Source? 2010 Census?

Also during the transition period as a country begins to industrialize it's use of resources is when the fastest population growth happens as due to access to more resources (medical, food, and energy) more children reach child bearing age and themselves then have the ability to support more children. So it's a case of people doing what they were doing before but with suddenly children surviving and being able to have families of their own. With industrialization essentially the carrying capacity of the environment has been raised to support more people. As the changes peter out, the population again nears the carrying capacity and people adjust to have children later to increase the investment in fewer children rather than having more children with less investment in each one. Because with an industrialized society a child has a much higher probability of simply surviving and how well it thrives is a function of whether or not the parents are capable of supporting it. The best strategy changes.

*Only a handful of alien species. ie. quality > quantity.
*Interesting and well thought out alien design - what could aliens really be like? Is it really all that likely (or interesting) that the majority of alien races are humanoids with different colour skin?
*Perhaps even a non-human(oid) main protagonist.
*A focus on exploration/dialogue/puzzles etc... XP should be given out for these activities and not just combat
*When there is combat, preferably, it should be turn-based and thought-provoking.
*A detailed character creator.
*A consistent and engaging scenario/story.
*As little backtracking as possible.
*Thought-provoking inventory management/upgrades.

Wait, I assume we are just talking about stuff set in space?

With exception of ME/ME2 & stuff like Space Hack (Space Siege was shite) there really hasnt been much in way of space related rpgs (good ones) on pc has there? (older games like Starflight on C64 etc). How about some making a Baldur's Gate like game set in space or something like that?.

Star Trek: Bridge Commander with some really robust voice command support.
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Ideally, I'd like to be on a pioneering spaceship taken over by a malevolent A.I. named Sh,,, wait...

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I'd like to see some serious Zero-G in my scifirpg. How about a stat specifically controlling your ability to maneuver in weightless space? Some Condemned-style melee on a derelict space freighter or a mission to retake a damaged space station from some intergalactic pirates? More Zero-G!

And less sound in space.

Something Earth-centered, which shows the American gov't + Military Industrial Complex continually for the past 70yrs being the true bad guys; how our planet's best technology in 2011 - both public and various 1st world country's black programs - are nothing but a spec of dust compared to the degree of UFO's advanced systems; and how generally our planet's population isn't yet near the spiritual or social requirements needed to catch better glimpses of what's beyond the veil.

And better Earth based gameplay than what Chris Avellone's Alpha Protocol has to offer. Similar, but better.

I figure this type of game would be best authored by Chris Avellone (who also wrote Planescape: Torment & Fallout II) & Stephen King.

I thought Mass Effect did a pretty good job nailing it. But two other options I'd enjoy:

1) Phantasy Star, yeehaw, or maybe some Cowboy Beebop translated to game
2) Sci-Fi that explores issues, this is one of the reasons I've always loved sci-fi literature, fantasy doesn't typically explore social issues and cultural themes, but sci-fi typically does. Any sci-fi setting should spend time on some of these themes.

Personally, if you are looking for existing fiction to adapt, I think George Alec Effinger's series starting with When Gravity Fails is an exceptional choice for adaptation to a game. It is set in a futuristic Arabian setting and reads like a Mickey Spillane crime novel, like a Cyberpunk Muhammad Hammer.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/When_Gravity_Fails

In fact, Westwood and Infocom did make a DOS based game of the book in 1989, called Circuit's Edge.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circuit%27s_Edge

Peter F. Hamilton's human Confederation as shown in his Night's Dawn Trilogy would be super easy to adapt to an rpg, and would be a great setting as well.

Pineapples. Space pineapples.

To add a bit from my previous post.

Psionics power would be cool. I have not played any other Psionics-themed videogames other than Second Sight, and it is not an RPG, not a sci-fi. I think a sci-fi RPG with the main character having psionics power could be awesome.

Dark Sun has psionics in it...

Yes I have played it. But it is of fantasy settings, not sci-fi.

Great series, btw.

EDIT: Oh I see, you were answering to other psionics-themed videogames. My bad...

I didn't see you mention Dark Sun hence the suggestion for psionics :D.

Would having psionics make Dark Sun sci-fi fantasy? Because, in my mind, psionics is more along the lines of sci-fi rather than fantasy.

Not sure about that. But if I recall correctly, psionics in Dark Sun series feel rather similar to spells, whereas the psionics in Second Sight feel a bit like Jedi powers. I do not know if I make sense, but what I meant above is that I want a sci-fi RPG in which the main character has psionics (with gameplay like Second Sight, not like Dark Sun series).

If you want a classical sci-fi setting (rather than apocalypse sci fi that is essentially just fantasy), Julian May's Milieu-based novels cover that very well as psionics are central to the societies presented in them. An rpg based on those series of novels would be great.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactic_Milieu_Series for an overview.

Edit: Just realized that wikipedia page is totally incomplete in regards to her novels related to the Galactic Milieu, but it's still a relatively short overview worth reading if you're not familiar with it.