How to effectively communicate "gambits"
Creating a new type of planetary campaign that temporarily replaces the liberation campaign on planets from which an enemy attack is launched would be the most transparent way to communicate that counterattacks (aka gambits) are possible. By giving it its own timer and icons visible on the galaxy-wide zoom level of the ship's map, it will ensure enough players are aware of the ability to counterattack, without having to specify it repeatedly in dispatches or create MOs just to get players to do this
A new campaign type shouldn't be too difficult to implement, as there is already a unique "invasion campaign" for illuminate attacks that is distinct from the regular defense campaigns against bots/bugs. It could also be used to prioritize certain mission types over others that would be thematic for a rapid, rushed liberation (e.g. more blitzes, fewer civilian evacs), or even to add new mission types altogether
In my example, both planets that are under attack from Heeth are listed in the description. I'm not sure how this might look if an attack on one planet originates from multiple hostile planets, but it is often futile to try to "gambit" these attacks instead of defending it the normal way, so I don't think these would need their own icons or such
Creating a new type of planetary campaign that temporarily replaces the liberation campaign on planets from which an enemy attack is launched would be the most transparent way to communicate that counterattacks (aka gambits) are possible. By giving it its own timer and icons visible on the galaxy-wide zoom level of the ship's map, it will ensure enough players are aware of the ability to counterattack, without having to specify it repeatedly in dispatches or create MOs just to get players to do this
A new campaign type shouldn't be too difficult to implement, as there is already a unique "invasion campaign" for illuminate attacks that is distinct from the regular defense campaigns against bots/bugs. It could also be used to prioritize certain mission types over others that would be thematic for a rapid, rushed liberation (e.g. more blitzes, fewer civilian evacs), or even to add new mission types altogether
In my example, both planets that are under attack from Heeth are listed in the description. I'm not sure how this might look if an attack on one planet originates from multiple hostile planets, but it is often futile to try to "gambit" these attacks instead of defending it the normal way, so I don't think these would need their own icons or such