But yeah, if someone that knows the graphical end (IE: Converting the models to whatever format A2 uses) could convert the stuff for me, I'd be more than willing to attempt this. If I faild, I'd still upload what I HAD done for someone else to finish.
Way I see it is most stations would all be the same, most stuff is pre-fabricated and mostly identical anyway, so to an extent station types would generaly be the same, especily as this is a RTS lacking in maps mimicing disco systems, so stations could very easily be generic all around, that'd make a big part of this a lot easier so the focus could be on the ships.
Playable Factions:
PRIMARY to put ingame
Liberty
Bretonia
Rhinland
Kusari
I'd start with the 4 vanilla houses just to see if it's doable, proably doing a beta with just Liberty/Rhinland
Once that's done, a borderworlds expansion
Zoner
Outcast
Corsair
House Pirates
Junkers
IMG
Indie Pirates ( theyd use basic techs, nothing too big, rely on capturing stuff from the other player/AI. Basicly, they would be VERY hard to play as due to this)
Nomads
House Pirat factions
Past that, as I go, mostly as a 'for fun to keep it intersting' type thing I'd proably all thruout the proces add in various player chars if they're unique enough to warrant it, as hero units. Zoners would get Med Force One (prehaps make it also be a repair ship in honor of it's medical facilties) and as a shameless plug I'd proably add my Zoner Argus as a capital ship grade scout (since its an exploration ship. And besides, I'm making it.... of COURSE I'd go and add my own char:P)
For the housesI'd proably ask the lawfuls for a handful of notable chars to add (IE: Hale's Dreadnought as a hero ship and various fleet commander char's with their flagships, possibly also with custom loadouts)
Prehaps even add Mon'star's ship to the pirate faction (IE: attacks all sides) for random placement on maps.
As for how to handle ships with alt loadouts.... it IS possible to setup a ship and pick its loadout, it's been done in the fleet ops mod for borg ships to an extent, but to keep it simple, I'd proably just have various setups avalible for caps with a few differnt loadouts. For caps anyway. For snubcraft, I'll proably just go with factional guns/debs.
The main differnce of course would be that bombers would not be over powerd pwn sticks, even if I copy all identical stats for everything, as due to the way the engine works missles pretty much always hit unless you out run them and they die, so if a cap has a missle.... bombers raped (tho I suppose a player controling a few bombers could still take down AI caps w/o too much hassle, tho there would still be losses).