I mostly play this on my laptop in a desolate location with no internet, so bad ideas tend to build up in my head before I return to civilization. I'll helpfully categorize them so you can ignore/mock them more conveniently.
WEAPONS
Primitive Sling - a simple leather strap for hurling rocks. Infinite ammo (you're just picking up rocks) throwing weapon which doesn't require much in the way of research or strength. Thematic for Peltast armored Slaves. Probably a free research with Primitive Weapons.
Bola - consumable throwing weapon with low health/stun damage but a significant reaction disrupt that largely ignores armor. Helpful for getting into stun range of that overwatching osiron or guilder whose armor makes them immune to other options. Gated behind primitive weapons.
Buffalo Rifle - Heavy levergun that fires Ol' Magnum rounds with a bit more range and accuracy. Obtained from bandits.
Auto-Crossbow - A crossbow modified with a compressed air system reload after every shot. Quicker snapshots without the energy cost of the basic crossbow, and the capacity for limited autofire. However, the added weight makes aimed shots significantly more difficult. Gated behind Steam Power and Ballistics.
Bullwhip - Ranged melee snapshot weapon with TU disrupt. Like the other whip but longer ranged. Can't be crafted or bought, only found in Archeology Dig sites. (obvious Indiana Jones reference)
ARMORS
Master Blaster Lokk'Nar Armor - Actually just a trained Humongous Raider with a little blue gal perched on his shoulders. Bonus strength and survivability (and maybe that healing mechanic that Hyena mounts get) but can't go in tunnel missions.
TRAININGS & TRANSFORMATIONS
Top Gun School - Dedicated training for dedicated pilots. Increases relevant piloting stats by a lot, but gals sent to piloting school now refuse to take off their aviator shades and therefore have massively reduced battlescape vision range.
Nerve Stapling - A targeted lobotomy which reduces a human's psychic signature and makes them harder to affect psionically. Ignore the drooling and unfocused eyes. Perfectly humane, which is why we only do it to Slaves. (++psi strength ++bravery --freshness --reactions)
Idol Training - a merchandising deal with the Goblin Zax bankers means that we can finally start cashing in on our Gal's fame (or infamy). With a large investment of Glamour, we can set a gals salary into the negatives, meaning she'll earn us a hefty paycheck monthly instead of costing us one. Only works with experienced gals that have seen enough action to build up some fame.
AMMO TYPES
Assault Cannon Grapeshot - Really just a handful of musket balls stuffed down the barrel of a cannon. Why didn't we think of this before?
Grenade Launcher Buckshot & Beanbag Shells - These are both real things.
Recoiless Rifle Casaba Derringer Shells - Most of a Hellerium Grenade sealed in a plastasteel shell with a pinhole at one end to direct the blast. Turns a recoiless rifle into a single shot plasma cannon. Expensive and heavy, but devastating to a single target.
Tazer Arrows - a higher tech solution to stun arrows kinda sucking.
MISSIONS
Cage Match! - Underground fighting rings host deathmatches for fame and fabulous prizes. You cannot bring any weapons on these missions, and no real armor either (anything that looks like it would fit as a wrestling costume is allowed). One Gal is locked in an arena with her opponent, with various random low-tier melee weapons scattered around the arena (Any extra hands will spawn in the stands with the audience). Your opponent could be pretty much anything the fight organizers could realistically corral into the ring. Chrysalids, werewolves, two dozen dogs, etc.
Pirate Cruise! - A luxury cruiseline has approached us with a deal: wealthy, jaded investors want to experience the thrill of being robbed and captured by real live pirates! The passengers get the thrill of a lifetime, we get the loot and prisoners and the cruiseline gets to commit insurance fraud. Everybody wins! Except maybe it's a double cross: even chance of a cruise ship full of unarmed civilians who surrender turn one like the aircar race missions or a megapol sting squad or maybe those rich investors wanted the thrill of pirate *hunting* and showed up armed.
QUALITY OF LIFE/MISC
Another spitball idea. Is it possible to give come creatures/support units the ability to eat downed units for health/energy? Manacles can already effect downed units, spending TU's to increase their stun (or something, I actually never use them), so giving, say, a werewolf a built in "Devour" which costs most of his TU's but restores some health and a lot of energy by dealing damage to the unit below you? I'd originally thought of doing this for Hyena Riders but 2x2 units are so damn finicky when it comes to floor items. Actually, the best way to do this would probably be a one tile, autoshot, flurry attack with a low CQC accuracy that heals/restores energy as a percentage of damage dealt. I know some weapons already have a lifesteal mechanic.
I'd also like to have a talk about the 25mm cannon in the battlescape. I feel like the niches filled by the 25, both as a gun for the armored car and the bandit field gun version would make more sense for the 50mm cannon instead. The significant AoE radius seems a bit large for the calibre and rate of fire, and the field gun version feels weird because a gun-carriage 25mm is just... I don't want to say heresy, but why. Also begging for the field gun reaction fire to be nerfed because jesus christ, the guy pedalling that thing 360 degrees to no-scope the gal that just spent her TU's throwing a molotov (as well as everyone unfortunate enough to be hiding behind the same wall) must be a gene spliced mutant hybrid of Lance Armstrong and the average Korean starcraft player.
Finally, a construction project that can "mothball" a craft, turning it into a warehouse item (and back, presumably) that allows you to swap which craft is occupying a hangar in exchange for storage space would be a real boon in the early game, especially now that we're jugging so many neat new early game craft with a limited amount of hangar space.
