First thing to remember, You cant use your new tech or ship until it is approved and moved into the approved techs board.

New ships or techs are much harder to get approved then upgrades are. Here is a need to know for a new tech:
1) You need to have a basic idea on how your tech works. I will have plenty of questions for you, and you will want to be able to answer those questions.
2) No technology is perfect, if it has one advantage, it has one disadvantage. (IE if it penetrates shields, it either does less damage or fires much slower then normal weaponry)
3) Try not to take things personally. This is a bigger thing then you'd think. My job is to dissect your techs, so be ready for it. All I'm doing is seeing how it can fit into the site.
4) Be open to suggestion. I will make suggestions, and am willing to comprimise. However also be warned that if you refuse to work with me, your technology will not be approved.

Upgrading a technology: This is a bit easier, and knowing the basics of how your technology will help here.
1) You MUST show how your improving your technology. Saying technological improvements for the Faction is nice, but tells me nothing. Saying that your turbolasers are more powerful because your faction respins that tibanna gas into a tighter form, would be good.
2) Upgrades can increase one stat for the weapon. (IE damage, recharge rate)

New ships: Designing new ships is more of an art form. There is no one way to check on how a new ships is to be done. I will tell how I decide on one. First I find the most advanced ship in the factions aresenal. Then I take the stats for the ship, Shield strength. And divide it by the ships length. That will give you a decimal, then i take that number and multiply that by the length of the ship your designing. I do allow for some improvement, so your newer ship will have a different ratio then the old ship. Also I take into consideration beam and height of the ship.

Upgrading ships: Upgrading ships is remarkably easy, you can upgrade three areas of a ship (IE Shields, Armor, Weapons) by ten percent each. Or you can upgrade one area for up to 30%. Later on we will allow more variations, and allow for specialized mods. Simply upgrading the stats like shields, weapons and armor, is called a mark. This is how you'd create a Imperial Star Destroyer X. You'd take the old ISD nine and upgrading your three stats.

If you have any questions on how R&D works, ask Divebomber311!
More to come

Upgrades to come:
Faction Flagship mod
Command Ship mod
Carrier Mod
Offensive Mod
Defensive Mod

Tech Tree: (You dont have to use a tech tree however it does tend to have a slight advantage over just R&Ding a new tech)
Smaller less complicated techs, combined into a more powerfull more complex tech. The more sub-techs, the more complex and powerful the main tech will be. Limit of 5 sub techs. There will be a time limit on how long it takes to research sub techs and techs.

Pros:
1) More complex and powerful systems
2) Enemy faction can't steal your more powerful techs right off, have to get all sub techs first.
Cons:
1) Added time to R&D
2) Sub techs take time as does the End tech.