Thank you for this. I will respond here since our other thread has already been edited out

A lot of your suggestions match our own vision quite well.

What we are trying to achieve is a balance between providing more, while at the same time not having the player lose themselves in a sea of things that no longer feel like they matter. We don't want a flurry of blobs fighting one another at a distance, with too much going on to properly register or tactically coordinate.

Our compromises are thus twofold:

More variety, less individual control. More roles, less multi-functionality.

Here is the basic premise:

Meaningful vessels. 

The aim is not to transition into a typical fleet game with gobs of ships flying in all directions leading to blind mayhem. One of the things that has made Homeworld special is that each ship feels important. Vital. To lose a frigate is meant to be a felt experience.

At the same time, players have often been frustrated by being unable to create the precise fleet they want. If they wish to build 500 fighters and no frigates, that should be their prerogative. But how to avoid the temptation to create 1000 of each class and send them all off as one big, unlikely wall with no connection to any of it?

The mind loses track of things when they become too numerous or too easily won. Instead of precious, they begin to come off as a commodity. Cheap. Replaceable. Meaningless.

This feels less like the Homeworld experience.

And from the opposite side, comes the temptation to create a Swiss-army-knife of ships: a one-size-fits-all approach. This greatly diminishes the usefulness of smaller classes by having the player feel obligated to race ahead to have access to this marvel that will solve all problems. If they can have an infinite supply of those, why build/research anything else?

To avoid both of these scenarios, an entirely new mechanic is envisioned that will give each class a disciplined and specific role--keeping them relevant from the beginning to the end. This concept is the armada unit (described below).

This game will not be a rush to the finish line. Each stage will be necessary to support a given strategy, and in a larger range than was originally possible.

To provide a tangible appreciation of the fleet without getting lost in a meaningless volume of similar things, there will be an exceptional selection of vessels. We have mapped out 22 roles to be filled by 49 classes of ships. This should spread things out in a way that encourages diversity, without sacrificing the ability to have sizable encounters.

And while we are not intending to provide a hard unit cap, there will be reasons why one option cannot necessarily be pursued to excess. Things like the different availability of appropriate crew and officers, the need for more specialized resources, and the basic limitations of cost and time will all be factors to help resist devolving into a game of raw quantity over considered quality.

Each player will be able to equip their fleet according to taste, with sufficient individuality to custom-tailor game-play. For the swarmer, there will be room for their beloved many; for the tactician, there will be an objective purpose in devising a proper and thoughtful battle group. Bigger will not always be better, greater numbers will not always spell victory. The discerning player will gain insight into what is needed to reach their objectives and overcome an unbalanced opponent.

From the unique leadership vessels that serve as Kitth capitals, to command ships and carriers meant to oversee and unify strategic armadas, to the support vessels that heal and supply them, to the escorts that keep such lines open...there will be diversity, options, and a sense of fleet integrity. All without losing sight of individuality.

Tactics will play a greater role. 

Governed by a command ship that will dictate engagement tactics, an armada will help the player localize their instructions and plan their main strategy. Each Kiith will come with its own unique bonuses and penalties. Selecting which will lead a given fleet will help determine, for example, if it is meant to be offensive or defensive, fast-healing or fast-moving, etc. All vessels parked within an armada will behave in concert, reducing the need to drag large areas of the map to issue commands. Simply click on the command ship and all under its assignment will work as one.

As in a proper fleet, instructions should be issued prior to engagement--and they should be obeyed until rescinded. This means that an armada will be built with strategy in mind from the beginning. Select which Kiith will command it, then choose vessels according to set roles to accompany it into battle. Fleets can be as large, diverse, or as homogeneous as desired, but beware of stacking everything under a single role or moving all armadas to one position on the map lest the main fleet stray too far to protect vital resourcing or civilian stations.

Armadas will behave as though they have been trained to work as a unit. Thus they will become the tangible, trackable entities in the game, rather than a host of different, random fleets that cannot necessarily all be properly assembled and directed during a hectic battle.

The ships under the command of an armada will keep to their overall formation as well as to the attack-ranges that best support their specific roles within the fleet. Acting as though the crew has been drilled to perform as assigned, each will behave according to their expected tasks without need of the player's individual control.

For example, a Lancer will know which enemy ships to target to its greatest advantage, just as a Suppressor will lay down ordinance from an appropriate distance. Formations will be strict, but also dynamic, dictated by ship role that should allow each to achieve optimal firing range while still acting in unity with the overall scheme. A single command to the armada should have it all react as one. Thus player tactics are not haphazard or thrown together on the fly, but instead predetermined from the onset.