I enjoy the idea and the flavor and I love the humor. I'm not very far into the mod so I apologize if this is already out there, but I have to share my idea.

There is one thing that seems odd at the moment: it feels like you both apply for permits and issue the permit yourself. This is not the way we do it in the bureaucracy land. It also undermines the whole concept: the permits feel like yet another intermediate product, like you are playing Krastorio with a different flavor. Why don't you give more power to the biters? They are the citizens and the government after all, the protagonist is just an entrepreneur.

I think it would be better if you had to interact with the biters to get the permits. Instead of finalizing drafts in the printer, bring them to the biter nests for approval, using the same mechanism as biter eggs in SpaceAge.

This idea could later be expanded pretty far by requiring different kinds of nests for different permits, and having to convince the biters to build these nests by lobbying, although you'd need to provide an appropriate infrastructure to keep the machine running. Because it is the biters who build these offices, you have limited control over their location.

I think getting permission from the biter is a good idea!

Also, how about Worms being the ones who need permission?
After all, they live in holes in the ground :)

This is definitely a good idea but I'm worried about how to balance it, this would be a major rework of the mod at that point but I get the idea. I will investigate ways of making this thematic while not making it too punishing. I may have an idea that I was planning for space age that I could bring into vanilla, I'll be working on this and let you know where my investigations lead to ! :)

Thanks for the good idea !

I use my suspension of disbelief to sign the forms I create. The factories are shutting off at night, who's to say biters are not running them?

I'm actually on the other side of this one. Beyond using capture launcher/placement stuff from space age, if my progress/throughput is clamped by having the correct biter bases spawn in the correct way in the correct place at the time I need it... I'm not feeling it, myself at least.

I think I found a solution that accommodates both of you. I should have it ready in a few days but basically you will now be able to hire biters to work in the factory. This is a big change and definitely plays with what the engine is allowing me to do but I think this will be grandiose ! Stay tuned !

Why not communicate with some external power to get permits? Issue a ticket, send it via some tech (radars? antennas? rockets?) to receive permits, generating enormous biters complaints for pollution, to be trapped in this loop...

Ok fellows, there it is in its whole beauty ! sorry your previous saves won't be able to jump that bridge, but I think it's a change that you may like ! More thematic, more cursed, probably more a pain in the ass, but surely more fun ! Let me know what you think about this 0.4.0, I hope you enjoy the new cursed features :)