Bombard enemy troops on planet prior to invasion?

[ASHBERY76]

ORIGINAL: Flaviusx

My main issue with bombardment is: why bother? The game rewards taking over enemy populations, glassing a planet and starting over from scratch just isn't that attractive. You also need to design a whole class of ships especially for this single purpose, as bombardment weapons are useless for any other task, and I don't particularly relish adding yet another ship class just for this niche.

Well, you do not need to pay and maintain for loads of troops and transports to destroy an empire,and it is a quicker process to bomb.

[lordxorn]

ORIGINAL: Flaviusx

My main issue with bombardment is: why bother? The game rewards taking over enemy populations, glassing a planet and starting over from scratch just isn't that attractive. You also need to design a whole class of ships especially for this single purpose, as bombardment weapons are useless for any other task, and I don't particularly relish adding yet another ship class just for this niche.

You make a good point about the valule of capturing a colony as opposed to glassing it, you set the colony back in terms of development. Also the diplomatic consequences are harsh for bombardment. My Empire went from free trade agreements from all empire except the warring one, to everyone thinking I was evil and imposing trade sanctions.

There is no need to design a different class, my Cruisers had plenty of room to add one bombard weapon, and still pwn the AI ships.

[jfpOne23]

It definitely should NOT be "Glass or Slaughter Only" when it comes to taking over a planet [:-]. Surgical Strikes preceding a landing should be an option without question.

A longer process to be sure -- but less prolonged damage to the infrastructure/economy and less alienation of the locals (as well as more of them to work and pay taxes after the fact). There should be a good payoff for the time spent in an invasion of this type, and it's ultimate success in much greater question.

Some races should not have this invasion option available to them -- ever. By the same token, some species might not ever give up a planet in this kind of attack making Glassing the only real option against them.

The point is, more options, not less. It will set the different species/gov't types apart, in addition to allowing for yet another unique gameplay style for this amazing game. Perhaps it should be a researchable tech option. "Surgical Strike Campaign" or similar.

[Sarissofoi]

Why bother?
I almost always zroleplay my games.
And sometimes I simply burn/kill/glass some insectoid race whose bugs me.

[Flaviusx]

But the bugs have nice bonuses! I welcome all to my vast, multiracial empire.
 
I won my first game tonight!

[Sarissofoi]

Yes they have.
But they are damn ugly and i want see them dead.
That is reason enough.

[Wade1000]

Normal ships weapons should be able to attack/bombard a planet.
 
It could be to a lesser degree than the bombardment weapon. Why can't my beams and torpedos hit cities on a planets? Some people on other forums of similiar games with a similiar feature have argued that maybe the atmosphere prohibits the ship weapons. That is ridiculous. These ships weapons can tear up shields and armor but not atmosphere?
 
Even today, in real life, lasers can be beamed in and out of our atmosphere... and they aren't even weapons.

[Gertjan]

Interesting discussion. But it is not always about realism, but more about strategic choices. I think the reputation costs of bombardment are bit on the high side at the moment. The other empires should be able to consider the circumstances of the bombardement such as their respective relations to the empire that owned the planed before bombardment. If they did not like the race as well, then the costs have to be lower.