[dmm]

First of all, why are attack/defense ships running away? I don't understand that. Any attack/defense ship with working weapons should never have "Don't get hurt" as a strategy.

Second, I have never liked the way combats get fully played out individually for each ship entering a sector. It has always been especially unfair to the AI. The problem arises because "combat time" is totally separate from "movement time." I don't have a simple solution though. (Note: I always play "turn-based." Is this still a problem in "simultaneous?") Seems like you could "charge" the movement points of a ship/fleet for time spent in combat. Finish off the enemy quickly, and you lose only a few MP (or maybe even none). Take the whole combat time, and you lose all your MP. (If combat occurs late in the movement phase, then the program would deduct some MP from next turn.) This would make a suicidal stand by an outdated fleet potentially worthwhile, since it might prevent the enemy fleet from reaching your homeworld before your flagship fleet. Would give a new worth to heavily armored/shielded ships. Would be amazingly cool if combined with allowing ships to change sectors by going off the combat map. Could add a strategy "Stay on course," for those situations where it absolutely, positively has to be there overnight.