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[woodsmoke]

Apologies if this has been suggested before; I did a search and didn't find anything quite pertaining to this.

I'd like there to be some sort of option to intercept enemy expeditionary forces, particularly defeated ones, and "escort them off the premises," so to speak. By way of explanation, I was recently in-system dealing with some other business when a Hegemony expedition was narrowly defeated by my own forces, preventing the raid but not wiping out the enemy fleet, whereupon it immediately set about harassing and attacking everything it could until I finally chased it down and blew it up. What I'd like to have done *instead* of blow them all up is simply send the remaining forces on their way, mission failed but no hard feelings, and hopefully recoup a bit of the rep lost when the expedition was defeated. I know destroying the rest of the fleet didn't hurt my standing with the Hegemony any more but, for one, I worked up to full positive rep with all the established factions before settling my colonies and I'd like to maintain that somewhat (I understand running free ports means expeditions, that's fine) and, second, I generally like to play good guy types and having no option between "let them keep being a thorn in my side" or "go full Terminator on their asses" didn't quite sit right with me.

Ideally, this would also be an option if you've intercepted the expedition en-route and your own fleet is clearly superior to their own, with a concurrent reduction in rep loss (only 1 or 2 points, say) for the expedition failing. Maybe that option could require a story point.

Basically, I just want to way to be civil about showing unwelcome guests the door without doing so kinetically.

[Killian]

So what, they can shuffle home and meekly say to their bosses "well, they asked us really nicely not to kick their asses..."?

Either they fight (and probably die, but maybe eject/escape) or they return home, dishonoured, and either get executed for cowardice/failure or kicked down into some menial job digging latrine pits.

I'd rather see a system whereby after the first couple of failed expeditions they take the hint, learn from their failures, and stop wasting resources. Especially if you utterly thrashed them. After a certain point, if you're powerful enough, they should do everything in their power to avoid provoking you given you could retaliate.

That, or maybe you can offer them asylum. Clearly their bosses don't care about them or think particularly highly of them if they're being sent to attack you, so why not offer them a job somewhere their skills might be valued?

[woodsmoke]

So what, they can shuffle home and meekly say to their bosses "well, they asked us really nicely not to kick their asses..."?

No, so they can return home with the remainder of their forces as an olive branch, demonstrating I still value my positive relationship with the faction and don't wish to needlessly waste the lives of good men whose only crime was being assigned to the task force sent to disrupt my colony's operations. Once that mission has failed there's no reason for them to remain in my territory causing trouble; they're soldiers, not common pirates.

If you want to stomp the Hegemony into the dust for daring to send forces against you there are already avenues for that approach in the game. I'm simply asking for a somewhat more diplomatic option. Not everyone who plays this game does so with the objective of supreme domination.

[SteelHeart]

If you have enough forces left to intimidate them into leaving I think it could make sense. If the enemy force gets smashed and you show up with 3 paragons then they would have no issues leaving.

If you show up with nothing but a cargo ship expect to get laughed off and attacked.

[woodsmoke]

Right. Relative strengths should factor into the situation just like they do in any other combat encounter. I'd say it should roughly parallel default enemy reaction to your fleet:

 * Pursuing your fleet - You ain't chasing anyone out of anywhere

 * Maintaining contact and willing to fight - Make a show of strength, disable a few of the enemy's ships (or especially their flagship) and you'll find them much more cooperative

 * Avoiding contact but willing to fight - Can probably be persuaded to leave without too much difficulty

 * Avoiding contact and attempting to disengage - The enemy crew are basically praying you'll just shout at them to get off your lawn

All of this assumes, of course, the player is in-system. If the expedition shows up while you're off in Parts Unknown surveying planets or something it should just auto-resolve as it does already.

[Killian]

So what, they can shuffle home and meekly say to their bosses "well, they asked us really nicely not to kick their asses..."?

No, so they can return home with the remainder of their forces as an olive branch, demonstrating I still value my positive relationship with the faction and don't wish to needlessly waste the lives of good men whose only crime was being assigned to the task force sent to disrupt my colony's operations. Once that mission has failed there's no reason for them to remain in my territory causing trouble; they're soldiers, not common pirates.

If you want to stomp the Hegemony into the dust for daring to send forces against you there are already avenues for that approach in the game. I'm simply asking for a somewhat more diplomatic option. Not everyone who plays this game does so with the objective of supreme domination.

Yet, as both history and current events show, people will often continue to carry out their orders for fear of the consequences of failing their superiors, even if any other course of action would be far more logical and reasonable than what is arguably a suicide mission.

It doesn't matter how noble your intentions are if their commanding officers are going to arrange for them to have a terrible, awful, exceedingly lethal "accident" should they come back having failed in their assigned mission. If your choice is probable death in battle or a shameful flight home that almost certainly ends in a firing squad, what do you pick?

That said, I believe you can already bribe and disrupt expedition fleets through credits+SP or reputation at the planet they're forming at whilst they're being assembled, so I suppose you could simply add those interactions to the actual expedition fleet itself, similar to the AI inspection fleet bribe option. Plus factions you have a commission with won't send standard expeditions after you.