"I like to think of them as paper people."

Last round's smaller battles were great--we were able to do a bunch. The 2000 point match is pretty epic but finding the time to play it out has been a challenge. Would love to see a bunch of sub-1000 point matches down the line.

I think starting off with such huge standing armies was a big factor. And the fact that we're all creating about 500 points a turn makes them seem more disposable. Anyone who spends a turn or two building up is going to have a huge army to throw at someone else. Also, saying that you keep all of your troops against an unopposed planet sounds like it should be good, but it makes it completely risk free, and that army simply rolls over the next turn (now with one more planet to generate troops). The Nova Corps was able to bowl through Brainiac's homeworld because they got to keep their army from the previous turn and add territory and manpower this turn. Likewise, Darkseid was able to take two planets this turn without any cost to himself because he had a strong notion that they'd be open, and now his army will hit close to 3000 points next turn. If he attacks two more uncontested planets next turn (which isn't hard for him to set up since he can strike anywhere), he'll be even stronger, especially if those two planets are homeworlds. The Skrulls didn't attack anyone yet, but they've been building their armies up for two turns now, and they'll be a force to be reckoned with if/when they decide to move. Even if they don't they're points will be divided evenly between defending worlds, so anyone trying to assault them will have to face even bigger odds. In a turn or two, we could be looking at 3-4000 point armies hitting head on.

Edit: If we want smaller battles, we could reduce everyone's army size/points gained per turn. Alternatively, we could restrict how many units could be used to protect or assault a planet...say 200 points per planet controlled to assault and 400 points per planet controlled to defend a specifc planet.

I like this general Idea. Could tie it into how many lanes open you have to a planet. Example:

Lets say you can use 400 points to do an attack. For every adjacent system you control from the target, you could send an additional 200 points.

So if we look at the map, lets say the skrulls launch an attack on Thanagar. They could send a maximum of 600 points since they have two routes open (400 + 200).

For defense, i'd probably say a 400 point starting army, with 300 points extra if that planet is connected to your homeworld. So the Shiar could defend with 700 points, if they had it available.

Thoughts?

yeah something like that probably should be implemented to keep these battles feasible in scale and to keep things from turning into epic steamrolls every week.

Team 1: Brainiac

Force Build 8649706 0
Set	#	Name	Team	Pts	Value
AOU	052A	Ultron (Future)		270	SELL
AOU	029D	Ultron-8 (Drone)		30	SELL
Force Total:				300	$0.00

VS

Team 2: Kree

Force Build 8649706 1
Set	#	Name	Team	Pts	Value
GOTG	104	Colonel Yon-Rogg		70	SELL
GOTG	020	Ronan the Accuser		153	SELL
GOTG	021	Korath the Pursuer		140	$0.90
CW	027	Genis-Vell		200	$0.75
GOTG	101	Captain Atlas		120	SELL
GOTG	017A	Kree Lieutenant		45	SELL
GOTG	017A	Kree Lieutenant		45	SELL
GOTG	007A	Kree Private		25	SELL
GOTG	007A	Kree Private		25	SELL
GOTG	007A	Kree Private		25	SELL
GOTG	007A	Kree Private		25	SELL
GOTG	007A	Kree Private		25	SELL
Force Total:				898	$1.65

Team 3: Green Lantern Corps

Force Build 8649706 2
Set	#	Name	Team	Pts	Value
GLGF	009	Salaak		100	$4.50
GLGF	003	Kilowog		145	$2.30
FFGL	006	Abin Sur		50	$2.40
WOL	016	Soranik Natu		70	SELL
WOL	017	Boodikka		75	SELL
WOL	026	Sodam Yat		250	SELL
Force Total:				690	$9.20

Team 4: Sinestro Corps

Force Build 8649706 3
Set	#	Name	Team	Pts	Value
WOL	019	Bedovian		115	SELL
BN	003	Scarecrow		85	$4.99
Force Total:				200	$4.99

Map: Spaceship Crash Site (again!)
Result: Kree wins (lost 25 points)
Green Lantern Corps wins (lost 0 points)
Sinestro Corps were naughty (lost 200 points)
Brainiac looses (lost 300 points)

How would that work with Boomtubes?

Would the connections count if they're connected through alliance? What would happen if your Capital has fallen? Should the Capital get some sort of super bonus since it's the most important thing you control? I do like the idea that my far off isolated planet should get less bonuses than my planets right next to my capital.

I do like your idea better though. The idea that there's a flat rate, with a bonus for connected planets is better than mine, where if you were on your last planet you'd only be able to defend with like 200 points. Alternatively, I'd say capitals or perhaps your last world shouldn't have restrictions because it sounds a little silly if you have one planet with 2000 points left that you would only have like 500 to defend with.

I like the limits thought process but what does that do for Boom Tube Technology? Advancing thru a planet you have a treaty with? I also think regaining all the forces you spent to invade a planet that is not defended sounds great in principal but not practical as a whole in just taking over a planet getting it all back and securing more army generating resources. For the persons loosing the planet it is very hard to come back from. I reference this galactic battle to a Risk Board game. You can not leave a territory unmanned. There is always at least one army present to defend. The defending army can sometimes take out a small portion of the attacking army.

I also like the idea of unrestricted defense for homeworlds. those should be harder to get.

I like the idea that you need to leave a portion of your military behind places. Maybe 100 for homeworlds you started with and 200 points for conquered worlds to keep the peace? It doesn't help tone down the battles, but there'd be no unopposed battles, and taking over planets wouldn't immediately benefit (it would literally take 2 turns before they paid for themselves not including what it would cost to take them in the first place).

"occupation costs" may be the best way to balance and maintain realism.

another non-mutually exclusive idea is to require us to designate forces to each planet as opposed to blanket defense. as of now there's no real incentive to specify defensive points as all your defense will flood to where you're attacked.

This is true. I like the required garrison idea, but monitoring what worlds are occupied and what worlds aren't could be a hassle on my end. i'm going to look at the map and see what the big empires would have left to work with if they had to leave 200 at each planet.

also true and we don't want to dump more work on you

then again, garrisons would likely widen the gap between the rich and the poor as it were. empires with more overhead are still quite mobile while those enmeshed in battle suddenly aren't capable of sending anything of worth out

possibly a garrison should be required for conquered worlds only?

The second battle for Ungara

Team 1 Brainiac

Force Build 8649906 0
Set	#	Name	Team	Pts	Value
IIM	043	Iron Man and War Machine		265	$9.98
Force Total:				265	$9.98

vs.

Team 2 Kree

Force Build 8649906 1
Set	#	Name	Team	Pts	Value
AVAS	022	Ultragirl		98	SELL
GOTG	101	Captain Atlas		120	SELL
FI	017	Ms. Marvel		155	$1.74
FFGGA	006	Ronan the Accuser		150	$3.81
Force Total:				523	$5.55

and

Team 3 Green Lantern Corps

Force Build 8649906 2
Set	#	Name	Team	Pts	Value
WKD	D16-002	Jade		85	SELL
JLTW	036	Green Lantern		96	$2.29
SOG	027	Guy Gardner		142	$15.00
AN	046	John Stewart		151	$3.50
BN	004	Green Lantern		150	$2.29
Force Total:				624	$23.08

and

Team 4 Sinestro Corps

Force Build 8649906 3
Set	#	Name	Team	Pts	Value
JLTW	049	Sinestro		200	$4.99
Force Total:				200	$4.99

Map: Hawkworld
The linked up Clockmaker units got in one good hit before it was overwhelmed by the onslaught of blasts from the larger force.

The Clockmaker lost, losing 265 points.
The Kree won, losing 0 points.
The GLC won, losing 0 points.
The Sinestro Corps won, losing 0 points.

Alternatively we could make it to where if you are defending the point values of your force is doubled with a cap of a 1000 so like sending 500 is the highest number that could be doubled that way nobody streching their forces too thin and bigger nations couldnt throw their weight around as easily and itd make people think harder about their moves