i don't understand whats the point of helping my homeworld...will they research for me? will they eventually help me with something i need? will they send me resources? i thought that help was a two ways road, but instead i need to babysit they for nothing, would be interesting if they supplied me instead of i supply them in the late game

There are rewards from the homeworld the first time your tier increases to a given level. Generally the rewards are well above the tech level required to reach said tier - completing tier one only requires wood and fish, and you can get either a couple of stacks of assembling machine 2s or a handful of any of the three level 1 modules. Tier 3 only requires crude oil with no processing, but can give level 3 modules.

Thinking on it, it'd make sense for the homeworld to help with research, and the game engine supports easily adding lab productivity bonuses to a force, so I went and added a 10% productivity bonus per completed tier, up to 60% on beating the mod, on top of the other rewards for completing a tier.

yes, please do that, also, make them need less basic things like fish and wood in the late tiers, since they are rebuilding their civilization they can fish their own food, but they shall need advanced resources to grow up further, fish in this aspect would be just a bonus not a must have...also..please, try to imagine what a post apocaliptic world would need and what would they give to you if they get back on tracks, long term things of course, research helping would be one of the things aswell, and also..please, make 10 tiers instead of 6, let's help them rebuilding their civilization enough for them to be a galactic empire or something, would be a real new way to play the game, also... make you need to send them weapons, so they can battle with biters in outer worlds and EXPAND AGRESSIVELY, i can help you with the mod, let's make it a must have