I just found out about this place via Wikipedia. I've been playing BOTF since it released, and I still enjoy it. I can't wait to see what you guys put together!

It does sadden me, though, to see my favorite playable empire from BOTF not playable in the new version: The Ferengi.

You can of course always mod them in.

Haha, I found this place through Wikipedia several months ago as well.

As for the Ferengi, they were a pretty decent race in BoTF1. The starships were fun because they had excellent movement ranges (I like mobile fleets more than anything else, but I typically went Federation for the edge in combat ability but still kept excellent mobility, especially with Defiants). The ability to set up trade routes without a friendship treaty was nice too, allowing you to instantly setup trades with minors upon first contact.

But in all honesty, they're not really a major power in canon Star Trek Ferengi don't really care who owns what sector as long as there's still profit to be made, so they got the axe in favor of the Dominion which has an actual interest in subjugating the universe. But the Ferengi minor race will be in the game still and is gaurenteed to have a financial-related ability for it's parent empire.

The Ferengi never really belonged to any of the empires - they seemed to have "acquired" other species for their alliance as well. Didn't the Nausicaans belong to the alliance?

You had Federation for diplomacy (befriend your way to victory), Ferengi for commerce (buy your way to victory), Romulans (sneak/sabotage your way to victory), Klingons (battle your way to victory), and Cardassians (a mix of Klingon & Romulan tactics). It was a nice mix of strategies among the different civilizations.

The Dominion were good at all of the above - the changelings can spy, the Jem'Hadar are fierce warriors, and the Vorta are the negotiators. The only thing missing is commerce, which they didn't seem to care for.

Also, was it required that the number of species be limited to 5? I could easily see the Ferengi, Cardassians, Federation, Romulans, Klingons, Dominion, and Breen all as empirical civilizations...

With Bill Gates retiring to charity work all the fun has been sucked out of his people, the Ferengi. Here is a recent photo of Bill.

I know they're not a minor but would it be possible to put in the Borg as a playable race? One with a very different play style.

Eh, change your ships to borg ships. Go into the stats of each ship and add a 1 (or 9) at the front of each statistic. Change the name of your empire to "Borg" and you're done.

You are now the Borg. Prepare to assimulate the galaxy in under 10 turns.

Or we could make Q a playable. He would show up and turn the Borg into a bowel of petunias.

Do we ever actually find out the Qs feelings towards the Borg?

Don't the Q consider them as mere playthings?

...They do in the fanfics i've read, anyway.

voyager, q to his son q, do not antagonise the borg

See the first Borg episode: Q Who - There is a visit made to the Borg nursery where babies get their first implants. Make it so.