I would like to see Empire Borders be separated into two parts. Protected Systems and Fringe Systems. Basically, just because you own a system wouldn't mean closing your borders would affect your ability to keep people out if it is on the Fringe of your owned space.
Currently, to own a system you build an outpost, and the outpost claims that system outright. It be becomes a 'light' station that can house 3 defense platforms even without upgrading. If you want to have more modules in that system you then Upgrade it to a Station, and of course that gives you more of a foothold in that system. But if you don't upgrade to a station, still no one can pass through it if you close your borders no matter where it is, even if it is 20 hyper-lanes from any of your fleets or planets.
What I feel would improve this is to have ONLY Your Planets/Colonies and Upgraded Starbases generate 'Borders'. Outposts would no longer do this on their own, but they would allow border growth into those systems alter depending on your Empire strength.
Think of it as a combination of the current border system and the old system of border spread that Stellaris used to have years ago.
Boons from this System include.
So, How would this work???
Firstly, Outposts would be renamed "Beacons" and would be glorified satellites laying your claim. (Think of them in a lore sense announcing to any ship entering the system "This space is claimed by the XXXXX Empire."
You could then upgrade Beacons to Outposts with the 3 defense stations available (this would count against station allowance at this level too.)
Owning Systems Vs Protecting Them
You would still OWN the systems with Beacons alone, and be the one who can build resource stations there so no change would happen in regards to scanning dig sites, or getting resources from those systems. But you wouldn't be able to build defense buildings, nor close borders in that system until you upgrade it to a legit Station.
Enemy fleets would treat your beacons as neutral and unattackable as they pass on through, unless they are at war with you of course. Harmless Fauna would likely leave beacons alone in most cases as the fact it doesn't have weapons means they would likely ignore it unless they themselves really want that system to be pure. And this would help with the new Fauna update coming to the game where they can regen new fleets and move around the galaxy in mid-late game again as it would restrict their movement less.
This would make the galaxy feel more open, and free to movement and would also make strategy more important when it comes to expanding your borders as you would have to expand smartly, rather than grab every and all systems as fast as possible which is the current stratagem.
NOTE : It would look as if this would complicate things for Tall Players... as getting more colonies would be impossible, but like I said, it only is in regards to closing borders. Tall players could still build stations to expand Protected Borders, and would get all resources just form having beacons.
Expanding your Space
You would start with your planet. It would generate say... 2 "Protected Space" Range. So any system within 2 hyper-lanes that you have claimed with a Beacon would become surrounded by your Border proper and be considered Protected.
As you claim more systems, you build more Beacons to build mining/research stations to collect resources, but your protected border will not expand to include those systems automatically. (This Fringe Space, that isn't protected could visually be represented with a much thinner border line and faded color of your empire.)
Building a Station would generate less Protected Space Border than Colonies and Planets, but through upgrades could be increased to include neighboring systems too. I would feel that over the course of the game, Protected Border distance generated by planets and stations could eventually upgrade to be +5 from planets and +3 from stations.
This system would not change much in the early game, as a single planet and a say 3 stations, could potentially encompass a fair area of space. This is more to change mid-late game and alter and remove extreme border spread that occurs.
Other ideas that would be possible Inside this new border system.
Currently, to own a system you build an outpost, and the outpost claims that system outright. It be becomes a 'light' station that can house 3 defense platforms even without upgrading. If you want to have more modules in that system you then Upgrade it to a Station, and of course that gives you more of a foothold in that system. But if you don't upgrade to a station, still no one can pass through it if you close your borders no matter where it is, even if it is 20 hyper-lanes from any of your fleets or planets.
What I feel would improve this is to have ONLY Your Planets/Colonies and Upgraded Starbases generate 'Borders'. Outposts would no longer do this on their own, but they would allow border growth into those systems alter depending on your Empire strength.
Think of it as a combination of the current border system and the old system of border spread that Stellaris used to have years ago.
Boons from this System include.
- Increasing your Starbase capacity would have more impact as would deciding where to put them
- Lessen then chance players will be completely trapped by their neighbors just because they don't want to go to war (or negotiate) to pass through a single system with an un-allied outpost in it.
- The Galaxy would feel more open to travel, even in the mid-late game.
- Would simulate unfriendly and friendly alien empires being able to enter your space without your knowledge to pass through, because closing your borders to them really wouldn't stop them, would it?
- Defenses would have to be focused in specific systems rather than spamming 3 defense stations on every outpost to slow the progress of an enemy fleet in EVERY system as they stop to fight every 3 seconds.
- Claimed systems could be captured without an actual fight, lowering War Exhaustion gain from losing system after system after system in the fringe of your space before your fleets can get there to defend them.
- Fleets of a certain size or more could activate "Blockade" functions to generate a border in a Fringe System as long as they remain there.
So, How would this work???
Firstly, Outposts would be renamed "Beacons" and would be glorified satellites laying your claim. (Think of them in a lore sense announcing to any ship entering the system "This space is claimed by the XXXXX Empire."
You could then upgrade Beacons to Outposts with the 3 defense stations available (this would count against station allowance at this level too.)
Owning Systems Vs Protecting Them
You would still OWN the systems with Beacons alone, and be the one who can build resource stations there so no change would happen in regards to scanning dig sites, or getting resources from those systems. But you wouldn't be able to build defense buildings, nor close borders in that system until you upgrade it to a legit Station.
Enemy fleets would treat your beacons as neutral and unattackable as they pass on through, unless they are at war with you of course. Harmless Fauna would likely leave beacons alone in most cases as the fact it doesn't have weapons means they would likely ignore it unless they themselves really want that system to be pure. And this would help with the new Fauna update coming to the game where they can regen new fleets and move around the galaxy in mid-late game again as it would restrict their movement less.
This would make the galaxy feel more open, and free to movement and would also make strategy more important when it comes to expanding your borders as you would have to expand smartly, rather than grab every and all systems as fast as possible which is the current stratagem.
NOTE : It would look as if this would complicate things for Tall Players... as getting more colonies would be impossible, but like I said, it only is in regards to closing borders. Tall players could still build stations to expand Protected Borders, and would get all resources just form having beacons.
Expanding your Space
You would start with your planet. It would generate say... 2 "Protected Space" Range. So any system within 2 hyper-lanes that you have claimed with a Beacon would become surrounded by your Border proper and be considered Protected.
As you claim more systems, you build more Beacons to build mining/research stations to collect resources, but your protected border will not expand to include those systems automatically. (This Fringe Space, that isn't protected could visually be represented with a much thinner border line and faded color of your empire.)
Building a Station would generate less Protected Space Border than Colonies and Planets, but through upgrades could be increased to include neighboring systems too. I would feel that over the course of the game, Protected Border distance generated by planets and stations could eventually upgrade to be +5 from planets and +3 from stations.
This system would not change much in the early game, as a single planet and a say 3 stations, could potentially encompass a fair area of space. This is more to change mid-late game and alter and remove extreme border spread that occurs.
Other ideas that would be possible Inside this new border system.
- Players could negotiate to share ownership of Fringe Systems, and split all resources coming from it. But not Protected Border systems.
- Setting War Claims within Fringe systems could cost less than Claiming Protected ones allowing 'border wars' specifically, but only if they don't claim Protected systems in the same War. These Wars would have less of an impact on relations, and likely be shorter and less bloody.
- Beacons could be upgraded through tech to improve sensor vision (as they would have none at first) and eventually create a sensor net throughout your space.
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