Hi, here is my idea.



I like the way combat is working now. It's a lot like a boardgame. Something like Twilight Imperium where you have a fleet, some technology (your modules), action cards (well action cards ) and you throw dices. It's show that the main focus of the game is empire not combat. if you play civilization you are also just throwing dice during combat. That's fine.



I also like the timer idea, you have to make quick decision and you are rewarded with a nice combat video like in Battlestar Galactica. But what I find a bit annoying is that it's always the same fight. An attack fleet pop-up and then both fleet move along two convergent line. It could be nice to have different scenario like both fleet are set face to face, or one fleet is pursuing the other.

A second further idea could be to a have a scenario that would be different than distant, medium, close. It could be triggered by action cards. So you could have an action to close in or pull-back. But this one is a bit of a balance breaker so I don't know if it's a good idea.



And a final idea, it's more of a wish. I have read a nice series of book which is called in french "La flotte perdue" by Jack Campbell (it could be translated by "the lost fleet"). What I find excellent in that universe is that because ships are fighting at an amazing speed (expressed in fraction of c) there is an important delay between the moment an action is made and the moment when the ennemy see it. This delay reduces with both fleet closing in until the moment of combat. During the combat which last only for a few seconds all weapons use high speed calculator to aim and fire. This lead to an brutal and fast fight. Exactly as it could be in Endless Space, because our last for less than 1min I think.

This story also show a surprising fact. Because there is no gravity and the Space if full of Void, kinetic projectiles are more precise and more deadly. Missiles can be destroyed or deceived. Round can't and if you can predict a target trajectory (like stationary defences or a ground based complex) you are going to it at 100% sure.



What are you thoughts on these ideas?