ressources were tasteless in Frontier Elite II (except maybe forbiden ones)
In addition,ressources must not be infinite .
Limited ressource is an engine for exploring,mining,crafting, trading, wars , so bank system developement and research , so politic too (=> taxes models management) !
Ressource should be designed not to be pretty , but to have strategic and logic interest.
For exemple , lack of food in a colony will run riots.
We could have "mathematics ressources" like human development index or something less complex. For exemple , if there is few healthcare in a colony ( ie ratio hospital / inhabitants ) it will give spreading disease and high rate mortality so not any growth.
If there is few high schools on a planet,in this place it doesn't spawn IA or human player as engineer ( only vikings spaceship driver !).
Crafting ressource is also interesting , it gives opportunities to develop strategic technology. If you are working on xenobiology and biotechnology , you may produce
vaccine against CentralDarkHole's Fever ! (lol)
A very big rpg possibilities will be helped this way.
Finally , a little word about Money .
Money is just "something" thought to be very usefull, it's created from...belief !
It would be funny to have several galactic currencies. We could have beside standard gold with fluctuating course , linked to "macro" economy.
When an empire collapse or if an important bank makes a wrong bet (ie financing explorers shotdown by pirates, or helping a falling dictator), it would give HyperInflation.
An enormous wave of rage and terror would sweep across the galaxy !
***
Now , i wonder how developpers could make it stands right and works ...
But it could be great !
