As it stands, planets are near impossible to defend from top legions. In addition, population is the most useless stat...
How would the game change if:
Bio-vaporizers were taken out completely, or nerfed significantly (-500 pop each?)
Cloning pods can only be used on a "New Colony"
Engineered viruses can only be used on a "New Colony" or some short time period after a planet has been invaded (12-24 hours?)

It'd be a major overhaul but population would then have some use, forcing legions to take time to lower it, and increasing the likelihood that the owner will log in.
There's probably something I've left out, but feel free to discuss the idea and poke holes in it.

Actually, its not just top legions. Any planet that you can get to invade status is one that can be taken. The problem is that there is always a % you will be able to invade and because of such, having enough people try, someone is going to get it.


I disagree here. High Pop + High Defense + Warp Inhibitor is a really good defense for a number of people. The average player (no necessarily high level), will want to deal with 4k population on a planet where they are only hitting for 1-2 damage per hit. (read min, 9,975 energy just to depopulate).

Cloak (assuming it works), is the only thing that protects your planet because it can't be found. Everything else just gives you a chance to keep it, especially if you are on when they try!

Pop has a use.
Ever tried to take a arti immune planet with 20k+ pop?
At 500 ea qbvs would have to come with multiple uses like trap probes.

You are complaining about not being able to defend planets, but you only want the thief to be able to use cloning pods?

I think this would hinder defense, rather than help.

If you were to make a planet hard for EotS, how easy is it gonna be for the rest of the galaxy?

When we go for a nice planet like a MC 22x arti there are 10+ ships attacking all of which are swinging invade attacks that make exotica an easy steal.
Ya can't hurt our chances to invade without hurting everyone else more.

^ This.

I would give a +1 to nerfing BioVaps the rest of the ideas I am not a fan

Make the bio vap 250 a shot and planet must have 400 pop in order to use

This can bring a planet down to 150 max

To address some of these points:

Not looking to make planets invincible, especially considering the ratio of planets I steal to ones I've had stolen But population feels underpowered compared to the others. Warp inhibitors work fine for mid range planets, maxed toxics or plasmas sure, but I've seen way too many maxed arti planets with 10k pop go down. It's the ease that bothers me. How repeatable is 20k+ pop on a planet without a lush biosphere, and how many people feel comfortable using an inhibitor on a maxed gaia? My biggest concern is that vaporizers make population seem useless.

The cloning pod change was to balance a QBV nerf. Maybe making cloning pods restore a certain fraction of population...

I'll admit I have no fix for this one, I thought about it too before posting, but maybe someone has a fair way to fix it (not getting my hopes up).

Maybe a CT lab item that upgrades a single obviation barrier by 1400?

-Barrier Fortifier
(Upgrades one Obviation Barrier to a Fortified Obviation Barrier; improving its defense to 2600 (up from the original 1200) and the new structure will also provide 150 population. Can still be destroyed by Crimson Cluster Missiles and Saboteurs.
Requires 15 X-Charge Cells, 15 Ship Bots, 50 Shield Amplifiers, 75 Energy.)

Maybe something similar can be done for Quasi-Chaos Minefields but provides a bit of cloaking instead of a bit of population.

I'd prefer a Staffed Barrier that includes Rescued Prisoners in the recipe. Makes you pay dearly for them.

That would make it a simply useless discovery which no one would use or want, 15 x-charge cells seem like a reasonable compromise for extra defence while sacrificing some shields on your ship.

You're only gonna stop the top legions if we don't find the planet.
Except the rift trap giving it invincible status
and the xecti pathway which stops us from alerting to our legion

Once you see people fail at 90% on planets with 50k defense you will understand.
Defense of 150k yea not a real big problem. I'll ask Gallin and Willeitner to show up for the invade.

Not sure how much room the owner used... But there is this planet with 412k pop and 10k ish def... With the Warp inhibiter...
http://galaxylegion.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=36787&start=20