I think the true miracle of 0.5 is the new scaler. It really makes the game fun to play, full screen, on a modern system. Very Cool.

Funny, I haven't noticed a huge improvement.  The BIADV option gives me the best results... for example, the Earthling cruiser chassis looks blocky in HQ, but smooth in BIADV.

Something that hasn't been mentioned yet...

How about abandoning the 1 on 1 limitation?  I personally would LOVE to see how some of these ships might fight in combinations or swarms.

Would require a REALLY good tactical AI... and good macromanagement tools.  Also, I'd like to see this as an addition rather than a substitution... so that the 1-on-1 fans will still be happy.