An idea for low orbit refits

[Chasm]

Humans begin the game with low orbit refits. Humans can build colony ships without the benefit of a space station construction yard (the only race that can). Could if be justified then that the discovery of low orbit refits allows the race discovering it to be able to build colony ships without a shipyard? And perhaps the phidi could build their startup transport and troopship without them as well? And by the same token, why can you build and outpost ship without a shipyard, but not a colony ship . Should not outpost ships need orbital construction too (until low orbit refits)?

[Arioch]

Humans begin the game with low orbit refits. Humans can build colony ships without the benefit of a space station construction yard (the only race that can). Could if be justified then that the discovery of low orbit refits allows the race discovering it to be able to build colony ships without a shipyard?

I'm not sure why Humans can build colony ships without space stations, but I don't think it has anything to do with the Low Orbit Refit tech. The reason for having orbital infrastructure as a requirement for building larger ships is so that the player has to invest in infrastructure in order to make planets into production powerhouses. Having techs that allow the player to ignore this requirement would be counter-productive and make orbital infrastructure irrelevant.

And perhaps the phidi could build their startup transport and troopship without them as well?

The Phidi have special issues related to their multipurpose hulls that we need to work out. They're unplayable right now for a reason.

And by the same token, why can you build and outpost ship without a shipyard, but not a colony ship . Should not outpost ships need orbital construction too (until low orbit refits)?

An outpost ship is just a transport with a special module on it. It follows transport rules, rather than colony ship rules.

[Chasm]

Should humans then need an orbital to build colony ships then? And is their light cruiser supposed to need one (it is the only race that requires this). Or was this an accidental flip?