Maby you can made a menu where you can design the species and where u can chose the ethics. Than maybe a mode for the Observation-station with that you can push the specis in the next stage of civilization, like from Stone Age to Bronze Age, not like Technological Enlightenment where you push them into FTL stage. This all would be cool, but I don't know if it is possible, so do what you can and it gave you mabe some ideas. (Sorry for my bad English)

SeaFighter, the second idea is already included in this mod. But thanks.

*Life Cleansing* - think 'Black Goo' from Prometheua
Sure you can colonize a world with pre or primitive life and then set to eradicate it.
But now you can do it from orbit without setting foot BUT WHY need to?
Because your cleansing agent should do the job and remove all life BUT has a small chance to create a Xenomorph homeworld instead.
The Homeworld will have tough xenomorph troops that need to be invaded, all the while nearby worlds of any empire will continually recieve ground invasions (similar to the Terraforming event), until the Homeworld is conquered... but they will make more homeworlds as they spread out.

Damn That'd be brutally punishing. Though If it does that, most people just wouldn't do that and do it normally.

I have an idea!

Cybernetic Virus
A cloud of self-replicating nanites is let loose on the planet. They will add cybernetic implants to all organic life within one year (so it's much faster than usual cyborg stuff, and doesn't need an ascendancy perk).
To make it interesting, there is a tiny chance of 2% that this spawns a cybernetic hive mind empire (normal hive mind with random civics, but everybody is cybernetic) on the planet, as the nanites developed sapience.


The players basically get three options:
- don't use it at all, wait for ascendancy instead
(the only option so far, and with no risk)

- use it on one planet, then let them procreate elsewhere and slowly become more
(with the low risk of getting a single planetary hive mind, but low instant usefulness as well)

- use it on all planets at once in the same moment, to upgrade EVERYONE within a year
(very efficient, but if you're particularly unlucky it'll fracture your empire into 30 hive minds that may want to eat everything)

Idea: Xeno Swarms

Description:

A genetically engineered, hive-like swarm that acts as a biological weapon. A seed capsule is placed, which then generates a hive around it, and the hive spawns organic murder machines. This creates a new prethoryn scourge-like empire with the devouring swarm trait, which is used as a weapon of war.

Usage:

Colonize a planet amidst hostile empires, create life engineering facility, develop seed capsule, grow hive, order staff to abandon planet, and watch as the swarm wreaks havoc, while you can raid the worlds which fleets are off to fight the swarm.

Contain/disposal: A special project, or an ethic, that activates a genetic killswitch in the creatures, severely weakening or killing them, when turned on.
You can go in afterwards and reap the rewards.

I think if you were able to chose exactly which portraits you wanted it this mod would be better. For example, When I select fungoids, I could then select the mushrooms portrait to be the new species.

@Seafighter you're right. that's the way you translate the mod