Squad-Based Combat Roleplay System

A recurring issue when characters go up against each other in a protracted conflict is that it is incredibly difficult for one side to gain an advantage over the other. This is because of the understandable desire of the players to not have the characters they've spent so much time on die in an instant. This leads to scenarios where firefights never claim any lives, the losers dragging their comrades off while swearing to get the enemy next time, and the winners feel as though they have accomplished nothing.

My proposal is that in major combat events, players can bring with them the full 2 additional crew members the game allows them to have. The player will then RP the squad as a single "character", using their turn to emote the actions of all squad members, while the opponent does the same. Combat RP proceeds as normal, except for the fact that the expendable crewmembers now allow death to occur on the battlefield while preserving the important characters. In addition, it allows the victors to accomplish a tangible win. For example, lets say there is a battle with three characters on each side. That means there are nine soldiers and three squads on each team. If team A kills all the goons on team B's side, then they have killed two thirds of the enemy force, which would be considered a massive victory and a way for the war to advance in favor of one side or the other. In addition, the main characters of the losing side gain the opportunity to continue to survive, even while they are defeated. Both parties are now (mostly) satisfied. Furthermore, it could possibly streamline combat RP, as combat could now presumably become a series of one on one "duels" between players, which is far easier to coordinate than the chaotic brawl that most large scale fights are.

In conclusion, this way of handling large-scale conflict allows for the winners to experience tangible victory, the losers to survive while still feeling the sting of defeat, and the encounter itself to be much more streamlined and enjoyable.

EDIT: It may be optimal to replace the crew NPCs with Sign objects to represent them as well. They could be controlled by deconstructing them and then reconstructing them in appropriate places on the player's turn. This would allow far more customization of the NPC goons, as you could edit them to perfectly copy the uniform of your own faction. In addition, they will be able to be placed in specific positions, as opposed to NPC crewmembers who you will have to emote the position of and then ignore the OOC wandering.