Being that 0.65.2a came out and a new update is not (possibly one is though) being worked on right now, I'd like to propose a few ideas of where SS could develop.
In fact, after trying out all TC mods, I feel that certain changes should be done to the base game to make it less like your choices are unimportant. Let me explain. HAS anyone played star trek broken mirrors? That is like my favorite game ever. you can build space station, conquer planets and buy fleets(even tho the game is bugged) but that is what I feel SS should be more like, along with more "all-out-war" and other things...
Conquer planets...:
options>>
make it an industrial complex, a party planet, a ship yard, etc. You can choose what facilities to develop. Making a city will attract people to your planet, increasing revenue generated from your planet. Also increases population and workers amount>> can now have engineers and laborers to build heavy facilities. Boosts the amount of ships your planet produces (You can specify what ships to build...)
With all that, you can build a station, and then produce fleets (mining fleets, trade, defense, offensive) and tell them what to do. This is for the player's own faction, or they can choose what faction to build a station for. Mine asteroids, gas giants, tech mine planets, find wrecks floating around (battles create wrecks), over time, space junk accumulates in orbit around planets....
I'd like if fleets were smarter, if they could "see" farther and stop crashing into a much larger fleet repetitively as they try to return to their objective.
I am a big fan of blue prints
make one faction actually go to war with another, and conquer each other's planets, stations, affect the populations of planets and the infrastructure available there.
And of course, CRAFTING! mining fleets bring in metals, etc. which stations turn into "refined" metals and then based on instructions (possibly from player) focus on building certain products and not others... focus on building supplies and fuel, or weapons and ships, ...
the player can craft without owning a station
If you like my ideas please tell me what you think and if anything else should be added.