How about combining this with the idea of letting the AI move ships between worlds to defend certain targets (http://www.arcengames.com/mantisbt/view.php?id=7496)? I could see the eye being something that links into the "high level network" and lets other local AIs know about your attack. That would make it something you could potentially use to your advantage when you want to raid an adjacent world but keep the same essential challenge for attacking AI eye worlds.
I
really like this idea.
Combine that with the varying Eye types (
earlier in the thread) and you'd have some really interesting opportunities.
Think the "lazy eye" (Grav Drill when blob) + "move ships into system" and you end up with a very nasty Web Trap. Blob enters system...but it can't leave (quickly).
I'd also tweak the "blob detection" math so that it isn't based on the AI's
current presence (that is, you bring a blob in, nothing happens, you kill a guard post and some ships, and suddenly the AI Eye starts vomiting units) but rather a lower threshold based off of some
intended number of units. That would make it so that the blob is
detected instantly and it isn't a dynamic variable based on the currently alive ships (but rather based on how many ships the AI had when you moved the fleet in, so that the AI Eye's response is constant). Add a 1 minute delay (variable depending on Eye type, perhaps) before the first trigger (and also possibly "pulse triggers" depending on effect) and voila: it's more consistent, but also deadlier and
each one is different (rather than a grinding slog of roadblocks).
The way I see it going down is you move a fleet into system, the resident Eye announces that a blob has been detected ("High level threat warning: Leave system in 60 seconds or face repercussions" or similar). After 1 minute (or whatever interval), if the blob is still...a blob, activate the Eye's ability (Grav Drill, EMP burst, Ion Cannons, etc.) and start calling in reinforcements from elsewhere in the galaxy.*
If the player's fleet drops below "blob" level at any time during the count down, nothing happens, the timer still ticks and the check is still made at the 1 minute mark. The Eye then remains in "hair trigger" mode for another minute (identical time to it's count-down, if not 1 minute, or some multiple thereof) that if a blob is detected, the Eye immediately goes off (if the "cooldown" is reached, then it goes back to the passive state).
Pulse-effects (such as the EMP) would return to "just detected" state after each pulse, effectively resetting the countdown timer.
*This is important, as it allows the player to use the Eye as a
distraction, making it a double-edged sword.
