This stems from another post, one that I think got off-track. It was tackling resources and how the whole system should change, when the actual problem its trying to address was establishing a beachhead on a new planet. So how do you think it should work? Should it be like the Marines showing up on the beach of Normandy? Should a large structure be fired at the planet to unfold into an already-manufactured base ready to go? Instant teleportation of a newly constructed secondary Commander? And for how you think it should work, what changes need to be looked at to make it happen? What problems will arise? My understanding is that Uber is still mulling over how they want this to work, so this seems like a primed area for discussion. My personal take: establishing a beachhead on an opponents world should be no different than existing RTS methods of setting up a firebase on the other side of a 2D map. You stake the area, have your army swarm over the area until its "safe", prep your transports to carry the engineers once its pacified, then start building defenses. This method doesn't require any changes to the existing paradigm, and only requires a transport-like vehicle to get units to the planet in the first place. But I'm curious what ideas others have.
I made a thread on planetary assaults with dropships a few days ago: viewtopic.php?f=61&t=36357&hilit=planetary+assaults I think this might appeal to you. So, I am all in favor of assaults with transports for attacking hostile planets.
Ah bloody hell. Here I am, thinking I had just thought of something amazing. Bah! EDIT: Wait a second, this thread is an offshoot of that thread... whoa, circle (or square?) complete. Also, the dropship idea fits nicely with it. Man, I'm really pulling on everyone's ideas without even knowing it, damn.