I'd like to see more options for dealing with enemy planets short of full scale invasions. It doesn't make much sense that I can park my fleet in orbit but aren't able to affect the planet itself without ground troops. I'd like to propose three options:

1)Bombardment - Just what it sounds like. Your fleet trades its movement points for an opportunity to strike targets on the surface. How much damage you do is determined by your fleet's firepower and whatever planetary defenses happen to exist (shields, etc) that might mitigate the attack. Higher tech levels could make it easier to target specific structures like ground defenses, manufacturing or research facilities. For heavily defended planets, a few turns of bombing might be necessary before an invasion is even possible. This would also let you take important planets out of play by wrecking their warmaking potential.

2)Blockade - Your fleet parks itself in orbit and cuts the enemy planet off from the rest of it's civilization. A blockaded planet couldn't support shipyards, engage in trade or supply taxes to it's empire. It would also suffer a morale penalty which would increase with each turn.

3)Raid - Landing parties from your fleet attack the planet but do not invade. They might steal tech, grab money or destroy improvements. Successful raids could hurt the planet's morale softening it up for a later invasion or making it more likely to flip. I'd like to see this be a regular action taken by pirates against undefended planets. Colonies would have a chance to repel the raid based on their resistance level.

thoughts?