A few requests for any upcoming patches:
1) Superweapon (cannons) should not target pirates automatically. The shots are generally wasted, especially if you are not TEC, and auto targeting the pirate base as a "close enemy" really makes no sense.
2) Kostura cannon should have phase node creation removed - it's OP and dups a cap ship ability already. At least with the ship you have a chance to setup forward defenses and stop it. The cannon results in other races or factions having to fully develop defenses on every single world. The cost involved is horrific and not comparable to the crappy advent weapon or even TECs.
3) Vasari Ruiners should not auto join fleets. That should be obvious.
4) Option to block a jump site as a viable travel option. Ex. clicking on a pirate base and selecting an option to block route in that solar system, so ships don't act as though they can travel through that system with impunity.
5)BUG : unpin and pin operations sometimes fail to work. The pin symbol flashes but nothing in the tree changes.
6)BUG : Fleets should not split because you have clicked on the fleet and given an order while they were separated. Ex. Only part of a fleet jumps even though you have jump together selected. Ships arriving early are given some orders, when the late comers arrive suddenly they are not considered part of the same fleet.
7) Please include option to turn off auto-join for any ship emerging from a factory.
8) option to auto set features for building units at a factory, like having all carrier units start with a certain fighter/bomber selection. (per factory please, not the same setting universe wide)
9) option to have cap ships after the initial type use the same upgrade path you chose for the first one you built. (ie button on ship UI that says click here to duplicate build of the first of this ship class you made as it levels.)
10) option to pre-save small fleet configurations and have a factory build that configuration identically. People frequently need small defense or scout groups and are likely to construct them in exactly the same fashion with same fleet settings. A macro option to save certain configurations by race (even across games) would be helpful. Sort of like an in game mod creation.
11) Jumps should be allowed through Vasari phase gates not just at system edges, which really makes no sense.
12) Pirates need at least 3 settings re: difficulty, as this has been an ongoing problem. Current pirates are not just op but inappropriate since the AI is wholly unable to deal with them, so even those who claim to enjoy the setting are talking about ruining their play experience by watching pirates win the game for them - it should be a mod for them, not a viable option.
a) Strong : probably 1/4 current strength, roughly speaking, by late game. This is measured by having a late fleet, fully developed, all cap ships, and half fleet capacity jump into the pirate system. You must be able to win this fight reliably, though with heavy losses. Late game raids can take down planets unless you have max defenses and a fully upgraded starbase.
Raiders : half of either strength and/or growth rate of a. These pirates are harrassers and distractors not whole system destroyers. Late game raids should not be able to take down a world with full defenses even with no starbase.
c) Weak : half strength and/or growth rate of b. Raids cannot kill starbases and pirate base can be defeated at multiple points in the game by 1/2 or less fleet capacity reliably.