I consider 2% to be on the higher side of the scale.

Basically (using MW numbers now) will give you a rough core size of 35 systems. Thats equivilant to 700+ planets. Untouchable to attacks. Split them between your 2 or 3 poppers and have them only build op defense, like Jag said, and they can infinitely jump over and over according to how the market pans out or ressies (I would assume even with these starving, they would still net more than a CFer and end up profitable - especially not paying fleet upkeep)

You have to remember that even if ppl set 50/100/200 core sizes, they never own 100% of those planets in that core and those planets are in danger of being attacked/NAPs are able to be dropped/securing that area to begin with takes resources and time etc. None of that applies to this core setting, they are free planets to use whenever you see fit. You could explore outside of this all round if you wished and then save this whole set core for later when the gal fills up (if you were agressive enough to hold the systems out side of it - might not be hard with ppl turtling in their set core etc)

Though this helps with keeping smaller fams safe, it also protects those bigger fams that wish to infra whore all round also. Making the NW gap bigger in the end.

Lots of abusable means/strats available to fams who have a safe area to retreat to if all else fails.

These things need discussion, keep talking guys

Could change Home systems to Home clusters i.e. cluster of 9 systems in the middle of which is the HS.

system 1................system 2................system 3
system 4................system 5(HS)................system 6
system 7................system 8................system 9

all right next to each other
all these 9 systems become unattackable = about ~200 planets

But you need to find a good way of enforcing the outlawing of claiming cores apart from these 9. Whats to stop families making unofficial NAPs with bigger core lists?

And I still think this can be abused a lot. Everytime they get attacked, they can just go "back off or we're going to ruin your round by sitting in core and opping you all round long"

that's what i have been saying, jag

Pie, how difficult is it to modify the randomized for system placement to include 9-10 systems to immediately surround a familys hs? If we did that, and made it unable for any other fam to own a planet there, then that's a better idea. Good job primo and jag.

meh you're doing it more and more complicated

you missed my simple idea or dont even taking it in consideration?
Make the HS a special system with 100 planets and a fixed DS you cannot move, now add an extra default DS you can move.
And play the game like its always been played, any system is attackable and explorable.  The idea of enforcing rules on several systems is a waste of space/time/efforts, when all you want is to define a core so small fams have (at least) 100 planets to play their round.

And this is a great help for the small fams yes, so if any small fam isnt able to explo his HS or let an enemy portal up in the HS then they deserve to be killed (kinda hard anyway to kill a fam hitting a DS of 100 planets).

I think Renders idea is better.

Put 100-200 planets in HS instead of making 9 systems.
That way we achieve what we want without screwing with the galaxy map.
But a DS won't be enough, you need to make the planets un-attackable if you really want a 100% safe eco-zone.

It won't solve the root problem.

Why not just give every player a home planet with 1000 build space.  It would have the same effect of not balancing what is an inherrently imbalanced game.

okay, if you are killed off, you can't rejoin that gal until next round.  Problem solved.  no  more stacked fams.

Also, you can't mess with planet sizes because that messes with the basic aspects of building/eco such as OB percentages, planetary bonuses etc.

Have to change number of planets per system or number of safe systems or both.

as render said, it has influence on exploration, amongst other things

i feel we are making this more complicated than it needs to be
plus we're inserting other ideas into this thread

oki then lets start with a HS of 100 planets and a fixed DS, lets test that and see how it goes, and see how far can we go considering the devs and server load limitations.

That's the less complicated thing to do right now