Finally got around to reading about the tech progression.
Looks like I'll get quite the burst of progress. It looks like a miscalculated, though; getting a bunch of everything, nice as that is, doesn't really help you much, does it?
Oh, and a question: The TH and FWL both spent 5B on "Strengthening", yet the TH got 5 rolls and the FWL 4? I assume you just forgot one of the numbers? Going by those present, probably another 10.
Regarding the progression: Are AC/10s actually good for anything? It seems to me they are just weaker, heavier, shorter ranged LRMs. I suppose they have utility on the ground level, but I doubt our abstraction allows that to matter.
DropShips are hard shells, and can store things inside no matter where they may be at the time.
Sorry, I meant you can't
load it while it's in cargo.
Edit: Just looked at it again. Damn, I was so close to LF Batteries.
Light NGauss have the longest range of any capital weapon. Medium NGauss are the only extreme range kinetic weapon (useful for high speed engagements) and since they are comparable to HNPPC in damage efficiency they are a reasonable choice. Maybe the Heavy NGauss needs something, but 1 lemon in a series isn't that bad.
Well, what is it? The light uses no brackets but the others do?
Actually, that might be preferable, in the long run. Say, an extreme range cap that is the longer of the bracket and the actual range. That said, I don't think a 2 hex advantage on the LG compared to an nppc is that great. Speaking of which, there's also no real reason to mount smaller nppcs.
Edit2: As I now seem to have a larger budget than expected, I might need to reconsider a bit. Tech's already been rolled, so I can't add to that, though I probably wouldn't have, anyways.
I was planning to put pressurized bays on the Heracles, but now I wonder: It is a combat design first and foremost, and a pressurized bay sounds like a bulky affair. Meanwhile, the unpressurized version is just meant as a foldable scaffolding. It probably won't hold up to fighter attack, but it doesn't weaken the ship, either. What do you think is the more sensible choice here?
I do have the money to pay an extra 200m per ship on them.
May I suggest a fractional bonus modifier to combat performance for ground units fighting against other ground units with inferior technology? That would give meaning to those otherwise not very space-significant technologies.
Also, maybe introduce a "near miss" on research? Say, for every 4 rolled, raise the chance of the first tech in that line proliferating by 8%, for the next 2 turns or until it actually happens/is researched? Fluff being that it's sure easier to reverse engineer if you already spent 2B to get it.
We do need more gradual techs, though. Maybe a partial development, that allows you to buy it next turn for 1B. Generally more things to be discovered. While it works so far, chances are tech has two tactics. Ignore it and mostly rely on spread, or push large sums into it and fill out half the tree in 5 turns. After all, tech doesn't cost maintenance.