Another double post, but this is another actual update.
Quote:
Building Mechanics
Standard Catan Contains:
• 15 roads
• 5 Settlements
• 4 Cities (total 13 points in production buildings, and a total construction cost 5*4 + 4 * (4 + 5) = 56 resources, plus road costs)
and:
• 14 Soldiers, 5 VP, 2 road building, 2 monopoly, 2 year of plenty (.56, .2, .24 of the deck, respectively)
• Longest Road (2 points)
• Largest Army (2 points)
• Tiles: 3 Hills, 3 Mountains, 4 Fields, 4 Woods, 4 Pasture, 1 Desert
• Ports: 4 3:1, 1 of each resource, total 9
• 19 of each resource
Target Score: 10
non-Race Specific Building Info for SoK:
• 20 Soldiers, 7 VP, 4 monopoly, 4 year of plenty (.57, .2, .23 of the deck, respectively). These still cost 3 resources each.
• 5 Research cards for each race. These cost 5 resources each.
Largest Army (2 points)
• Tiles: 3 Ore Fields, 3 Geysers, 4 Farmlands, 4 Bogs, 4 Deserts, 1 Argus Prison
Ports: 4 3:1, 1 of each resource specific 2:1, total 9
• 30 of each resource (6 of each of which go in the reserve pile, a mechanic I'm borrowing from Starfarers)
• As always, all production structures must be separated by at least 2 edges.
Target Score: 15
SoK Resource/Tile Naming:
• Hills/Bricks (B) -> Geysers/Vespene Gas (V)
• Mountains/Ore (O) -> Ore Fields/Metallic Ore (O)
• Fields/Grain (G) -> Farmland/Food (F)
• Woods/Lumber (W) -> Bog/Carbon (C)
• Pasture/Wool (S) -> Desert/Silicon (S)
• Desert/None -> Void Chasm/None
Development Cards:
1V/1S/1F each.
Zerg:
Numerous and relentless, the Swarm expands quickly. Creep tumors can be built more quickly than roads. However Zerg players have no upgrades available for their Hatcheries, and must completely infest a hex in order to receive an economic boost: a hex which is surrounded by 3 Hatcheries produces 4 resources and provides an additional victory point.
• 1 Hatchery available, 0 points, production multiplier of 1. May only be constructed once.
• 1 Lair - 1 point, production multiplier of 2. 5 resource (1F/1S/3V) upgrade from Hatchery. May only be constructed once.
• 1 Hive - 2 points, production multiplier of 3. 6 resource (2F/2C/2O) upgrade from Lair.
• 8 Nydus Worms, for 3 resources each. Nydus worms subtract 1 unit of production (after multipliers).
• 22 creep highways, 3 resources each. (2F/1C) Creep segments which are separated from a hatchery/lair/hive or nydus worm by enemy building die immediately (however they may be rebuilt elsewhere). 1 half point each.
• 13 points available from buildings, for a cost bracket of [25,39] + 11 resources = [36,50] resources, plus rebuilding costs.
• Begin with 1 Hatchery and 9 creep highway
Protoss:
Ancient and powerful, Protoss structures are expensive, but provide many benefits. Pylons may be placed at any intersection, and need not be connected to the existing Protoss power grid, however each Nexus must be constructed within 1 edge of a Pylon. Nexuses may be upgraded twice for a total of three tiers of production buildings.
• 3 Nexuses, for 4 resources (10/1F/1C/1S) each (and 1 point/1 production).
• 2 Temples, as a 4 resource (2V/1C/1S) upgrade from a Nexus (2 points/2 production)
• 2 Ziggurats, as a 5 resource (2V/2O/1S) upgrade from a Temple (3 points/3 production) (total 13 points in production buildings, and a total construction cost of 3*4 + 2*(4+4) + 2*(4+4+5) - 8 for startup = 46 resources plus pylon costs)
• 10 Pylons, for 4 resources (1O/1V/2C) each.
• Begin with 2 Pylons and 2 Nexuses.
Terran:
Resourceful and inventive, Terrans are the most like classic Catanian settlers. Your settlements are now "Command Centers". They may be upgraded into either an Orbital Command, which receives extra resources, or a Planetry Fortress, which can harvest even from those hexes which are afflicted by a Hybrid*.
• 5 Command Centers, for 4 resources (1O/1F/1C/1S) each (and 1 point/1 production)
• 4 Orbital Commands, as a 5 resource (2S/1C/2V) upgrade from a Nexus (2 points/2 production)
• 4 Planetary Fortresses, as a 5 resource (3O/2C) upgrade from a Nexus (2 points/1 production, allows all of owners production buildings on neighboring hexes to harvest from those hexes even when afflicted by a Hybrid*)
• May not have more than 4 total Orbital Commands and Planetary Fortresses. (total 13 points in production buildings, and a total construction cost 5*4 + 4 * (4 + 5) - 8 for startup = 48 resources, plus road costs)
• 15 Roads, for 2 resources (1O/1C) each.
• Begin with 2 Roads and 2 Command Centers
Upgrade Mechanics:
Intro
In addition to the usual set of generic development cards, each players of each race have the option to invest in specific research to benefit their race. Tier 1 tech costs 3 resources (1V/1S/1F). Tier 2 tech costs 4 resources (1C/1S/2O). Tier 3 tech costs 5 resources (1C/2S/2V). A player must always have at least as many Tier 1 technologies researched as Tier 2, and more Tier 2 technologies researched than Tier 3.
P - (Goal: Increase resource efficiency)
• T1: Hardened Shields - Only discard 1/3 of resources (rounded down), beginning at 9 cards, when 7 is rolled.
• T1: Warp-in Resources - If no resources were received this turn, draw 1 resource of your choice.
• T2: Guardian Shield - Hybrid*-afflicted tiles only lose 1 unit of production, rather than all production.
• T2: Khaydarin Amulet - Protoss player may play soldier development cards on the turn they are received, and between the end of any player's turn and the following dice roll
• T3: Transmutation - Protoss player have the option to exchange all resources at rates of 3:2 and 2:1 (exchanged sets must still be matching).
T - (Goal: Increase Flexibility)
• T1: Raiding Party - May take a resource from any player on non-7 rolls when no resources are otherwise received.
• T1: Stim Pack - All development cards may be played on the turn they are received, and up to two development cards may be played in a turn.
• T2: Lift-off - May relocate Orbital Commands and Command Centers within your existing road-network at a cost of 1 Vespene resource per relocated structure (during building phase).
• T2: Lock-Down - May prevent building on a specified intersection at a cost of 2 resources (1V/1F) for 1 full cycle of turns (during building phase).
• T3: Modular Nanosteel - May bypass the spacing restrictions between Terran production buildings. Terran buildings may now be placed on up to 3 consecutive intersections.
Z - (Goal: Increase Production)
• T1: Brood Synergy - increase infested tile resource production (+1 per hex, after multipliers)
• T1: Assimilate Natives - increase biological resource production (+1 per hex, after multipliers)
• T2: Chitinous Plating - Each Zerg soldier development card contributes an extra 3rd towards largest army
• T2: Tunneling Jaws - Nydus worms can be constructed off creep.
• T3: Metabolic Boost - Creep tumors now cost only 1 resource (1F).
*The traditional "Robber" is being replaced by a terrifying Protoss/Zerg Hybrid monstrosity.
The only thing I'm really concerned about is that Zerg isn't going to be well balanced against the other two with it's particularly unique building mechanics, but at least in my mind it feels like there are reasonable tradeoffs and decisions to be made for all 3 races.
Any thoughts? 
Gimme a minute.
