This goes alone with my other posting, but the Empires really need a good fleshing out.
There is no production factory EVER built that did not have a set of scheduled supplies to keep them producing. For every Manufacturer in a system there should be a freighter delivering at least a small (1/4 max capacity) supple of need resources to run. The other 3/4 could be left for player investment. At the reverse side of this there should be a freighter taking finished products away. I think any material above 2/3 or 3/4 max capacity should be loaded on board freighters. This will allow the economies to run smoothly, and give the player resources to buy and sell, as well as adding more pirate targets flying around a system.
Also, if a player builds a factory in a non occupied system, that is within a empires border, freighters should be generated to deliver supplies/ buy finished products at the same levels as above.