Yes, as someone who hasnt cashed in lots of QP to buy a bigger ship, or to fit it out. I am well aware that i am not now, or ever, am i likely to be the big fish, thats ok, small fish can have sharp teeth too.
Well, and this will be the case for many new players.
For other, invest in a large and powerful ship without invest in research/mining , they will come pirate.
Any new player willing to spash some cash around will easily be able to build a fleet larger and stronger that what most of the players that are building facilities are capable of defending against even after weeks or months of game play. This is just a fact of life when playing games like this that need to offer power-ups for real world cash to finance their development and ongoing operation.
As you say "Any new player willing to spash some cash.."
and it is still the case that VERY FEW new player, and even that is insufficient in many cases.
Is there anything to stop someone joining the game and griefing by just destroying everything... no not really.
Even if they cant destroy stuff and just 'capture' it the same problem exists, a more powerfull player can simply move in and take everything from a newer or less powerfull player. So to 'protect' the less powerfull you would need to ban both destroy and capture options.
Nobody likes to destroy his accomplishments, especially unnecessarily.
If we take the fact that it costs MORE to capture a module's than purchase it at Sol, then the capture come strategigue.
So NO reason for a player so powerful it to capture a module
that costs MORE than purchase it at Sol,
except if it is for reasons of strategic positioning, and/or for a rare/expensive resources, and/or other reasons.
But if you remove the ability to destroy/capture modules then the game is radically different. Instead of slowly expanding a well defended set of places, you will see people in a mad scramble to put something down on every valuable spot they can find as fast as they can buy/build modules and get them out somewhere. since no one can do anything about it once you have a module there. The game becomes a simple race to reserve as much teritory as possible.
I have at no time mentions removing the capture since it does not currently exist,
I submit that I was removing the module destruction and replace it by module DAMAGED (or any other named), so,
the efficiency is lower may well be pillar, and making it capturable if the need is required by the attacker.
The limit the number of ship, what they cost, the gas planets ( not defenses unit on ground ),
small planets (no space for defenses) that the protection of a territory a real jigsaw head,
and
remember that the system undergoes transformation due to the exhaustion of resources.
Then not so obvious to protect a terriroire constantly evolutions.
Otherwise, let us all pirates, like this one have nothing to lose.
My thoughts about adding an option to loot is that it is potentially more lucrative in the long run for BOTH sides.
the pirate can generate an income and get at resources that he might not otherwise be able too although at significant risk to his ships integrity. The miner is less likely to have their whole facilites wipped out, and only need to keep unloading it and resupplying the defenders to generate reasonable profits.
I reckon you should have a go at attacking a few planets with that big beastly ship you have... find out how it really is for yourself ;) Sure you can clean the boards on most of the smaller operations, but id bet a few of the better defended places would give you a run for your money.
Give me the coordinates where you lodge your modules with your strongest defenses and I'm trying to test destruction.
If it helps, I am very far from system 'SOL', then you will emplement time to structure a defense, and even done any tests to protect your entire system,
just because a planet for mining, you limit your growth.
I'm so far from 'Sol', then, when developers make change in game for 'Sol', I see it only next day.
Do you have some modules on planets? Yes, then would you want to see your modules destroyed ? No, I am certain.
Anyway that replacing destroyed by damaged modules not CHANGE anything to the game now.
Except for the developpers
If we want the strategy, it is not the power that will make the game strategic, but the CHOICE.
Otherwise, we're talking for nothing. Do you agree?
(Soupir... ) A very big work for me to write all this.