Starbase Suggestion:

[Sorry if this has been suggested already, but there is no search function on this forum.]

With the exception of resources, allow for the creation of starbases *ONLY* in the orbit of a colonized system.

BENEFITS:

1) Capturing resources would have much greater strategic value;

2) You'd be limited in the number of starbases you could build, which would help limit the 'effects of scale' currently somewhat easily done by building bases ad-naseum;

3) The AI would be much more likely to target these starbases around your system as opposed to 'not seeing' the mega bases tucked in the corner of a sector giving your defenders massive ability to survive wave after wave of attack. This, in turn, would give much more strategic emphasis to defending the space *around* your systems;

4) This would encourage colonizing otherwise 'worthless' systems thereby lending more strategic use of the map;

5) This would encourage building up your fewer starbases to maximum in a number of categories rather than having dedicated culture ones (for example) simply 'culture bombing' other sectors.

6) You could no longer 'push' starbases. You could only put them in a new sector once you've colonized a system there, lending more emphasis to actually using your military/colony ships.

7) This increased focus on colonizing more planets would help address some of the morale challenges of overcrowded planets and give you reason to keep trying to expand throughout the game.

8) Finally, as a potential side benefit, since the starbases would be in orbit of your systems, it would be much quicker to update the starbases with constructor ships (assuming the constructor isn't going to another orbit at some point, as it certainly will with later start-ups). This might help improve the pacing and decrease some of the micro-management associated with nearly endless constructor production and starbase updates.