Can we make "metal spots" for jigs on Gas Giants?

One: Most of my games are that long because I play 10-player games in systems with a dozen or more planets. This is Planetary Annihilation after all, not Starcraft. The game slows down a lot once we hit 5000+ units but it's only become unplayable a single time.

Two: When the leading players/teams own 3-4 big planets each and are careful about keeping the comm out of trouble (teleports, pelican transports, or at least 20 antinukes) you'll find that even shelling an entire planet with nukes doesn't deal decisive damage.

I doubt that very much.

why would you be aiming at anything other than the commander?

commander > pelican > evade nuke

only if he has really quick reflexes. still worth a try and whatever he was surrounded by was probably good commander defence that remains a good target as end-game commander defences are in sum worth a button of resources.

Well... if you count "can put a commander in a prepared pelican and move it before interplanetary nukes reach the planet" as good reflexes.

I'm saying most of the time you're too busy to notice.

Then we need a mood that warns you "NUKE LAUNCH DETECTED MOVE YOUR COMMANDER NOW"

I couldn't possibly say no to that.

what a mood killer that would be, though

If you're too busy to notice a god damn nuclear barrage against your commander then I question your basic playing skills.

"Nuclear Launch Detected" repeated multiple times is my cue to instantly Alt-C and move the Commander through the Teleporter I always keep next to him unless he's on patrol in a Pelican (to avoid SXX snipes), in which case I fly him the hell away.

In most of my games, nukes are rarely aimed at the commander for this reason - most people don't let themselves get hit. Instead, nukes become the basic attack unit with several teams stocking dozens of them at the same time. Often, entire large planets are completely glassed by nukes without the game being decided.

I recommend trying these big games sometime, it sounds like you only play small ones, and that doesn't really bring out what makes PA unique and fun if you ask me.