Space Battles

Neutrino confirmed there will be combat in the orbital layer, so I'm hoping it will work out as outlawdr has pictured.

Just to point out, although there will hopefully be some combat interactions between different orbital units, the current focus seems to be on satellites used for intelligence, and possibly functions like bombardment or strategic defence.

The use of "satellites" over "ships" is important thematically, as the implication of a ship is that it has it's own fuel and propulsion systems, meaning it can go anywhere. If It can go anywhere, then why can't it go into deep space and duke things out there with other ships?

Satellites are much more limited in terms of propulsion, so it makes more sense that they are limited to lower orbits.

There is already the Launchpad which allows units to travel by rocket to other planets. Also the engines players can put on asteroids already allows them to essentially also act as mobile bases. What would happen if these asteroid bases crossed paths?

Probably nothing, since I get the impression that once you send something off to another planet/moon, its basically on rails until it gets there. There is no controlling it mid flight. We could justify this to ourselves by saying that the only way to get to another planet/moon is to use gravitational sligshots, and deviating course mid-flight will compromise the speeds needed to maintain escape velocities (or whatever techno-babble you want to use). And since space is so vast, the chances of crossing paths is so rare to almost never happen. Add in orbiting teleporters (FTL warp gates?) and it keeps everything close to planets, especially if these are made to be the preferred way for orbiting structure/units to travel planet to planet (minus asteroid bases most likely).

Honestly we can design and balance this however we want to make it work. If there is a will there is way.

I just want to reiterate that Combat in the orbital layer is confirmed. Meaning Combat that takes place within the Orbital layer. Orbital unit's (or structures) fighting against each other.

Neither does it mean it will be air/navy in space. It just means that at least some orbital units will hurt other orbital units. It doesn't mean that the majority will or wont be recon/support in nature. Because honestly, none of us know what the full implementation will look like, probably that includes uber at this point. I trust them to do the right thing for the game, even if it means they have to revise some plans later, so don't cling too tightly to statements about unimplemented things.

It's the only hope I have left for space battles! Don't judge me for clinging!

I'd imagined orbital units to be more utility or defence anyways, like inter-stellar radar systems, alternative transport (links between planets already colonised) and defences against extra-terrestrial bombardment (interplanetary nukes and such).

Otherwise it could be a slower, tankier form of air units - anti-orbital cannons would be more expensive so only a few could be built around an area you want to protect, forcing opponents to land elsewhere on the planet instead of striking on top of you, and stroll over to destroy the (tougher-than-AA) cannons, while orbiting units would be similar to air units, but slower, tougher, and more powerful weapons - where air would be used to quickly strike weaker installations, orbital would be used to provide consistent powerful suppression to a base or such.

Then there is the issue of gas planets. How will you fight over them?
Satellite wars? That seems pretty weak thematically.
I'd say we need orbiting spacecraft in order to have engaging battles for control of gas planets.

Naval factories, naval buildings and naval units outfitted with gigantic, oversized flippers. They literally swim through the gas giants. The Commander and bots wear arm floaties.

There is also the option of fighting across many many moons, could be a unique(at least by 'default') facet to Gas Giants.

Mike

I would rather see it this ways: T1 Orbital units are satellites that work much in a way you describe. T2 Orbital units are basically spaceships that do battle in planet's orbit. And the balance between T1 and T2 would (in all case not just space combat) be: T1 units are spammable, while T2 units are super powerful when combined with T1 as supprt, but alone can easily get swarmed by T1.

That's not gas giant combat, that's moon combat... We have a bunch of planets in space that we play on. By your logic that means we have space combat? Gas giant combat should be gas giant combat regardless of what else is in the neighborhood.

Technically it's Inter-Moon Combat, which might not be as common as you make out. Gas Giant Combat is going to be focused primarily on Orbital play it seems, but to posit you need "spaceships" for that is wrong.

Remember it was always the plan for Enhanced Orbital features to coincide with Gas Giants.

Mike

I'd want something like this:

Especially if Neil Patrick Harris is involved somehow.

+1

I imagine orbital space ships to work similarly to Warhammer 40K (minus the actual deep space combat parts obviously) in which they are essentially monstrously powerful, but inaccurate artillery stations capable of massive orbital bombardments but only from directly above their targets. And also very susceptible to ground to orbital weapons. This would make them fit perfectly with the game in my opinion as they would not be able to take a world on their own, and would necessitate a land invasion force (just like in warhammer).

I was also thinking Uber might implement a shield base structure that can only shield incoming orbital fire over a large area but cost an insane amount of power to limit its use to only important areas. That way you could gain orbital superiority over a planet, but also need to assault the enemy base on the ground to take down the orbital shield. Only then could your massive space battle barge saunter over and annihilate the enemy base with cannons the size of factories... for great justice.

I feel like this style of orbital combat would please everybody, and still leave the emphasis on ground combat which is the core of the game.

Yeah, the space-battleships would be useful for protecting the transport while they launch their dropships full of bots/tanks at the surface, and for heavy but unprecise artillery support.

There could be several orbit layers, for example:
High orbit= far enough of the planetary defenses but can't fire on the planet (blockade mode)
medium orbit= can fire unprecisely on the surface, become a target for planetary defenses.
low orbit= can efficiently shoot at the surface but becomes more vulnerable to even low orbit defense platforms and high altitude aircrafts.