want my task bar to have no actual system tray... just a menu system like "windows List" where i hover over and get a full menu of my tray.
willing to pay extra

I use TLB as a teared of menu and hardly aver use the Taskbar any more.
The only thing I use it for, are the tray icons.
A plugin that would create a list with the icons from the tray area would indeed be sensational, and one wouldn't need the Taskbar any more.
Any development in this area?
Indeed a capitol idea! It is hoped this idea would not be too difficult to implement.