I'm sorry if this will not fit into the standard suggestion model, but I'm about to put a bit of effort into it, and have allready given it quite a bit of thought. I hope it gets read, and if it overlaps with existing propositions in some degree, I'm sorry.



So, my proposal for making both combat, random events and heroes revolves around extending card usage beyond it's current functionality and into an interesting and unique mechanic. All the needed components are there allready, more or less.





MODEL 1: - Minimal / prerequisite for other changes:





Step 1) Allow players to preslect the 3 tactics cards before hitting auto. The reason for this is that a battle card such as the repair (Engineering) one is stupidly powerfull, but only useable if you pick a fight, and if you manualy select it to heal up anywhere. If there were more cards which gave you an effect which lasted beyond the current battle, there would be both more incentives to thing about your battles, and more need to actually choose which actions you take while the battle goes on.



This could be done by adding buttons to the pre-fight screen, or by setting default actions on a specific hero/fleet. Either way, this would allow poeple not to be stuck with a long and meaningless battle if they only wanted to check out opposing weapons, heal up, or retreat. No addition to the existing game besides a few buttons/slots needed.






MODEL 2: - Expanding the cards mechanics





Step 1) Implement MODEL 1



Step 2) Create cards with mechanics that affect things outside of the current battle, but have limited availability.



Possible effects: Dust gain, Enemy dust loss, Tech gain, Enemy tech loss, Using enemy sensors for a limited number of turns, Gaining approval for a limited number of turns, Enemy approval loss, Trade routes bonus for a limited number of turns, Hero XP, Ship XP, Gaining prisoners which you can assign to a planet as population, Reduced cost for after battle retrofiting








Possible Availability Hooks: Turn number cooldown; Cards pre-manufactured through smiley: industry; Faction specific cards (with "on empire" cooldowns); Cards pre-manufactured through smiley: science (by repeatedly researching a tech which gives you a one-time use of the card); Cards which "on use" tie up a specific instance of a luxury resource for a number of turns; Hero type specific cards; Cards restricted to ship hull class; Cards restricted to the number and availability of certain modules on the ships in your fleet (non-combat modules); Influence sphere limitations






Step 3) (Optional): - Implement the 4th "overal battle strategy card" which you can select pre-battle and which determines what happens if you win/lose/draw. Have the non-mediocre options have specific costs and restrictions.







MODEL 3: - Further expanding the card mechanics and opening up design space by creating non-combat cards





Step 1) Implement MODEL 2



Step 2) Create cards which do not require a combat to be going on to use them, but use any of the Availability triggers from MODEL 2 selected from the main screen.



Possible Effects - Closing down a lane for a short while, or severely reducing movespeed along it; Creating an anomaly; Temporary FIDS boosts; Cheap Retrofiting; Influence bombing; Outpost hurrying; Espionage of all sorts; Ship Cloaking; Aproval Boosts; Limited weapons/shield upgrades for fleets without tech prerequisites; so on and so forth.










MODEL 4: - Most advanced.





Step 1) Implement MODEL 3



Step 2) Give each faction a generic hero (or generic combat and non-combat hero) which costs little upkeep, levels slowly and only lvls "veteran". Make the first one or 2 free, and have the first level allow for the factoin specific combat or non-combat card, and subsequent ones for the more advanced stuff. This would alleviate the need to have "dust archaeology" and/or administrator on everything, and tie up the interesting cards and heroes that the game is original for. Well, not really because it's master of magic meets heroes of might and magic in space, but a least we all know that stuff works.