Crazy idea:
Every player can get ai ships at stations.
Those ships will follow him.
Attack freely / attack my target / gather with me are the only commands you need to control.
This 3 commands are enough, keep it simple.
If you warp away, they will try to come to you.
If you die they fight and will then go to the nearest station waiting for new commander.
Let there be a limit for max ships. Lets say 500 per team. If you have 2 players in a team, both will be able to collect and command 250 ships max. If you have 250 players in a team, everyone can only get 1 additional ai buddy. So huge battles are always possible.
No more anonymous ai commander but instand good gameplay even with fewer human player.
Communication examples:
“…ok let me get the destroyers from xxx station. then we meet and attack…”
“… ok stay and defend… i will come back! …with hundretst of helping ships!..”
the point is:
REMOVE THE AI COMMANDER!
- we are the commanders
- we choose the targets and the tactics
- we are in need to know where to attack
- we will bring supplies
(maybe implement a rank progression: it starts with the right to recruit just 1 inty, and beyond that it takes either in-match progression or out of match)