[Talenn]

My feeling is that lack of retreat ability and the limited map area are there for game balance and should not be removed. It would be too easy for longer ranged weapons to stand off and pound shorter ranges to dust. That is precisely why missile ships are constrained by the 'artificial' border. If it wasnt there, there would be little reason to use other weapons.

Also, the lack of ability to retreat makes it so that you cant always escape until you have the advantage (at such time the enemy will perpetually run etc). It also makes it so that it is possible to intercept and and destroy marauding enemy fleets before they nuke your worlds. It tends to make more combat more decisive and that is how is should be IMO.

About the only way to get around this stuff would be a far more complex movement system that had 'turn modes' or vector thrust or somesuch to control continues retreat and fire abilities. I just dont see that as adding too much to a game at this scale. It would be neat to see, but I doubt that it would really make the game all that much better and would definately add to the playing time required for a game.

Talenn