[Skirmisher]

What about a research system that has requirements ,like

actaully having possesion of various materials,not just researching certain things.

research can be sold,traded or stolen by intelligence agents.

maybe some technologies would require two races to manufacture it,working together?

it should be possible to build bases,stations in lots of locations,including underground.

Turn an asteriod into a base,or change its trajectory,and send it like a projectile toward a target. lots of options.

The final frontier.