I do not mind how defense currently works, delay the enemy long enough for a fleet to arrive, but something that could pose even a slight threat without a fleet in orbit would be nice. Something like a one or two time build limit on a space platform that causes attrition damage. An enemy fleet would need strong invasion power to deal with the system quickly and to avoid taking damage, or to move on to another world. Or some sort of system where fleets can't just rush through your front lines into the heart of your empire. The biggest concern is a feeling of powerlessness with the inability to establish a sort of border. Everything is always at risk.



The more I think on it, the more I find it a tough situation to deal with simply due to the genre/setting. Things should be able to move around freely in space and be a threat everywhere. The inability of a planet to retaliate is the big problem.

Having just started playing this is one of the first glaring omissions that I noticed, along with fighters/bombers.

It would be interesting to add minefields to protect systems.

I am of the mind that the defense improvements should each do something different from each other. Here is my latest set of defense improvements.

Enforcer

No world should be without an fleet of Enforcers. These police cutters are the primary means through which pirates and foreign powers are kept away.





When a solar system is attacked, it and friendly connected systems would use their Enforcers to counter it. Assuming there is an 1 planet system, with a fully colonized 6-planet system next to it, and an attack by pirates happened, there would be 7 enforcers to fight off the pirates. This makes it important for enemies to attack systems that are isolated and small, in order to conquer their enemies piecemeal.



Requires an system improvement to be built before Enforcers can be created by an solar system.



Full-fledged colonies can send Enforcers to worlds that are within their sphere of influence, not not just colonies that are connected by Starlanes. Outposts can only send Enforcers through starlanes.



The number of maximum enforcers is derived from how many owned planets are in the system, at an 1:1 ratio. One enforcer is built per turn in the system.



Each enforcer gives an morale bonus to the system it is headquartered in, at +10 per enforcer. An system without Enforcers instead receivess a malus of -10 for each planet that doesn't have an corresponding enforcer.



Enforcers have sublight engines, and are not designed for long distance travel. This is why they can only defend the immediate solar system and neighboring systems to the one they are headquartered in. After being done with defending an neighboring system, surviving vessels are returned to their home system.



By default, Enforcers have the following loadout, unless racial traits add to or remove these features, which are based on the owner's latest technology:



1x Kinetic

1x Beam

1x Missile

1x Armor

1x Shields

1x Chaff

1x Hull



Enforcers automatically update to the latest components.



In battle, enforcers are a small fleet of police cutters, so each unit of Enforcers consists of 10 cutters.

Fighter Garrison

Cheap and fragile, these defensive starfighters are designed to attack their opposition through sheer numbers. While unable to leave their home system, they are ideal for providing an cheap and effective defense against small threats.





They cannot leave their home system.



Doesn't require special facilities to be created.



The maximum number that can be supported is based on the population amount in the system, which is a 1:1 ratio. One fighter is built for every three population units per turn. EG: a system with 9 colonists would produce three fighters a turn. This system can hold a maximum of nine fighters, so it takes three turns for the fighter garrison to be fully staffed.



+1 morale for each starfighter in the system. Any system without starfighters gets a malus of -1 per population unit that doesn't have an corresponding fighter.



Each fighter that participates in battle randomly specializes in one weapon, and one defense component, plus a hull technology. Generally speaking, they are fragile and might not have the proper tools for fighting against the enemy, but they are simply numerous when a system has a large population to draw pilots from.



1x Weapon

1x Defense

1x Hull



In battle, each unit of is considered to be 100 fighters.

Minefields

Small and disposable devices, these are scattered around wherever the owner wants to prevent enemies from moving freely, be it through causing damage or reducing their ability to fight. Inexpensive to produce and maintain, minefields are part of the ideal defense.





Requires an system improvement to be built before these will be generated.



The number of mines that can be created by a solar system is dependent on the number of planets, with one mine being placed per turn. Minefield technologies would increase this rate by one mine each, and with all eight technologies, each owned planet can generate 8 mines per turn.



The maximum number of mines that can be supported by a system is dictated by the population capacity of that system. For example, six planets that can hold three colonists apiece could hold up to 18 mines.



Mines are destroyed when enemies pass through territory that is generating minefields.



Colonies will field mines anywhere within their sphere of influence. Outposts can only field mines within their own solar system, and the warp corridors connected to it.



Requires research to create mines and to add features to them. Each research type adds an new quality to minefields.



Enemies that fight you within your minefield would have mines damaging them during battle. Mines will be destroyed as they cause damage, and may run out.



Ships can be equipped with an component that allows them to put down mines within the system and connecting starlanes that they are in. For each minefield damage technology that is researched, one mine would be placed per turn. That means up to three mines can be placed once the proper research is done. This is different from how planets behave when it comes to mine placement, since planets have more resources to support minefields.



Each mine is randomly assigned one damage type, provided you researched the type that adds that specific damage. When a mine attempts to cause damage, it does so only once and then expires.





Cyclops : Damages enemies, based on latest kinetic weapon.

Firebird : Damages enemies, based on latest beam weapon.

Dragon : Damages enemies, based on latest missile weapon.

Tarantula : Slows down enemy forces

Basilisk : Shuts down some of the enemy ships in battle, reducing performance.

Piranha : Destroyed enemy ships are turned into Dust. Half of the buyout value of these ships is given to the minefield user.

Bloodhound : Latches tracking and observation devices onto the enemy hulls, and consequently allows the user to know the numbers, composition, and movement of the enemy ships. Wears off after three turns.

I would like to see defensive installations since it would add a bit of life to the actual space. Not to mention combat and the like with bonuses if they are within your factions influence along with special cards. Or something along those lines.

If anyone remembers a game called "Birth of the Federation", it is the only thing I can remember that used a combat system vaguely like ES. Starbases in that worked extremely well as 'choke-points' and places for your fleets to fall back to, providing just that little extra cover, especially when damaged.



Space Stations / Star Bases of various levels would greatly enhance the strategic depth of the game. The should obviously carry a dust upkeep cost, so building more (defensive) star bases would reduce the number of ships one can realistically maintain.

I like Stargems idea of enforsers and fighters, that wouldn´t be able to leave the system they are built to defend. Still I would like to have space stations in every space game.



I admit that they aren´t very effective as a defencife buildings for the whole system/planet, but the economical and scientific importance can't be underestimated. Space stations would be a traede rout hub of the system in wich it is build and could increase systems dust production.



Still even as the space stations couldn´t protect the planet they could serve as an commonication center and/or a office where from the fleet commander could btter co-oordinate his/her fleet when facing invasion. In game this could be seen as an increase on coomand points on the defending fleet and the increase would vary depending on the size7level of the station. allso it could provide some defence modules for it self and therefore save the live of the defending fllet commander even if he/she would lose the battle.

Seldion wrote:
If the enemy used a smaller size then even the nuke we used on earth would be more then enough to break it into millions of small rocks that would do no damage and if it was detonated in front of it, wouldn't that push it back into space?

Bratyn is completely correct that stationary or geosynchronous defenses would be completely pointless. Given that ships in this game are capable of warp travel I don't think it would be hard to attach such an engine to an asteroid - say out near Pluto or within the Kupier belt here. Then you fire up your warp engine, accelerate the asteroid to 99% light speed and the defense system won't even be able to detect it before it is too late - let alone launch countermeasures. The amount of energy contained within even a tiny piece of rock going that fast would be enough to penetrate the thickest armour or overload any shielding system.



Realistic space combat would be all about mobility, and detection/EM warfare.



As far as bombarding a planet goes kinetic harpoons are all you need - just nudge them in the right direction and let gravity do the killing for you! (might make a mess of the planet though..)





But space stations are cool so I'd still like to see them

id like a something like in the Warhammer 40K universe, with a SDF you can fund, sliding the cost with training, equipment, and other stuff. Not a force you control, but gives a basic defense of a system.

What about simply having a troop capacity on ships, and they lose troops every turn based on the defences. When they run out they must return to a friendly system to restock. That way a single, patient scout ship could never conquer a planet. Just an idea.

i love warhammer and i play this game pretending im in that fiction all the time.....the Emperor protects!!!

What about Defence Satellites?



They can be armed from weak to heavy, depends on the size.



Can carry Missiles or they are Intelligend mines.



Starbases are good for early waring because of deep space scanner or Patrol vessels.

They can hold habitats, defencefleets, repair stations, rocket launcher, heavy beam weapons or even goverments.



The Station itself is likely not construct to defend a whole system or even a planet but it holds the tools for strategic defence messures.



Look at the Starbases in SINS OF A SOLAR EMPIRE and its Upgrades. I think this is the best reference.



!! organized resistance !! even the Planet is attaked from the other side where the base cant shoot at.



So a Starbase protected System has 3 benefits at an Invasion



1. Enemy Fleets needs longer to conquer the System

2. Enemy Fleets causes light Damage every Turn they Invading because of hit and run attacks from Fighters, Rockets or Drones

3. If the System is succsesfully captured an fully Operating Starbase are able to call for resistance at the Planets so the Planet are striking or is unhappy all the time until the enemy launches the attack on the Starbase itself. there is the Point the Starbase can show its Power with his Mounted Weapons.



resumee: Starbases are Build to gather time to strike back.



please dont blame me for my poor english !



greetings Doombringer

This thread is the origin of all system defence, orbital structure and battlestation discussions.

Other threads about this have been archived:

/#/endless-space/forum/29-archives/thread/13146-suggestion-stations

/#/endless-space/forum/29-archives/thread/13172-suggestion-active-planetary-defence-mechanisms

/#/endless-space/forum/29-archives/thread/13413-suggestion-planetary-defenses

/#/endless-space/forum/29-archives/thread/13211-suggestion-starbase-out-of-asteroids

/#/endless-space/forum/29-archives/thread/13235-suggestion-space-mines

/#/endless-space/forum/29-archives/thread/13262-suggestion-stellar-construction

/#/endless-space/forum/29-archives/thread/13323-suggestion-defenses-at-wormhole-exits

/#/endless-space/forum/29-archives/thread/13457-suggestion-planet-projects-builds-that-give-system-to-fleet-battles

/#/endless-space/forum/29-archives/thread/13412-suggestion-mine-field

/#/endless-space/forum/29-archives/thread/13387-suggestion-system-defense-with-immovable-spaceships

/#/endless-space/forum/29-archives/thread/13419-suggestion-space-stations-battle-stations-and-so-on

/#/endless-space/forum/29-archives/thread/13442-drones-weapon-platforms-and-satellites

/#/endless-space/forum/29-archives/thread/13528-suggestion-minefields

/#/endless-space/forum/29-archives/thread/13551-planetary-defence-systems-covert-ops

/#/endless-space/forum/29-archives/thread/13530-suggestion-make-improvements-that-enhance-defending-fleets-power

/#/endless-space/forum/29-archives/thread/13718-suggestion-planetary-defence-system

/#/endless-space/forum/29-archives/thread/13767-orbital-bombardment-invasion-planetary-defenses

/#/endless-space/forum/29-archives/thread/13819-space-stations

/#/endless-space/forum/29-archives/thread/13835-ships-invading-a-planet-take-damage-when-invasion-defences-exists

/#/endless-space/forum/29-archives/thread/13853-space-stations-a-must

/#/endless-space/forum/29-archives/thread/13873-orbital-defense-platforms

/#/endless-space/forum/29-archives/thread/13960-orbital-and-ground-based-defences



Feel free to post here about this topic here and inform yourself about the variations the threads listed above have already discussed, but don't open new suggestion threads for anything alike.

IT POSSIBLE TO ADD TO INVASION MECHANIKS AND TO DEFENCIVE BOUNSE WHEN YOU FIGHTING IN YOUR SOLLAR SYSTEM TO MORE DEATIAL CHECK OUT HERE /#/endless-space/forum/29-archives/thread/13672-some-ideas

How do we get this back into the public view, especially considering that the game has gone gold now. Do we need to make a poll about a particular suggestion? Or is this suggestion now doomed forever to be stuck in the archive?

mogthew wrote:
How do we get this back into the public view, especially considering that the game has gone gold now. Do we need to make a poll about a particular suggestion? Or is this suggestion now doomed forever to be stuck in the archive?

It's not in the archives, since it's in the proposals section.

Also it is already tracked. The question is: When will the devs have time to include this? They already promised to do this, some time later on.

Steph'nie wrote:
Here's how we will answer to your ideas:



DONE in game already, or will soon be implemented

**** Master must have

*** Master nice to have

** Post release must have

* Post release nice to have

X Never - either not possible or simply not in our vision

U Undecided

Steph'nie wrote:
Mod / Techs

System defence & Orbital Structures - Planetary defence sheilds, weapon arrays, base sturctures **

Awesome! Didn't realise it was already tracked. Cheers Nosferatiel!

I really really want this. I would prefer that instead of the current system of slowing down an invasion, that it actively can destroy invaders if the strength is good enough. Slowing down an invasion is just a waste of time.

I was a bit underwhelmed by the lasers in this game, being short solid projectiles, but I really hope they do two things with orbital defenses:



1.) When a planet has orbital defenses - either through ground-to-space weapon or via space stations - a manual defensive battle should be available, depicting the enemy fleet nearing the planet in the background, which shoots back. ^^



2.) Long-range beam weapons with one solid beam. Like a lance made of light it should reach out from the planet surface or space station and cut into the attacking fleet. Oh yeah!

I too would like to see planetary defenses and starbases incorporated in to the game. To take it even further, I'd like to see starbases that can be built to serve specific functions, such, trade, science, military. I'd also like to see different types of planetary defenses that have different strengths and weaknesses depending on the attacking race or method of attack/invasion.