I want a special game for a special kind of people.
Each player has a planet and a fleet.
You build and develop your planet much like you would in any civilization browser game. Select plots of land, select the building and the timer will count down. The planet's population and riches will determine how much can be invested in your ships. The technology level unlocks modules you can use on your ships. If you successfully attack a planet, you are given a reward proportionate to the level of the defenses you eliminated, plus a chance to obtain modules your opponent possesses. If you successfully defended a planet, you are not rewarded by the game, but you can salvage from the attacker's ships modules and resources.
The fleet is made up on a small number of spacecraft (3-10). Half of the game is building your ships from scratch, however you see fit, from a near infinite number of procedurally created modules. Each ship can be assigned a articular AI strategy that is overriden manually.
For example, I can build the smallest ship possible, that devotes all of the payload to missiles. The fusion drive uses frozen methane propellant. I place the propellant in front of the missiles to provide 'free armor'. The AI I assign is supposed to use up all of the delta V in increasing the approach velocity, and thus shortening the time spend being shot at by laser defenders. I'll equip it with chemical boosters to provide the hard dodging ability needed to avoid deadly kinetic missile defenses. I can set the AI to automatically fire if the armor is depleted prematurely.
Once all is done, the much lighter craft performs an aerobraking maneouver around the target planet to rendez-vous with the refuelling craftand come home.
The interesting thing is, you want your fleet to be as cheap as possible for a given effectiveness. It has to be reused for several campaigns, since the cost of replacing a ship is more than you expect to loot from an opponent. Each campaign costs ammo and propellant, as well as repairs. Also, since there are dozens of aspects to each ships, from computational power (accuracy and scanning speed) to propellant flow pumps (maximal acceleration with and effect on overall drive efficiency), it is actually useful to spend time making blueprints for other players, or buying them from them.
There is not set 'ultimate fleet' either, since your fleet has to be adapted to your most likely opponents every time you attack or defend.
The objective on the game is to travel to another player's planet and attack them from the edge of their solar system. Since the game is very realistic, the ships will take months to arrive at their destination. This is where sped-up RTS elements come into play. You determine a course of action, and modify it on the fly as your opponent reacts.
Here is an example:
Your plan is to devote power to the railguns to shoot from outside of the defender's effective range. The munitions will drift to the opponent. Instead, you find out that he has very effective laser defenses. You missiles will be shot down. You alter your plan to get closer, devoting power instead to your drives.
The objective is to mount as many campaigns as possible against your opponents. Each encounter lasts 10-20 minutes depending on how fast your ships approach. Players can play against the computer as defender or attacker by selecting from a list of pre-made, player or random fleet fleets. Missions and events have their own unique AI and fleets, with special rewards. Modules, constructed ships and even blueprints for the lazy can be traded between players.
The game is for everyone. Hardcore players looking for action can micromanage their fleets in PvP. Players lacking an internet connection can play the campaign missions or randomize their opponents. There is room for people who just want to build the mightiest ships and trade them away, and room for players who just want to buy their way in and start playing at the top.
I hope this comes true
There would definitely be at least a set scenario of a full-scale alien invasion.
