I'd like either an option added to the nightlies, or a mod, that makes it possible to thwart alien Infiltration Missions and to fail at the Cydonia mission without losing the game.
Currently, once the Infiltration Mission sequence starts, there is absolutely nothing that can be done to stop the target country from defecting. I've read speculation that this was a game design decision, to give a sense of urgency to players, when they lose funding. However, I see two problems with that speculation. First, my understanding is that Russia will never defect, because of an apparent bug in the game that prevents the mission sequence from working properly. Second, it is possible to survive without government funding, because there is more cash to be made from the loot gained in missions and from workshops producing items for profit. So, there is no real urgency to win the game anyway.
Obviously, the change would be, that the Infiltration is thwarted if both Battleships are shot down.
Regarding the Cydonia mission, I assume this was also a game design decision that's intended to REDUCE the sense of urgency, by deterring players from trying to win the game before they have overwhelming force available. Again, I disagree with this game design decision. What I'd like to see instead is some sort of horrific consequences for failing the Cydonia mission and the Avenger being captured, such as the aliens simultaneously launching Terror Missions against every allied country in the world at the same time Base Defense missions are launched against every X-COM base -- no scouting would be necessary because of the intel captured from the Avenger. Basically, the aliens announce, "we know where you live, and we will hunt you down."
