Why Scavenging Missions are Broken

Yep, that would be nice! =)
But why do you say “by late game you don’t really need resources”? One Goliaph ammo pack costs more than 100 materials to produce! Engineer turrets and infiltrator spiders are also very expensive toys.
Where do you get your resources late game? From haven defence missions?

From what I’m seeing, people get everything they need from food production - Which they then trade for anything else that they need.

Food production is only a nice complement, to round some number to be able buy or build something. Haven defense against other factions or aliens is the best income later game. Food hasn’t a per hour tick, I suppose it’s per day so very slow. Build a bunch is still handy for later game.

I disagree.

I am fine with scavenging missions as they are. In a way the player as to learn to avoid them past mid game. Which makes sense form a lore perspective to me. After you are well established you don’t go around looking for scraps. Doing a lair or haven defense will give you a much better reward so focus on those.

On the other hand if your game just had a really bad turn you now have a lot of scavenge sites to get supplies to restart your fight, and the game lowers the difficulty after you had a serious defeat so they are accessible again.

So it is an early game/ recover mission type that makes sense to me. And, like you say, avoid them mid/late game since it is not worth it.

Mmm not sure they are a backup, later game they’ll hardly give as much income that resources spend to do the combat.

Later game they are just optional combats available to do for fun once in a while.