Fariz, I am against hiding fleets. I am also against limiting ownership to one hour without control of the supporting port. You have seen yourself how difficult it is in obtaining cooperation and success in field captures. One hour simply isn't enough time.
Too, what's to say someone has to keep the fleet near the port? That makes the fleet rather impotent, doesn't it? When all this went down in the MA, I considered taking control from the newbie that had it, and pushing it to use at the front. I didn't, because it was his initiative that acquired us the fleet to begin with. He should be allowed to use the fleet in whatever role he decides, even if that means using it as protection for a rear field area.
How many times have the enemy hidden the fleet from us? How many times did I have to sortie out on multiple missions just to find it? I didn't complain. I knew what they were up to.
The Cat & Mouse aspect of the fleet should remain as it is. What needs to be rectified, is the underhanded, time-saving method of discovering its location. It does not hurt them to be without the fleet for the length of time it would take to find it and get it back. Retrieval, should have a price and that price should not be set by the buyer.
How would you feel about working hard to get the fleet, engaging in multiple defensive manuevers to avoid it being destroyed enroute to a field you wish to assault, and finally arriving only to have it wrested away be a sneak of the port?
The 'network of spies' needs to be done away with. That is the only acceptable fix.