I am assuming that since we'll be able to specialize planets, making them agricultural breadbaskets, research centers, and so on, we'll have freighters to transport our various goods between our planets and systems. If so, I hope the game actually represents the freighters on the map, rather than just abstracting them into a "pool" as other 4x games have done. The reasons I want the freighters to be actual objects on the map are simple.
One, seeing your own freighters moving across the map, delivering goods and such brings a lot of life to the map and adds a feeling of a living galaxy. Seeing civilian traffic go about its business is one of the things I like the most about Distant Worlds and I hope we see something similar in Solaris.
Two, raiding enemy supply lines should be a viable tactic in the game. For this to happen, freighters need to be things enemy empire's, pirates, and monsters can target on the map. The possibility of raiding also requiring the player to consider setting up escort ship for their freighters to ward off any threats. At the very least, if freighters aren't going to appear on the map itself and just exist in a pool somewhere, enemies should be able to send ships off on raiding missions to attack that pool. Then, the player could assign warships to escort duty in the pool, which could randomly appear in battle to protect the freighters depending on the percentage of warships there are to cover all the freighters. SOTS used such a system and it worked fairly well in my opinion.
What do others think about freighters and raiding in general? Do people want to see freighters moving around on the map or is having them in an abstracted pool good enough? Should enemies be able to raid your supply networks? I look forward to seeing what other people have to say.
One, seeing your own freighters moving across the map, delivering goods and such brings a lot of life to the map and adds a feeling of a living galaxy. Seeing civilian traffic go about its business is one of the things I like the most about Distant Worlds and I hope we see something similar in Solaris.
Two, raiding enemy supply lines should be a viable tactic in the game. For this to happen, freighters need to be things enemy empire's, pirates, and monsters can target on the map. The possibility of raiding also requiring the player to consider setting up escort ship for their freighters to ward off any threats. At the very least, if freighters aren't going to appear on the map itself and just exist in a pool somewhere, enemies should be able to send ships off on raiding missions to attack that pool. Then, the player could assign warships to escort duty in the pool, which could randomly appear in battle to protect the freighters depending on the percentage of warships there are to cover all the freighters. SOTS used such a system and it worked fairly well in my opinion.
What do others think about freighters and raiding in general? Do people want to see freighters moving around on the map or is having them in an abstracted pool good enough? Should enemies be able to raid your supply networks? I look forward to seeing what other people have to say.