I have some ideas that I think should be implemented, or at least considered for the new expansion. I however don't know exactly where to post them, so I'll post them here.
#1 Better starbase defenses:
At the begining of the game, starbases, with the most basic of defenses, easily outpower any buildable ship at that time. By researching several techs, you can make the starbases the single most powerful ship in the game. They are able to defend any galatic resource... for a while. Near the end of the game, you can build huge hulled ships that can easily drawf starbases in hit points, and when built with nothing but weapons, they can easily destroy starbases alone. At that point in time, you'll need to assign fleets to defend them. Shouldn't you need fleets to destroy a single space station, and not an entire fleet to defend them from a lone ship?
A solution:
-New starbase modules, specifically ones to improve hit points "Structural Enhancements", ones to improve rate of repair (such as a base rate of +1 hp per), and modules that simply improve defenses scores such as "Fortress stations". Alternatively, allow fleets to dock, form fleets with the station, or something better than the guard command. I hate it when my fleets ask me what to do when an enemy ship comes into sensor range, instead of just sitting there waiting for an attack that might never happen.
#2 Minimun planet class:
With the expansion, you can now colonize planets that you normally could not. Since you now have this improved colonizing technologies, shouldn't you be able use these techs to raise the quality of any planet you own to a minimun level? Wouldn't it be nice to be able to be able to do something with that class 1 that was all but blown to bits by constant invassion.
A solution:
-How about setting a minimun planet quality baised upon the techs you own. This can only be used after normal terra-forming techs have been used, assuming the planet even benefited from them. Much like the existing terra-forming techs (soil enhancement, habitat improvement, and terraforming), you gain additional tiles that can be used to upgrade a planet to this minimum.
Thank you for any time spent considering these ideas.