Let's assume that Uber continues work on PA for many years...

I'm not saying that nothing should ever be added. I think PA would benefit from expanding on the unit roster available in the current layers. What I'm against (and only in the context of vanilla PA, mods / separate games are another case entirely) is adding in yet *ANOTHER* layer into it.

We currently have land, air, orbital to manage (and multiple instances of that). The stalemates people are on about can be solved with an increase in orbital, or more methods to move between planets / cross the layers. I get that spaceships solve that and possibly some form of craft that functions in orbital would be ok.

Edit: To clarify what I'm against: I don't really think that opening up a 4th layer to spaceships works in the context of the game. This is the sequel to TA / SupCom, which is a ground combat focused games with an entire lore devoted to how the commanders represent an easy to transport 'army in a box' using gates. As I've suggested to you a few times, PA is a platform, perhaps as you suggest a good future development would be to create a new game built on the platform (with necessary overhaul to the UI) that is space focused with a more limited ground element (kinda the reverse of what we have now). I've seen the result of trying to shoe horn in stuff to a game that doesn't fit (plenty of poorly conceived mods on the Spring Engine for example)- the end result isn't great.

I'm just sad that Icycalm is too busy trolling his own thread for any of the cool ideas that popped up in here to get any merit....

True. But not an elegant one. There is a good reason there are no sci-fi movies where the space battles consist entirely of asteroids-smashing-planets. And that's because it would look stupid

https://forums.uberent.com/threads/confirmed-features-list-2-0.44950/
That is the confirmed feature list, second post, 5 "no" statements.

However, he does mention it as a possibility later, but he clearly doesn't seem excited about it.

Already discussed. The space layer already exists. It's called orbital. All we need is for the units in the orbital layer to expand and freely move.

Seriously. Read the thread.

This is however, a sci-fi game about asteroid smashing.

Starship Troopers? The bugs *have no space fleet* but they still manage to fling an asteroid into Earth

Edit: I think I've just stumbled onto an epic basis for a new mod

Definitely a solution that I hope gets added soon.

Not an elegant one? Do you even understand the idea of elegance?

Successful troll is far too successful and is getting full of himself.

You guys would prefer the endgame to devolve to whack-a-mole with big rocks than for the conflict to expand into space. Wouldn't the asteroids be "all-powerful" then, and blah blah blah all the arguments you were making against space?

You just want something simpler. And I understand that. But for me a new set of units with complex mechanics is more interesting than a set of big dumb rocks. I don't want to see the ultimate RTS devolve into billiards, and hopefully Uber will see the danger too and act accordingly.

As for the 5 "no"s that the guy linked above. There are no "no"s anywhere. There is only an emphatic YES I WANT TO DO IT in those links:

http://www.reddit.com/r/gaming/comments/y9yqy/uber_entertainment_presents_planetary/c5ttsfw

Jon Mavor can see it happening eventually. And that's why he's directing this game and not you guys

To make great art you need imagination. It was imagination that pulled the strategic zoom far enough to see the whole planet, and even planetary system. And I can't believe that that same imagination will stop at populating the space between them because OMG IT IS IMPOSSIBLE AND WILL DESTROY THE GAME!!1

There is no danger in the asteroid belt solution. It is the most elegant solution to the problem. There are still problems left, but most of those can be done with a little more devotion to orbital play, some of which might even involve a little Deep Space combat, like an anti avenger that must travel along an interception path to attack orbital units in transfer, but in return sails off into space aimlessly after success without extreme luck or awesome planning.
You called your solution elegant?
How is adding a new layer of combat and a new group of units solely devoted to it to the utter annihilation of other gameplay levels elegant?
You think it will have complex mechanics?
How is a space armada scathing it's opponent's planets clean while utterly denying their ability to expand more complex than a frantic rush of hopping from planet to planet, trying to establish strong enough holds to set your enemy back to the stone age, every time hoping they aren't in a position to do the same? Every step of the way attempting to raid and hinder and even conquer each other with still valid ground units?
How is your idea any more interesting than that?

How is a space armada, the same thing that hundreds of games and movies and books focus on, any more imaginative than the idea of just up and building massive engines to launch asteroids at your enemy?

I'm really way too into this despite knowing you are either a troll or so tunnel visioned and convinced you are right that talking to you is just detrimental to the possibilities that this thread could have held...

You are right, you have finally convinced me, space battles would destroy the game. We must find a way to explain this to Jon Mavor before he adds them, as he has plainly stated that he is considering doing.

Way to twist someone's words to your own agenda.

And that is called making things up.

I don't know about you, but I think this thread stopped being constructive a few pages ago.

This is silly, icycalm.

Hey guys, I am on your side now. We just have to figure out a way to get Jon Mavor on our side too. Maybe if we all screamed loud enough OMG SPACE BATTLES WIL RUIN TEH GEAM!!1 he would understand.

Alright, alright. I don't think this thread is serving its original purpose anymore.