Skita1:

Planes would come in and drop of resources every once in a while. There could be upgrades to increase the amount of recources that you get each time (Tuek: I don't like this idea of upgrades though). The enemy could also shoot down the pelicans that bring in these resources i.e. trade routes. It would bring in another element of strategy to try and defend these trade routes.

The pelicans would come in on a predetermined point on the map, or you would select a spot when you build it. This would of course have to be a certain distance away from your command center to make it fair. The enemy could sabatoge, or capture these ships.

 I think (even though this was posted in a different thread) that this is the best idea that anyone has come up with for a while. But still there could be a few changes made. I'm not sure where but someone mentioned Man Power as one of the "Resources". Well this is another good idea, but now to tell you what i think could be done:

NO MONEY, at first this may be a bit too radical an idea for an RTS, but if you actually think about it when the Covenant dropped their units onto a planet did they build anything?? The answer to that is NO. Their job was to secure areas so that more units could be sent down, unless it was a planet that they occupied, or the Spaceship(s) that had been used to deploy them were destroyed.

This idea kinda aplies to the humans and the fact that (someone already said this somewhere) all the buildings, munitions and weapons have already been built. This gets rid of money, and resources such as titanium (which if there were resources would most likely be used). This relates to the "Trade Routes" already mentioned and the resource of Man Power. The drop ships (or pelicans, whatever type is going to be used) would take  forces from around the planet to specific drop off points, either chosen before the game starts, designated by the player at a specific building (don't forget: buildings in my idea have already been built, because you can't really build things in a battle situation, although most people would like to stick to conventional means of RTS gameplay) OR could change the drop off point to a building that has just been captured by your faction. The good thing about this there is no need for gathering of resources and wating any time on it, and like Skita1 mentioned more strategy would be involved with the protection of these trade routes.

Yeah i just forgot what i was gonna say next but it was gonna be good, it was something like ManPower could come from your Spaceship(s) or from around the planet you are defending. However, this could dwindle from your Spaceship(s) being destroyed, or the command posts you use for getting more forces being overrun. BUT if you had recently captured a building that used to be under enemy control (the game will probably allow you to play as the Covenant) and you had changed a Trade Route (of forces) to that base, and it was quickly overrun again, then you wouldn't lose that trade route. Instead your Dropship would go there anyway to build up resistance (although it could get shot down) or it would automatically revert back to its original drop off point. OR you could choose whether it shold drop off your units back at the command post or keep it going.

Just a small idea! Sorry if most of it doesn't make much sense!

:p Tuek