The way I would do it...

[young bounty]

ED is fun it has a lot of great stuff going for it but if I was in control , I would take a some sort of control of certain things. With the 2.2 looming and the introduction of aliens this is the perfect chance to create a feeling of necessity. Physically take control of the thargoids or what ever and create staged battles almost like an invasion attack space stations. Actually have a CZ surrounding a space station and should the community lose destroy, severly dmg, or force the players to repair it for functionality.

Stages of battle start out like a CZ that slowly progresses towards the station where the NPCs objectives change from attacking fighters to bombing to maybe even boarding. Players would have to work together and communicate inorder to save this station and even set priorities like which stations should we save???? Make it so they can't save them all lol sense of loss is what creates an urgency.

Thargoids should be an almost overwelming force by numbers not bullet sponges that soak up dmg and they should come in as waves instead of warping in one by one. To avoid waves randomly spawing on top of players have them start in an area protected by capitol ships that players wouldn't enter and would have to stay on the outskirts of that way we can see the enemy conning and get the ohhhh S.... Factor....

Have player tactics like escorting a bomb ship in to take out thargoid capitol ships and stage some awsome effects. Or have players do like starwars and have to fly through some vents and torpedo a weakspot lol.

Make sure the tactics vary so instead of every station attack being a fleet maybe they construct a base with a weapon on a planet we have to assuallt before they take out a station. And if we lose lol make it awesome and make a video of it blowing up and release it Lol.

Now with people that want to avoid combat maybe have them run logistic roles as well like transporting guns and munitions. And the expansion effort needs to be limited or weakened the farther it gets out as other players may not want to take part. However, I feel it needs to be slightly intrusive to feel like an invasion. Maybe they want to cordon off a section they feel is holy or sentimental and humans already inhabit that area once they have the area they just protect it?

Just some thoughts on how I would do it. From reading these forums these guys expect to fear for their lives when thargoids show up and if you just CZ the thargoids... Or have them interdict traders for no reason it just won't make sense and they will be disipointed in my opinion or atleast I will be upset lol.

All in all not trying to change you're game or force my beliefs on anyone else. My comments are just one grain of salt do what you wish with them good luck to all commanders when they come and fly safe or at least dangerously!

 

[CMDR Cosmic Spacehead]

Yeah, that's pretty much how I'd do it too.

I'd also use dev controlled Thargoid ships, to do a few plot related things,
Such as, simply be spotted by an explorer, but for not long enough to know what it was.
Attack a random explorer.
Post news about sightings, with stereotypical fussy images.

And gradually ramp up the volume of attacks.

Then, wipe out a station. Gone.
Just a wreck, drifting.

Then another.

Then human forces can begin fighting back.


Or, during the height of the Empire / Federation war, drop Thargoids right in the middle and wipe out everything.
Just like in Freespace.

 

[verminstar]

In the grand scheme of things, I would have absolutely no issues doing long range tactical recon in an unarmed ship built purely for recon and not combat. The objective being to gather as much intel as possible without them knowing I'm there at all, with the ability to run and evade if spotted. I don't mind working with others but from the perspective that I'm not under the command of the military...I'm merely a civilian passing along information along which they can use which may well ensure my survival, by those more qualified and able.

From a gameplay point of view, this role would suit me best as an explorer who avoids combat, and is almost never armed, even in the bubble. I use a cobra purely as a fast taxi built purely for speed and running while in the bubble, although this might change if the conditions change within the bubble. Right now, its armament is comprised of mines purely to slow down npc in solo mode...everything about the way I play this game is to lean towards non combat roles. In this respect, long range recon is what I would be most qualified to do which in turn leaves the boys and girls in uniforms to salute each other and concentrate on what they good at.

It could be a very beneficial arrangement for everyone concerned, and encourage more players to work together as opposed to lots of groups always trying to get one over on each other all the time. It would encourage more open play and new friendships made.

Or we could just keep playing the game we have now with open play a mess, community relations in the gutter and constant troll wars on the forums ^^