The point system would separate the HQ level from the number of bases - instead you would get “points” that you would then spend toward making bases. A base at Montem (triple green system, CX location, etc) might cost you 100 points. But if you settle on YI-265j (for example) - you would get discounts because the base is (A) away from anywhere (it is over 24 hours from Montem) and (B) is needs both INS and SEA and (C) I was the first one to settle it - so maybe the points for that base are only 50.
The general point of the idea is that as a player climbs the HQ levels they are faced with a continuous tradeoff - because the points get more and more expensive is one base on Montem worth two bases out in the “sticks” - it creates an incentive for those players to move their bases from heavily populated systems and out to settle new planets. (There are lots of other possibilities for both awarding points as well as how much a base costs - maybe you can make micro-bases (ie 100 space) if a planet has the one material you really need (ie F, NE, etc) but you don’t want an entire base down there) or you can scale it bigger without the huge penalty of today (first permit is 475, second permit is 250 space)
We could add “matching COGC” to a list of bonuses - although if you settle a new planet you wouldn’t get that, but would get the “first on planet” bonus instead. (That bonus is because settling new planets is a pain in the butt - and this helps encourage more of that).
Also, I get what AGM-114 is getting at with the “margins” - basically my proposal does not change how much it “costs” a player to make an item, but gives them a different incentive - one that does scale with size (a starting player won’t be much interested in it). In effect this allows them to make MORE of the corresponding item but without changing the price structure. Ie what AGM-114 is trying to avoid is that with specialization bonuses a player who specializes in Metallurgy making AL at 500 NCC per item versus an different player with a different specialization who tries to make AL and can only make it at 1,000 NCC per item (I am exaggerating here - but I think you get my point).
Now to counter my own point - production bonuses don’t change the cost of the inputs - and for most of my calculations (outside of really crazy goods) the largest input cost is the input goods and not the “consumable-time” thus I don’t think even heavy specialization bonuses would tip the scale that far - but I think a blended approach where we have multiple small(er) bonuses will give the players the most flexibility in choosing how to run their empire.