CURRENT
a) Firewall trap. Instead of 8 hours on the enemy,
1) why not 8 hours on the hacked ship with the trap (+25% anti-hack defense 95%->70%)
OR
2) Hack timer for the hacker increases to 8 hours due to technical difficulties (TM doesn't help as it is an active effect)
OR both

NEW
b) Planet trap artifact Cloning labs trap- +50% population for 24 hours - automatically filled and triggered upon first attack
(something like alarm sentry which acts like sentry guard but is only half the amount of time)
c) Planet trap artifact Krionus-like trap - (same effect like the krionus but for planets)

Artifact replenishment
d) Artifact effects timers should be resettable. For example: Using a sentry guard on a planet with 2 mins of sentry guard effect will yield a message and it won't be used. Perhaps replace it with -->
Similiar effect active, Replace it? [Yes] [No]
Getting sick of waiting for the effect to wear off before it can be replenished. (When artifacts finishes their time, Shield amps = you lose half your shields that was regenerated, ship traps/planet traps could leave them vulnerable as their effects could wear off when you are away from the game.

EXCESSIVE ARTIFACT STOCKS:
e)
Cloning pods
Containment cages
Unstable wormhole
And possibly:
Spy Probe (cargo/defense/attack)

Do find a way to reduce these artifact stocks if a lot of people is continuously scrapping them. (Missions)
Suggested missions

Unstable wormholes + containment cage =
Scientist are working on finding how to contain wormhole --> Reward = Stable wormhole, uses no energy

cloning pods = Gains longevity serum

Spy Probe - Missions to get research points.

I was just thinking that it would be nice if some of the artifacts you can use on planets would work as traps. Many times, the battle is over by the time you can use the buffs.

It would be great if your sentry artifact would start on the first attack.

Such an artifact exists already. Alarm Sentry

I am suggesting a -90% attack trap instead

I like the idea. The "planet under attack!" could actually be responded to before the planet is already captured and fluxed away.

I would like to see the Spy Cargo artifact be available on NPCs. I know there are some NPCs that carry items, artifacts, etc. I would like to be able to scan it and know if its worth taking it out before I spend all the energy doing it.

I wouldn't mind seeing something along the lines that if your hack beats their defense by a certain % you bypass the firewall and don't suffer the effects. Here in the low-mid 100s everyone...I mean EVERYONE pops me with a firewall trap.

Then its time to load up the guns, sensors, defenses and wait it out.