to more than just personal piloting (although it might take a little bit more lore gymnastics to justify).