No, it just makes them jump somewhat slower. That's not good enough because your response fleet can realistically be many jumps away on large maps, so even if it takes two or three times as long to jump through a PJI, they can still do it.

Another way to make PJI work is to make them interdict a fleet but only for limited time, maybe 30 seconds, unless it is destroyed in that time. It could be a second or third level ability. The first level does what it does now, slowing down the cooling down before a phase jump. A second level will slow down the cooling down further and a third level is an activated ability that interdicts a fleet for thirty seconds. This way if we have more than one PJIs, then we can activate them in sequence. Any opinions?

Regards

I also noticed something funny when I played the TEC, a Vasari fleet entered my system which had a phase inhibitor. As soon as it arrived my defenses attacked it. The fleet actually phase jumped in my gravity well. Has any one else seen this?

Also I noticed that the PJI's radius is very small. Perhaps with the upgrades it could be made bigger.

Will putting more than one PJIs, slow down a fleet more than one?

Regards

vasari have a capital ship(barely seen it used) with an ability and a tech, which both let them jump with a larger distance to the phase lane/exit as in closer to the planet.

Personally, I don't like this idea. It requires micromanagement (the less clicking I have to do, the better), and it is too complex in terms of multiple levels of research, slowing down cooling times before phase jumps, etc. When possible, I am usually in favor of the KISS principle (keep it simple, stupid). That works best for me as a player, and it certainly works best for the developers in terms of development.

I am in favor of what the OP wants at the top. The excuse I always hear for not doing this is that people are worried about someone turtling back in their empire with a superweapon. I don't know why that should be a worry - if you take out the phase jump inhibitor you can proceed further into the enemy system. But bottom line, you can always nerf the superweapon. I think it is a no-brainer that if anything is gonna get nerfed, the superweapon should get hit with the nerf bat over the PJI. I mean, what is more important to game play dynamic, strategic use of phase lanes and star systems, or some stupid superweapon?

This may be too much trouble for the devs, but it might not: When setting up a game, make it an option to drop the PJI and maybe superweapon too. That way they could make the PJI the way the OP describes at the top. Those who want the current game play dynamic could just drop the PJI and play without it (which is essentially what they have now - a useless PJI). Those who are concerned with someone turtling with a superweapon could just drop the superweapon (this is assuming it isn't nerfed while buffing the PJI).

another idea
https://forums.sinsofasolarempire.com/?forumid=402&aid=176469

Post it in here. In addition to 3 high level tec upgrades for hindering your enemy moving around in your empire I would also suggest that there would be 2-3 levels of PJI upgrade levels which further slowed the speed of enemy phase jumps between your planets, like Azmodean77 mentioned.

this is a perfect idea.....

and it is realistic

the superweaopon obviously fire with phasejump speed.. an inhibitor would make the projectile stop... sow firing the Superweaopon would have 2 disable the al PJI in order 2 proceed......

awesome   

Any kind of phase-disabling ability can make it impossible for ships to escape an interdicted system. The Evacuator's Gravity Warhead is especially good at this, any marauding fleet has to drain the Evacuators AM or kill it. All the while you are beating on them. But even with single target abilities like phase out or ion bolt, you can pick out key enemy ships and destroy them before jumping in pursuit.

Another interesting tactic I just thought of: Place a couple Iconus Guardians in your strongpoint system, and use their telekinetic push ability to shove attackers into the planetary defenses and away from the phase-point.

Silver Thief's idea does only make PJI obsolete, so nah.

And making defense chokepoints easier to access kind of contradicts the reason why they removed PJI lockdown in the first place.

As it stands I think my and Azmodean77 ideas are the most realistic ones.

In the spirit of KISS, another way to go is to get rid of PJIs. Instead, just make the ships stay longer in a gravity well. This can be done by;

a) Appearing further inside a gravity well
Making the gravity well bigger
c) Making the cool down period slightly longer maybe by 10-20%

I still like the limited time (insert suitable time for balancing purposes) interdiction idea (need not be an activated ability - can be autocast as soon as an enemy fleet has entered the system). But to balance the game, make PJIs vulnerable to attack, more expensive to build etc.etc.

As for locking down space lanes I agree that if this idea should be implemented it should be only between planets that the player controls or between allies in locked games.

Regards