I was thinking of a limited tactical combat as well but would take it a bit further. Most people who are gasindt tactical combat say it would be either too long to play or that the AI could not be challenging. I would propse the following:

Add a tech in the tech tree called War College or Tactical Command. Once that has been researched, add tactical battle planning module much like the ship designer. Here you would actually create battle formations and battle assignments for each hull type within the formation. The formations wold be designed on a grid organized in zones. So, in essence, your plan will not involve placing actual ships, just placing zones and then assigning the hull type that goes in each zone. For example, zone one would be the front of the formation and could have small fighters assigned, zone two would be the left wing with frigats, zone 3 with some other type of ship, etc. each zone would then allow you to further refine how each ship in that zone would function (ie - target small shipos, protect another zone, etc). Once you finish your plan, you assign a rating from 1 to 5 to denote the battle plans general use. (1 = cut and run, 3 = balanced, 5 = attack at all costs) This would later be used by the AI (I will explain later)This would allow those of us who like to make plans for our battles to tinker away in the war college without slowing the game (just like the ship designer)

When a battle starts, you simply select the battle plan you would like to use and then let the game play it's little movie like it always has.

For the folks that think the AI could not do this, my solution would be for each race to have preprogrammed battle plans they could "use". They would not create their own so the logic should be possible to allow the AI to select its plan based on their own fleet composition, race ethics, aggression, etc. The neat thing would be that if you want them to use your home made battle formations and plans, simply export yours to the races folder for future use. The AI could then use the rating you applied (1 to 5) and use that rating as part of its logic to determine what plan to use. BTW, if gamers did not want to create their own plans, they could use a stock selection that is premade for their race.

This is all just an idea and would have to be worked out in much greater detail but i think this would allow those of us who want more depth in battle to do so and still let others keep playing they always played.

or star wars: empire at wars?

Having tactical combat without a degree of complexity would be like playing chess without the queen, knights and bishops. A shallow waste of time. More is good people!

Skyjack...I may be wrong but that is what we are talking about here....GalCiv III

GCFL: disregard about any of Skyjacks posts. He's just another no-takker who apparently likes to hear himself spout bile. Fortunately, as the poll shows and as the forums are beginning to show, his kind aren't nearly as numerous or influential as they once thought.

Genius, all I did was cut and paste a statement from FROGBOY. So how am I spouting bile? THERE WILL NEVER BE TACTICAL COMBAT IN GC II. read FROGBOYS' post. THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT GC III, toughguy!