Hi, loving the game so far, but one thing is really Irking me. I like to find choke-points in the map and holding them, allowing me to colonize and build up all the systems behind it in peace, I concentrate all my forces at these choke-points typically. I don't think it should be a matter of timing that allows fleets to slip past these choke points. It gets really, really annoying keeping Horatio Scout #429 from besieging production system X. I think the game should pause and offer you the option to intercept any fleet that enters a system where you have a fleet. Total War games do this very well for example, allowing the opportunity to intercept an enemy army when it enters one of your army's zones of control.



Anyway, great work so far, can't wait to see what the game looks like in its finished state.

I believe a dev once said this isn't working quite as intended or something. So hopefully when it's working properly it will be easier to actually defend a front line.

Fair enough, hope you're right.

+1 This would be something I'd like to have as an option, if possible. Bottlenecks ftw!

The idea is a good one, but I'd like to add something to it. Instead of allowing all fleets to intercept by default we should have a "stance" for fleets. Something as simple as Defense (focus on staying near the planets to prevent siege, but not actively meeting enemy fleets that are just moving through), Patrol (for intercepting fleets, picture them as hanging out near the jump points), Evade (for scouting ships, maybe allows the fleet to avoid defense fleets) and Attack (Jump into the system and bum rush the colonies). This would allow the player to take a little more control over the fleet system, and layer defenses a little more. You could have a fleet of heavies be the defense fleet of a border world but a fleet of lighter destroyers be the actual interception fleets that run down the enemy.



Another upside of using this system would be keeping the ship classes a little more effective late game. You could assign "Speed" ratings to each class, and thus allow Destroyers to maintain a position as forward scouts/raiders. Cruisers could be middle of the road work horses, and battleships would be relegated to pure attack or defense.



Just an idea, so feel free to argue with me or call me names.

Seconded. I'm sick and tired of Horatio putting ships behind my lines. Being able to intercept them between star systems would be a boon. I imagine interception to be much like war as it stands now, just send your own fleet towards the oncoming and when they meet, POW.



Blockading a star system is another option I can see being effective. However I don't like the idea of my scout ship being CRUSHED on arrival just because a bunch of ships ARE in orbit.



Small ships outfitted with stealth tech or faster engines could try and run a blockade and or pass through the system unnoticed.

Large slow ships should be noticed, intercepted, and eviscerated trying to run a blockade.

Yeah, I noticed that, too. Enemy ships would just wiz past my borders and choke-points like they were nothing. But I noticed that they'd always manage to nab my ships as they passed through their systems. Not cool.



I'm totally in favor of an interdiction option. Good call.

QED wrote:
Small ships outfitted with stealth tech or faster engines could try and run a blockade and or pass through the system unnoticed.

Large slow ships should be noticed, intercepted, and eviscerated trying to run a blockade.

This! I know we are in Alpha and all but I'd love if the devs could incorporate more branches into the design of ships. Adding stealth plating / detectors, Wild Weasel devices (draws all fire to the ship), etc would be great. Again, like with all things, I'm sure it'll be looked at more later. And if it takes away from actual dev time then just ignore it. I'm sure someone would take it into their mind to mod it in later.