Nomadic Races

[Windborne]

I had an idea earlier today that I'd love to get everyone's oppinion on. To my way of thinking it's odd that the galaxy of space empires IV lacks nomadic races. Why haven't some species left behind their "primitive" planet dwelling existence to move out into space as their natural habitat?

Unable to inhabit planets the nomadic race would initially start out with a great disadvantage. It would start out with a single space station in an astroid belt somewhere deep in the galaxy. From there on it could gain multiple advantages over the many younger races evolving in their sector of the galaxy.

Nomadic play would be based on two key concepts: The inability to colonize planets, and a specialized tech tree that allowed various facilities to built in space.

Advantages:

The nomadic race could build as many facilities as it could support

The nomadic race would be able to move it's people and facilities out of the path of conquerers if need be, defending the fleet rather then stationary planets.

The nomadic race would explore the galaxy faster making more contacts with other species.


Disadvantages:

The nomadic race would depend on remote mining, trade, tribute, and treaties of subjugation for all it's resources

The nomadic race would have a lower population as each ship it built to hold people would have to be supported somehow