[AdmV0rl0n]

1. Scrap the current commerce system.
Replace with a new one.
Planets generate all resources.
Build a tech tree that is commerce based.
Courier class transport
Ore transporter
Bulk carrier
Converted Cruisers
Converted BS
*Tech tree to reduce time travel and docking seqences, and loading and unloading time, and perhaps transport loads.
Change some parts of the game engine so they are modular. The current idea of a fixed galaxy where little interaction happens is very static.

The Courier carries little but gets loaded and unloaded in 1 tick.
The larger a transport ship, the longer to load and unload.
Allow all players and alliances the ability to trade, however, all transactions have to be done via the transports.

Players could transport the goods as they see fit. Go collect return, or agree a delivery flight.

Transports are very fuel intensive. They have an additional caveat that they have to stop in their journey at one friendly alliance base in each cluster, per tick. So for example.

Alliance convoy one starts in 1.1.1
The ships are large so need 2 ticks to load up.
It has to travel to 5.1.2
The alliance has members at 2.1.3 and at 3.2.3 and 4.3.2
Ships arrive either in one piece or with losses. Ships take 2 ticks to unload. Again, if in orbit an attack lands, the transports are included in the combat / calcs.

This might mean an alliance asks its players to guard the transport convoys at planets on certain ticks. This creates convoy routes and potential for actual strategy to become quite serious.

Final point. Transports can be caught in sectors while loading or unloading, and contribute to combat and to salvage (including their deposits/part of their deposits, but attack fleets could only pick up resources if they send in transports. And if the resources are large they might be trapped for example for a 2nd tick.

Reason*
This would introduce strategies where players can trade with any other player, but perhaps you can set a hard limit of 3 transfers per game per player. In addition, paying subs to alliances, and also alliance payments would have to be done via the transports systems, and would introduce a true strategic element of organising and handling your commerce fleets, escorting them, and ambusing other players or alliances.

2. Assuming you were to allow 1. Sharing technology.
Allow players and races to trade some parts. For example, overhaul the factory system so that a race builds a fighter system/factory. Allow the player to make on planet, or build for export. If he can sell it, he must transport it with a BS class carrier to the customer. The customer must pay him in resources. Both sides may sufffer combat/commerce losses, and make good on payments.

The factory cannot be activated without payment completion. Because this is limited to BS class converted transports, its a mid to late game feature.

You could expand this to ships as well, with players being allowed to build ships and sell them. Alternatively. you could include foreign factory limits (lets say for the sake of argument, that these 'alien' factories require extreme focus in use being so different and each player can only have 6 or something. This would mean people would be able to make interesting things, but in limited numbers.

3. Scanners and scanning.
Limit scanners in a way that they can only jump ahead of general play via very direct alliance help. This would mean that scanners have a modifiyer placed on amp and dist building. Call it an exhaustion rate of their workers and manufacturing ability. To suppliment this build rate. To supliment this, alliance members could be allowed to ship using the game transport ships - amps or disties that they manufacture to selected alliance scanners. The scanners or the alliance would have to pay to unlock the amp or distie for the agreed price.

Again, there is a 3 tick unloading and loading time for the transports (meaning they may be caught in attacks.)

Alliances and players who make good use of the system should benefit. And players and alliances who suffer interrruptions and commerce raiding may suffer.

Lastly, this may introduce actual warfare between actual alliances and reduce the simple shotgun mass raiding lunacy that the game today seems to breed.