How do Haven defence numbers work? Clearly if the defenders have a higher value than the defenders then one can theoretically let it play out. But if you appear for the defence mission before the battle is finished whether the attackers of defenders are winning shouldn’t the amount of enemies be greatly reduced? I’m not expecting to see a part finished battle since this would require a lot of work and would be great to see in the future. But once the enemy value is reduced almost to zero, shouldn’t the mission just be a quick clear up mission? Perhaps I have misunderstood the numbers, but why do I always seem to have a full battle against a fresh alien force?
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Those numbers are just an approximate timeout, and don’t reflect mission. I don’t think it would be good to punish a player coming fast.
In fact the initial balance stay the same, when there’s more enemies, there’s more defenders, so more aliens removed from the equation.
EDIT: That said fast harder but better reward, it could work.
I agree re: edit. Surely if you just save a haven, the reward could be less, but more importantly the resulting damage to defending troops (which must be finite) would be less /more depending on how early you arrive. If the base is attacked again in a short time period, then the defence would be over quickly. I have fought a joint battle with NJ in the past for a special mission which I enjoyed thoroughly (it was great to have units healed by allied troops) and it made a lot more sense sharing the battle. Understandably, this is a game, not a simulator so we must expect non logical outcomes. But this situation keeps bothering me - much more than any of the other moans and groans that I often read about.
There’s no Haven consequence from arriving late or soon? I don’t know, perhaps longer repair, lower population. For now it won’t change much a play.
For defenders I read it’s been removed. Probably hard to manage with higher procedural management than for a special mission. In practice, allies can hardly match enemies, or they risk do the job for the player. When allies fall there’s morale drop down. I could want do the mission anyway despite defenders will win, get then a fake mission a lot too easy would be weird. Have more missions with allies would be cool, have most of them with allies looks strange.
Ok you feel it that way, I don’t, I think it would be more important to work on real consequences past combat. And eventually have a system not too basic to contribute to defenses before combat in general management phase. But ok find a way to have more missions with allies working well can be cool too.
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I see those values (starting - so when the attack begins) as some estimated power of forces taking place in the fight. Not exact number of enemies / allies (when they will be implemented). Later on it works more like a counter how much time you have to arrive just like Zzzz said, so it is even less likely to represent enemy units.
Time of your arrival has impact on how population is inflicted (later you arrive - more civilians are dead) and what will be your reward. Lower population means:
- lower defense strength (so haven is more vulnerable to next attacks)
- lower production capabilities (probably represents some income of resources which you can trade with and how fast they rebuild damaged facilities after attack)
The reasonable assumption for me is that when Alien/Attack value goes near or below #5–8… it is safe to respond while the defensive steps already resolved most of the initial combat strengths.
I invariably get between about 3/5 Aliens to finish up under such conditions. Rewards are a bit lower, but the essential stands in one word for me == grind out for more XP or inevitable swift PP victory anyway.
Coolest is to keep most powerful Havens (Trade facts are important) nearby rather than let Aliens crush the whole neighborhood which either way, WILL happen soon enough. 
This is new for me, I often do defense when defender are near to zero not because of choice but because of time, so I don’t have often any real choice, but sometimes it happens.
For the rewards I thought it was fixed, so it wouldn’t, new stuff for me.
I checked for a factions war case:
- Yes reward low down if you wait more, it seems done by large steps.
- Relationships effects low down, both negatives and positives.
Didn’t bother compare in missions, it’s a bit complex because there’s reinforcements and a lot more spread for factions wars, didn’t want play twice and count.
EDIT: I have some doubts about any effect on mission, I played with max effects so the sooner I could, only 5 or 6 enemies, but I suspect a change in wars factions. As before enemies are very spread with spawns, but the mission finish if you kill all enemies before a new enemy spawn. In that case it last 3 turns, but I was well placed for enemies already in map, and for first two spawns, still got a soldier totally disabled by 3 acid grenades and one failed kill answered with RF.