I wonder if it will be possible to create scenarios that are different from the standard way of colonizing a random galaxy and working towards a victory condition of your liking.

Example: You start a scenario with already fairly established empires and then just fend of an invasion - so victory would be not to control the galaxy but just to defeat an invading force. So the challenge would be in reorganizing the empire you are given, then ally with the others and organize the defeat of the invaders.

Another example would be that the goal is to build x numbers of starbases or earn a certain amount of money but the map is designed in a way that makes this very hard, for example because there are few good planets or there a many events that are bad for making money.

I think all it would take is a map-editor and some sort of scripting to control the events and victory conditions. In my oppinion this would open up a whole new dimension of gaming experience and community acitivity.