I have really been enjoying the Yor. I think one of the best things that Stardock can do to make this an impressive game is strong delineation between races giving varying playstyles. With that in mind, I started thinking about the last two races and what kinds of things could really make them stand out. Reading through the forums, I also noticed that there are many players who want a “tall” option. I don’t like the idea of changing the base game to accommodate tall strategy, but having a specific race that builds tall would kill two birds with one stone. Looking that the final two races, I think the Thalan Contingency make the most sense, as a tall civ as it is established that the Inconian home-world is resource-poor and the idea that the Thalans build fewer, more powerful structures. Here are some possibilities for super-abilities for a tall civ:
Consolidated Power:
-10% production on all planets for each planet above 4 (multiplicative so 10 planets would give -47% rather than -60%)
+100% Production in Capital
+100% Food in Capital
+100% influence in Capital
+200% Approval in Capital
+200% Planetary Defense in Capital
Cultural infiltration:
Cannot culture-flip enemy planets
Any other race’s planets in your territory send ½ their production to your capital
Efficient Starbases:
All military, economy, and cultural starbase modules are twice as effective.
I really like the combination of the first two, which can turn your capital into a ridiculous power-house and encourage you to spread your influence without adding to the number of things you have to manage each turn. The third one would also allow you to super-charge your few planets, but I don’t think it's as interesting.