I created this thread primarily to discuss and try to find a solution for invasions. I was recently trying to figure out how to simulate a planetary assault which has more to it than just simply bombing a world into oblivion. To do this, I simply turned to how the old classics like Master of Orion managed this. Basicly what you had was a multi-tiered approach. You had your classic bombing-from-space phase, at which point you could opt to do exactly what you do all the time in Sins, i.e. blow them back to hell, or you could "soften them up", then proceed with the ground troops which would capture a planet. Your troops had to, of course, overpower the population first. And you could do any combination of the above. Now, it looks to me that such an approach is doable, at least at the most basic level (which could be improved if we get an ability to script the game). Planets have their infrastructure and their population. It would be possible (and this is the approach I am initially taking for the Last Stand mod) to have, say, your siege frigates bombard a planet and destroy its infrastructure, and then have an "invasion ship" type of vessel land the troops so they can mop up the population. As it is, there is no problem in implementing such tactics, save one. The AI. Again. Obviously if we render the siege frigates unable to eliminate the population, the AI will not be able to elliminate colonies since it does not know it has to use another type of ship to do the task. At least I think that is the case because I don't know jack about how the AI actually works, there has been very little info on that. Further, there should be a way to motivate a player to invade rather than just simply destroy a colony and resettle it. Perhaps a planetary buff, simulating slave labor, increased credit and resource production coupled with an increased chance of rebellion? This is where dedicated scripters come to have their say, can such a thing be done, how, etc. Ideas? Solutions perhaps?