Infinite combat map

[Shadowstar]

I do like the idea of infinite combat area, but the system just needed some tweaks to prevent gameplay problems.

The retreat option sounds good but I wonder if the AI will use it? It sounds to me like it is optional, not a forced retreat. If it's not optional then it effectively negates infinite combat area. Problem is, if it is optional then it still leaves the system open for exploit.

After all, what's to stop a player from flying past the border and just choosing not to retreat? Without the automatic end of battle, it'd all come down to which player chooses to retreat first.

This wouldn't be an issue if pursuing ships would not follow retreaters too far past the combat border. At some point, they turn back and return to the fleet/planet/etc. Then, if the fleeing player chooses to retreat, it moves him out of the sector normally, but if he chooses not to, it leaves his ships where they were and ends the combat. Either way, the defending ships return to thier original positions. He could then choose to attack again, but would not be able to exploit the tactic in order to pull defenders away from a target.