This mod is seriously one of the best games I've ever tried. I am loving everything, the scope, the endless variety, the pulp sci-fi world.
Now a few random suggestions:
- Overly frustrating research gates. The 'implosion bomb launcher -> gravity physics' issue is mentioned above (am only just getting to that point in my playthrough; my plan to get around that is making two 4-hangar bases and ambushing a battleship with an expendable airspeeder swarm before sending in my main force). But there's also the nonsensical requirement to get 'Chainsaw Good' from a RAIDER for 'Basic Engineering' (at least in .F5), and I got no raiders at all within the first year. Actually had to buy a raider boss prisoner for that. How is that necessary? It's just chainsaws! At least make them possible to get from laborers and Guild people.
- As said above, maybe some tweaks to AI, namely making it less eager to shoot point-blank in light of the CQC shooting change. Also nerfing indirect fire a little, if AI can't exploit that + if it'd be too powerful in enemy hands.
- A random idea for an auxiliary unit/tank, for both the player and the enemy: something heavily armored but with an exposed weapon system on the front. It could be extremely strong when shooting and then turning its rear plate, but would naturally be very vulnerable to reaction shots. (Limit the weapon's range to make that more of a factor.)
- Perhaps more 'faction deals'/diplomacy research; that's very fun. An alliance with the Raiders, making the governments mad. A possibility to double-cross the Eurosyndicate (proposed by the governments or the mutants) and attack their headquarters. Contacting a disgruntled Osiron commander and protecting him while he hijacks an Academy ship and defects. For the endgame of the bounty hunt system, getting a contract for an infamous smuggler captain, freezing him in a stasis pod and delivering him to a mutant leader (hehehe, yes),... then mediating their feud and getting the smuggler's buddies to ally with your network.
- Better mop-up tools for zero-risk missions that you still feel like losing out for ignoring. Say, an armor that's *extremely* vulnerable but has penetrating AoE morale-nuking attacks (loudspeakers? war drums?) to get very weak enemies to surrender quickly instead of going through every apartment/room on a map. Or something like that. (i know the TK projector kind of works, but would like to see more tools for faster mop-up maybe)
- Variants of existing power armor with hardwired systems; perhaps one suit with both hands taken, and several with one hand free. That would be closer to what I feel such ultra-heavy gear might be like; fewer situations with putting a huge cannon away and wielding a feather-light carbine. Perhaps make those hardwired systems somewhat unique, like a stunning + obscuring ion smoke launcher, or a spore-launching symbiont that stuns but heals like the Stasis Grenade, or a very inaccurate micro-rocket cannon. Tons of possibilities!