When I put influence starbases near AI oponents and they find out about them they usually get on the comm and say "we know what you are up to" or "get rid of it or there will be trouble". Basically a warning.
How do I do the same when I find one of their influence starbases in my territory? If I go to comm I can only demand they give it to me for free which they see as idle threats and gets me nowhere. If I attack it we are at war. I just want to tell them to disband it. You know, diplomatic like.
At the start of a game, hitting an Inf Starbase with the battle stations upgrade could cost me my fleets and still might not work (low logistics, low defense and low attack ships basically). And I would probably lose ground at the start of the resulting war.
This situation gets even worse during the war if they want peace whatever the cost - I cant ask them to hand any Inf Starbases I didnt destroy over because ships dont appear in the ship list on this screen! If I reject the peace offer to continue hunting Inf Starbases it wont be long before they surrender all their remaining empire to a competitor and I am back in Bonedville. I know they are probably a precursor to attack anyway but at least make them surrender-able in victory. I cant just leave them out there!
I hope all that makes sense - the question was at the start...
