In many space strategy games, losing a base doesn't end the fight. It starts a slow grind that can last weeks. Nebula Control replaces that with something that has a fixed end.
How Occupation Works in Other Games
In the same browser game I wrote about in my first post, you can have your bases occupied by other players. Being occupied reduces the base's income by 30%, slows fleet, building, and research production by 30%, and cancels any incoming trade routes.
This can hurt, but isn't game-ending. The real issue is that the 30% income lost is transferred to the player occupying your base. On top of that, they can pillage the base every 24 hours, earning extra credits and pulling some of that directly from your reserves.
This creates a real incentive for players to permanently occupy other players' bases. Being permanently occupied is a huge driver of players quitting the game.
Why Fighting Back Doesn't Fix It
Now you can fight back with your own fleet, get guild members to help, or wait for the occupier to leave. But they can come back at any time and reoccupy the base, regaining the hourly income and ability to re-pillage the base every 24 hours. It doesn't help that the base's defenses recover slowly, so retaking the base is easier than the first time.
If you do manage to get them off your base, it doesn't instantly recover. Fleet, building, and research speeds all jump back up right away, but the base's income trickles back so slowly that full recovery can take over a week. Trade routes are locked out for 24 hours after the initial hit, and defenses take days to recover fully.
What I Changed
The system I built to replace occupation is called Disruption. The attacker no longer gets any ongoing income from the base, but they still get a one-time credit pillage. Afterwards, instead of being occupied, the base enters a Disrupted state. The base is disrupted for 8 hours, not weeks. When that time runs out, your base comes back to full function immediately.
After disruption is over, your base enters a 24-hour immunity period where it cannot be attacked again. This gives the defender a chance to build up more defenses or station defending fleets, but most importantly, some breathing room.
Eight hours is the starting number. Alpha will tell me whether it should be longer or shorter.
The Goal
The idea isn't to make being attacked painless. It should still hurt, and attackers should be rewarded for well-timed, well-planned attacks. The idea is to give defenders certainty: a clear timer on when their base recovers, and the knowledge that the damage is temporary.