Idea for armies and land warfare

[Colonel Boom]

I'm dissatisfied with the ground combat since the beginning of playing Stellaris. I know that it is only secondary but i really don't like it being in the game just for the sake of being in it. It is annoying and unengaging.

So i thought about changing it by making it simpler to manage(no longer brainless pumping and dumping numerous armies on worlds) and make it more complex and engaging by adding more interesting and complex combat mechanics.
The idea is similiar to how divisions are being designed in HOI4. You create an army and then have to design, upgrade and men it etc.. The new economy system could easily incorporate that, i imagine.

Defensive armies on planets could be expanded by having more soldier jobs for example. The planet could have military upgrades that allow for bigger defensive armies with more options and design choices. Attack armies can be designed to attack specific planets. You could put tanks, airforces, infantry etc. into the army. It would give armies some style.

The combat itself could also be changed. Planetary defenses being able to intercept invaders for example. Planets could be taken by strong armies without a navy etc..

The idea is that it makes it more simple, because you only play around with far fewer armies, while it also becomes more interesting with new combat mechanics. The army creation and design is not hard to implement. The problem is more about the new and more complex combat mechanics that have to be added.

What do you think?

 

[PK_AZ]

I'm dissatisfied with the ground combat since the beginning of playing Stellaris. I know that it is only secondary but i really don't like it being in the game just for the sake of being in it. It is annoying and unengaging.

Arguably thats the point of clearing pockets. It is annoying and unengaging, but you have to do that.

The new economy system could easily incorporate that, i imagine.

How?

Attack armies can be designed to attack specific planets.

End result is that stronger empire takes planet by sheer firepower, but now it takes more clicks.

The idea is that it makes it more simple, because you only play around with far fewer armies

How moving 20+ pawns from point A to point B may be not simple?

while it also becomes more interesting with new combat mechanics.

Which new combat mechanics? It is quite important.

 

[Colonel Boom]

How?

Defensive armies can be build on planets and can be made larger. I could imagine with the new planet UI that things like conscription/mobilization speed can easily be incorporated. The planet army window is pretty bare bone right now.

End result is that stronger empire takes planet by sheer firepower, but now it takes more clicks.

It was only an idea. You can design the mechanics so that you can counter build your planetary defenses against specific threats or for specific purposes. There are alot of possibilities.
And why does it take more clicks? You click land armies all the same(even if that could be made more interesting). Or do you mean that designing an army would be too much a bother?

How moving 20+ pawns from point A to point B may be not simple?

How i see ground armies work:
1. Pump 20+ armies
2. Dump 20+ armies
3. Wait
How i want to see ground armies work
1. Put some brain into designing and mobilizing one army(fun part)
2. Dump army and hope that your design wins
3. Profit

It is more simple in the sense that all the intrinsic combat mechanics don't matter and the managing of several armies with upkeep and location etc. is nonsensical. Meaning that you care about things that don't require brain but you don't care about the mechanics that would require brain. Why have mechanics at all then?
Why not have one planetary army that you can manage from a single window. It is more clicking when designing but what is the point of armies other than clicking right now? It is more of a chore.

Which new combat mechanics? It is quite important.

That's the part in question. Could be alot. It could be that you have additional armor or weight modifiers. Bigger units might take more fire but can resist better. The battle phases could be changed when you have planetary defenses decimating troops before they land. The way damage is distributed etc also needs changes. Several other stats could be implemented.
This is a job for the game designers and about how they want the game to look like.

 

[PK_AZ]

Or do you mean that designing an army would be too much a bother?

It would be too much a bother for a depth gained. Army designer, unless put in well-thought environment like in HoI4, will degenerate to one of three forms: One Template To Rule Them All (but let's say its not the point), Tactical Rock Paper Scissor (where you gather intel, and then do menial task of creating battlegroup) or Retarded Rock Paper Scissor (where you don't know enemy composition, so you just throw random things at him in hope it will work). From that trio, Tactical RPS is clearly best, but even then it's something you should be able to do by clicking 'order AI to design army best for that invasion' button.

Meaning that you care about things that don't require brain but you don't care about the mechanics that would require brain. Why have mechanics at all then?

Honestly my biggest problem with most land warfare ideas is that they seem to think in category of battle, totally ignoring war. Land battle mechanics exist, because land battles exist. Should land battles exist, even if they are boring and uninspiring? IMHO yes, because they can create additional level of warfare. You won space battle, now you have to muster few hundred millions of your citizens and send them into meatgrinder. Of course in Stellaris it never worked, because Stellaris never had any form of manpower.