[Barnacle Bill]

Originally posted by Baron Munchausen:
Oh yes, combat needs some sort of 'simultaneous' resolution to resolve lots of balance problems. I think that 'impulse' turn-segments would work as well as 'real time' since all that 'real time' actually means is many small steps executed very quickly so it looks like it's in motion. Why waste the extra processing time on display for animation's sake only? Just have 64 or 128 'impulses' in a turn and have ship and weapon initiative to calculate who goes when.[/QB]

I strongly support this. You probably would not need so many impulses per turn, though. The number needed is just big enough so that whatever is the fastest object in the game (some seeker, probably) moves every impulse.

The right impulse sequence could eliminate the need to worry about initiative. Every impulse could be divided into four phases - first both sides designate movement for all ships that can move "this" impulse and which the player wishes to move (not moving would require expending a movement point in place), then all movement is implemented simultaneously, then both sides designate fire for all units that can fire "this" impulse" which the player wishes to fire, then fire is resolved simultaneously.

Any ship which can move "this" impulse would be highlighted somehow during movement designation until you move it. Any left over when you click "end movement" burn their movement point in place.

Weapon recharge times would be in impulses instead of tactical turns (example, if there are 30 impulses per turn, a weapon which could fire every turn under today's system would fire every 30 impulses, satisfaction of the recharge being carried over across the turn boundry). Any ship which can fire "this" impulse (both has a weapon charged and a valid target in range) would be highlighted in some way until you designate its fire. Any left over when you click "end fire designation" would just hold fire until next impulse.

Any impulse in which nothing on either side can move or fire would just be skipped.

This would solve a host of balance issues. Then you just need a bigger tactical map and a disengagement rule. The tactical map should be sized such that the fastest posible ship could run from its starting point (whether attacking, defending or entering via warp point) in a straight line for 30 impulses without hitting the map edge. Any ship could disengage as its move in an impulse in which it can move (thereby exiting combat, ending combat if it is the Last unit on its side) if it is out of range of all enemy weapons and either (a) at least as fast as the fastest enemy ship currently in the combat, or (b) the interaction of its separation and speed to each remaining enemy ship is such that if it were to run and be chased, it could not be brought into weapon range before the end of the battle (i.e. the 30th turn). Disengaged ships would have to move out of the system map sector at their next strategic movement opportunity, and could not do anything to the planets, etc.. before moving out. You should also be able to disengage through a warp point by sitting on it and expending a movement point. During movement, ships that can disengage should be highlighted distinctively from those which can move but not disengage.

On the system map, I would apply something akin to impulse movement as well. Orders would be entered during your turn as today, but nothing would move yet. Then there would be a simultaneous impluses execution, with execution interrupted for another orders phase if any ship enters a system containing hostile forces. The "attack" order could be used for one of your ships/fleets against an enemy ship/fleet in the same system, in which case would always move toward its target every movement impulse until it caught up & initiated combat or the target split or warped out or cloaked (any of which would pause order execution to allow new orders).