How to make raiding other factions work

[Argon]

        So in the past there have been threads on the idea of raiding other factions, but these all fail to address several massive problems.  First, considering the size of a raid the enemy's main base would have to be thousands strong. loading a base that large would create enough lag to stop earth in it's orbit, and certainly your framerate. Second if a player managed to systematically pillage and destroy every faction on the map, it would unbalance the game, resulting in it becoming extremely easy to survive.

        The solution to both of these would be a game mechanic where factions create outposts all about the map, friendly outposts could be traded with, and enemy ones could be pillaged or destroyed, outposts would be manned by 10-25 people, making them formidable but not impossibly laggy.  Another potential mechanic could be that the strength and frequency of enemy raids would directly correlate to the strength and number of their outposts.  This could also add serious long term content, as your colony could get into a ten year long slugging match with a pirate faction or tribe.

-Argon

[inman30]

Yes that would seem to work i especially like the idea of trading with factions. May i add i would like to also add spy's/infiltrators. Like they did to you. The spy's could learn about the outposts and relay defenses and such. Then sneak out in the night without them knowing and also possibly sabotage them. Set fires and such. Those are my only additions i would like to see added to this idea.