The proposal, which is aimed at making scouting actually relevant, contains the following elements.



1) Remove default vision from all ships, including the ability to scan systems.

2) Add detection to scout modules and empire influence radius.

3) Change scout modules from "+X sight distance" to "X detection distance".

4) Add detection 1 to pirate ships.

5) Render all fleets invisible to a faction unless subject to detection by that faction.

6) Invisible fleets cannot be attacked or intercepted.

7) Unoccupied/enemy systems outside a faction's detection radius may not be blockaded, colonized, or invaded.

Edited title. But, I do not understand your suggestion/poll. Basically, you are saying that only scouts can detect enemy fleets, and you cannot blockade, colonize or invade without a scout to detect the system. I suppose the definition of "scout" is any ship containing the long range sensor module.



Then, in the opening turn, I cannot move my colony ship separately from my scout? That seems somewhat limiting. Apart from the opening turn, it seems it will just lead to adding one long range sensor module to each fleet. What is the underlying reason for this suggestion?

davea wrote:
Edited title. But, I do not understand your suggestion/poll. Basically, you are saying that only scouts can detect enemy fleets, and you cannot blockade, colonize or invade without a scout to detect the system. I suppose the definition of "scout" is any ship containing the long range sensor module.



Then, in the opening turn, I cannot move my colony ship separately from my scout? That seems somewhat limiting. Apart from the opening turn, it seems it will just lead to adding one long range sensor module to each fleet. What is the underlying reason for this suggestion?

I am suggesting that the actions attack/intercept/colonize/invade/blockade cannot be performed unless the target system or fleet is subject to your systems' or fleets' detection (formerly, "sight"). Under the proposed changes, a fleet requires a Scout module for detection (which you call "sensor", but I chose the actual module class name). You are correct in suggesting that adding one such module to each fleet will suffice, but later in the tech tree, larger detection radii on such modules make remote sensing much more effective, freeing up the Scout module's tonnage from the main fleet.



I made this proposal for the following reasons:

1) Scout modules are useless right now. The best scouts are disposable Corvettes (for +1 speed) with only one of the worst kinetic gun fitted. Maybe an engine, too, but it's not necessary.

2) Blockading is too easy, since any ship can do it. The aforementioned disposable scouts can lock down a whole empire at minimal expense.

3) It promotes diversity of module use and ship roles. It actually makes the Corvette's tonnage discount on Scout modules relevant.

4) Flavour-wise, system scanning, invasion and colonization would be more plausible with the aid of a sophisticated sensor array. Same goes for the ability to plot a precise trajectory to attack or intercept an opposing fleet.

I agree that #2 is a problem. For the rest, I am not sure. There has not been much discussion on this thread recently, but there are several suggestions on this point here:



http://forums.amplitude-studios.com/showthread.php?3047-annoyance-enemy-can-maintain-blockade-break-siege-with-scouts

davea wrote:
I agree that #2 is a problem. For the rest, I am not sure. There has not been much discussion on this thread recently, but there are several suggestions on this point here:



http://forums.amplitude-studios.com/showthread.php?3047-annoyance-enemy-can-maintain-blockade-break-siege-with-scouts

I think it's a shame that the Scout module class is useless, especially considering their cost and tonnage, which my suggestion justifies. Also, space is a great place to hide if you're something as small as a ship, so I can't see why it should be so easy for fleets without Scout modules to see each other in the same star system. I like to see an element of paranoia added to Endless Space, such that players have to devote some effort to ferreting out enemy movements in neutral space. It also makes the nerfed pirates more of an unpleasant surprise.





Regarding the blockades specifically, I just made the following suggestion in a separate thread:



Blockading only occurs if the orbiting enemy fleet has more invasion military power than the combined planetary defence value and the orbiting friendly fleet's military power.