The point of the game when the opponent's defenses are strong enough that it is easier to get a unit into space and win with an asteroid crash than it is to think up a strategy to kill your opponents. If you're the first one to space and can control the atmosphere, all you need to do is get an asteroid with rockets and its practically an automatic I win. (To a degree... which is fine, it just may need to be a little harder to get to) My idea for a fix for the stale space race game: Rockets are single use, one way trips for units to other planets/moons (more expensive, need to pick and choose where to go and can't conquer the system as fast). After the rocket is launched, the destination is set and you cannot change it (makes it riskier, great risk in blindly sending your commander somewhere). You can only send units to another system by loading them into a rocket on your orbital launcher. 1 Rocket at a time 1 unit at a time. (location is fixed and of high priority for attack.) Also, possibly, if you have no energy, the orbital launcher cannot operate at all: Similar to how radar works (would help move orbital to late game and make rushing orbital really risky). (This also provides an answer to the question: How did the commander arrived on the planet and why he is alone and without a interplanetary traveling ship.) Two Other ideas: To move satellites should cost energy. When a satellite is build you launch it to a destination of your choice on the planet. If you want to move that satellite, it costs energy. (help use up the late-game high energy situation). If you ever shut down a satellite to conserve energy, eventually it should either crash on the planet (cause no orbit is perfectly self sustainable) or float out into space. (this raises a factor that if you can't support your space mission, it will slowly recess on you) Defenses should constantly cost mass or energy. If the weapon is pure energy, then it should cost something to use. Or if it fires a projectile it should cost a little mass to use. The idea is that if you miss manage your economics your defense network can shut down. It adds an extra cost to turtling. It encourages more unit production. Adds more reward to special tactics that take out key structures. Just my thoughts. Love the game so far!! Great job Uber!!!
I do hope your suggestion of one use rockets for interplanetary trips is how it shakes out in the end - it's what the original pitch showed and is a great way to break through a locked down atmosphere. The transporter ship as it is simply laughs off the escape rocket by floating in and out of atmospheres with no effort.. frankly it should probably just be canned altogether as a unit.
