Yes, each race has a different combat style; but that's not character.
I'd argue that this does reflect their character but only in a very minor way -but that and a few descriptions and certain reactions may be enough for WW, a game that is basically a beer & pretzel boardgame. Maybe?
On race-specific trade values:
Logical idea, and when we made the 4X game that laid out the SAIS/WW universe, we were thinking about those kinds of things. But the 4X Infinite Space game was a huge game loaded with details. WW is wayyyy pared down from that.
I like the idea that the Garthans might "pay" a pip or two extra for combat-related items, and so forth, as you suggested. I wonder if this could be modded in. Might be hard-coded to work the way it does. Ask Fingers.
On race-specific items:
All of the weapons and various onboard systems, all of the tech trees in fact, were race-specific in the original 4X game. WW still reflects that, think of the Tan Ru weapons for example, although the fact that the Urluquai invented and use nebula drives, for another example, is somewhat irrelevant in this game so we don't mention it. Etc.
Call allies is a neat idea. However, you can call the Klakar, and their frigate is not a bad ship at all. There's that.
Those ships all have ENGINES in them, but none of them ever use the things. I'd like to see them move. Seeing those ships move from one system to another (and WHY they're doing so) would add some character.
We agree and that was a feature that we had working at an early point, but it was moved out to work on other things, then left on the cutting room floor. Gotta be honest with ya.
Having a bounty hunter on your tail was on the list too but it was dropped in favor of other things we got interested in.
We are definitely on the beam with you, TaoLibra, and you too RTyp06 (I dig the bag of coins idea.). We like the same things.
PS: We abandoned the 4X game maybe 1/3 to 1/2 the way through. This was quite a while ago, but the universe "lives on."