Build research-specific science facilities, maybe stay with the old troops-installations-ships thing, and let characters with various science values (a numeric value for EVERY character, not just a few chosen ones, although a low one for the not so gifted) research your stuff there. I thought it might be possible to create variants of ship designs, replacing existing systems with new ones, basic MechWarrior style, creating odd ships like the Night Caller, but that may just be a little too much micromanagement. I imagined this would be good for a game where you played the part of just one Moff/Fleet Commander/Squadron Commander, not for a large-scale game like Rebellion. EDIT: I use Decipher as a source, too, but the pics are just a bit too small. Also, they're not a god source for Expanded Universe.