Hey guys,
I was thinking after reading someones post about brutal invasions...well...one thing that kinda felt odd to me was that planetary invasions were always resolved very fast (within 1 turn, which is 1 week i believe?). I felt it kinda trivialized the intensity and accomplishment of what you did (as per the successful invasion description it talks of billions of people and logistics involved) how about this for an idea/suggestion?
Normally in the current game, you see the battle going in turns while it is auto resolving (example you have 3000 they have 10000, then you have 2800 they have 7400, etc). Well it would be nice if each of those auto resolving turns happened at one real game turn.
I know this would significantly lengthen the battles, but it also shows the intensity of the literal global conflict. Say in the 1st week of the assault the first landing ship arrives with 2000 men and the battle starts against 10000. then next week you can send in more transports to bolster your forces. Also maybe hide the technology advantage number (maybe use espionage to show it? or obscure an exact number) so that you can make choices each week on invasion tactics... such as Frontal assault that week (your damage increases but so are the casualties) and also defense...probing...even special strategy tactics (pull off a chance for a hail mary strategy that gives you a generally more favorable result that week, but risks).
Also while the defender is being invaded, if he has 50% of the population still and the invader has less troops on planet than the defender troops) then the invaded planet can still build things...but may take a huge 50% build penalty that cant be purchased (trying to crank out that ship to help in defense of the planet. Kinda how Russia during world war 2 moved its industrial base where it could still manufacture things in world war 2, even though it was in the middle of an invasion. After all, when your invaded, life doesnt go on pause for every single citizen on the planet, the fight can be on one continent before it expands to the next, etc.
The reason i suggest this is, imagine you get invaded by 2000 guys on your 8000 planet...and while the weeks pass, it becomes a quagmire as you send in more troops to help hold the planet (and likewise the computer could send in troops as well), this helps create a frontline sorta that goes on for several turns and even allows the battle to be a long term hotspot in the overal game map. So if your invaded and are at a disadvantage...you can choose a defensive strategy, which minimizes your casualties and lets your guys stay around long enough till they get reinforcements. And in some cases if you go offensive and the enemy chooses an offensive strategy and someone has a tech advantage, then it would show even more so in damage (but if the tech advantage side went offense, while the lower advantage had went defense...they could reduce their casualties as long as they can). Think of the Guadalcanal situation in World War 2.
This allows huge population planets to have an ongoing battle that could possibly last many turns (at the risk of burning up population from other planets if the computer/you choose to reinforce the ongoing war).
You can introduce blockades where the invader blockades the planet from being reinforced (but needs a clear high amount of ships maybe based on size of planet, can't have 1 tiny scout blockaded a 23b planet). If you blockaded it successfully then you deny the defender from sending in reinforcements in a panic to hold the ship. But perhaps you can introduce a new tech that is a blockade runner (stealth? partial stealth? not true invisibillity but reduce visibility/sensor signature). (dont think klingon, think B2 bomber/F117A stealth fighter). This allows the defender if they are technologically advanced to try to still slip in some blockade runner troop reinforcement ships. (kinda like the star wars blockade runner idea).
Also maybe have minor categories to research/adopt...to choose styles of major categories researched. Example...Yes you researched space marines, but also maybe you outfit them with say rifles which is good in assault but not in defense strategies, This part I dont know...but i think it would be kinda fun to allow you to 'tweak' the generic troops you have. (remember that very old game Sword of Aragon, you can equip your troops with weapons, and armors etc). That might be overkill but it would add a really nice flavor to the game. Just like how ships have more than one choice of weapon (laser, missile, ballistic), you sorta add varying types of troops as well.
I think it wouldnt be too hard to add code to adapt the AI to use these strategies and i think for most of the gamers here, we are not looking for a reflex based / instant gratification experience. Having a prolonged thought out invasion with varying dynamic results can help foster a brutal planetery siege. (using planetary bombardments to help you out that game week, etc)
And for those that dont like this, during the creation of a new game when setting up the universion there can easily be a toggle option to turn off 'planetary sieges', and use the current auto resolve for planetary invasions.
Sorry for the long text, just trying to add something I hope some folks would find interesting
Covetek
