Hideout Defense

[Rince Wind]

They have the tech, but they don't understand it. With the help of the gals records, a couple captured brainers and their lab equipment they just might. And the Star Gods themselves might want to find out where it went wrong that some people could become a major threat to warships and who might have helped them. Which could lead to them taking a closer look at Academy research, something the Academy sure wouldn't like, because who know if they would manage to shift all the blame to Dr.X.

[Martin]

They have the tech, but they don't understand it.

I suppose they do know how most of the stuff works, they need to maintain it themselves. Also, Technocracy is doing some prety groundbreaking research even by Star God standards (while they most likely inherited most od their dimensional stuff from Cyberweb and zombie stuff from M.A.G.N.A., the technomancer is likely of their own design) and Humanists seem to be behind Kruger and Magneto-plasma rifle, so it is not like nobody is doing research either. Perhaps after the UAC debacle, Star Gods decided that humans should stay the hell away form R&D.

[legionof1]

They have the tech, but they don't understand it. With the help of the gals records, a couple captured brainers and their lab equipment they just might. And the Star Gods themselves might want to find out where it went wrong that some people could become a major threat to warships and who might have helped them. Which could lead to them taking a closer look at Academy research, something the Academy sure wouldn't like, because who know if they would manage to shift all the blame to Dr.X.

Well perhaps not the doctor she's relatively minor scale, while improving the uber strain of mutants was part of her work it dosen't seem like she got very far on her own. Doctor X may have provided the opportunity, but the real nefarious actors from the stargod point of view are more likely to be the shadowmasters and the well wisher. The shadowmasters being the ones supplying the cloaking tech and various other toys to opponents of the stargods.

The well wisher is however the real prize to be had for the SGs. This person seems to be the one to orchestrate the whole thing, they knew about doctor Xs research which was quasi secret even from the academy leadership. They knew about old earth secret bases. They aided the initial brainers in there escape, with presumably a one of a kind vessel. And there is some evidence they are the one to send the ships of love, implying impressive material resources, and tech unknown to the SG.

[Abyss]

Ok. That's obvious from the story. The motives for the assaults and not nuking the Hideout are somewhat clear.
What is not understood:
- why would spartans, raiders, humanists etc. assault the Hideout with Plasma weapons, including the high-tier ones?
- could there be some sort of intermediate (native weapons) and very difficult scenarios as well (armored units only)? Why would Guild representatives (and other non-fighters) break into the hideout with the squad?
- it'll be nice if some units were able/forced to destroy the keytiles, as only the Extractors were destroyed a couple of times, not intended, with a reaction fire of Plasma Scorchers in many-many crackdowns. 

[Rince Wind]

Raider subcontracting explains plasma wielding raiders. And I doubt the factions make much of a difference between raiders and the other raffle.

[Martin]

Engine limitations. When you trigger a retaliation by shooting down a ship, the searching ships and assault party use the same faction and thus the same crew composition and for this reason you end up with hostersses and altar boys being send to the slaughterhouse. Or at least that is what I think is the reason.

[Solarius Scorch]

Engine limitations. When you trigger a retaliation by shooting down a ship, the searching ships and assault party use the same faction and thus the same crew composition and for this reason you end up with hostersses and altar boys being send to the slaughterhouse. Or at least that is what I think is the reason.

Yes, you are right, but this can be overridden by ruleset. That's why Nurses have different weapons in base assault.

[Abyss]

Engine limitations... []

Retailation crew composition is defined by the modder via putting node ranks for the units spawned.
Binding to the player's progres may be done via research of certain tech, doing some sort of mission (e.g. base assault), shooting down the certain vessel and some other actions (hopefully).