I've got a really good idea that could be implanted in the game, Hacking.
Hacking is basicly hiring hackers to hack into the ailen network and finding out additional informations regarding their tactics and technologies. Here's a list of properties of hacking:
1. hacking should be avaliable during mid-game to later-game, perferablely after XVI has being discovered, A proposal will be sent to the commander to research the alien network, after research, a intelligence gathering facility will be unlocked and able to be build in the base. This allows the commander to hire hackers and allows the interception of alien informations
2. Hacking the alien network allows the commander to predict future attack positions and able to move to the target location before the alien arrives. And the commander could place their own troops on any area of the map before the mission begins. When the mission begins, the UFO will land in a wide open space and alien wil spawn near their UFOs, (similar to how the player's troops spawn near their aircraft) and thus allow the player to ambush the aliens
3. hidden technologies will be unlocked for research or assist in much faster research of already known technologies. (such as the ability to replicate the mini particle accelerator)
4. the hacking process maybe found by aliens, in which the alien would have anti-hacking softwares that disables hacking, a research of a new hacking route is needed to unlock the hacking process again. And if found out, the same research could be done again and for everytime hackers are discovered. After the hackers are discovered, Alien base invasion will be more frequent in player bases for a period of time.
5. Later in game, hacking could also be used to disable ufos and making them crush without the need for interception. the size of ufo would not matter, however, the bigger, the badder the ufo, the more likely to be discovered.
These are my ideas. And if anyone thinks of anything, please add on