From my perspective.
Short answer: Yes. I'd rather play other waiting semi-idle game where I can't lose months of work, than this, but honestly I'd rather play game game, not waiting game.
Long answer: You build images of ships and buildings with images of resources. Game requires a lot of time and you need to set alarm clocks and stuff to not forget saving your fleet from 99999 times more powerful guy who was waiting for it for weeks. That's how my dad said it was in 2009 or so. And from this thread I see not much has changed, maybe slight delay till you get wrecked but still the same.
Current event taught me that there are people who will use any opportunity to gain even as much as 100k pig iron when they produce that much in minute. And players who are 999999 times more powerful even message me annoyed when I save my stuff before their attack like I'm obligated to let them farm me for free. Get a load and life dude.
And that's just how this game is, can't really change it or it's not the same game anymore. There are people who enjoy that type of game, usually those at the top 
Recently saw discussion about games like these and lots of people said that those are usually p2w time suckers that ultimately aren't even enjoyable, just a chore list (build something, research something, send spies, attack, send save, repeat).
Can you expect new players, uhh probably some rare exception but overall there's no way to someone plays it willingly unless they got invited or knew it from the past (so players are usually older people). You won't get Timmy and his discord squad hopping on Space Invasion. I don't think chasing new players is wise, like let's get real, surely marketing it for younger players won't work. If you advertise, target older mature audience.
But what's more important is keeping current players happy and playing. It's not game for everyone and 99% of people will bounce off, but you really have to keep those rare few who want to stay.
It's too late to introduce something like this cus everyone will cry, but severly limit max possible power for fleet. Maybe idea for future universe to see how it plays. Keep it low so people need to balance between offensive fleet, defence (which is useless LOL), transports and recyclers. Idk if it should be in numbers or points, probably points so people can try different strategies and how people should win over others when they can only get equal and not stronger? Well, strategy, allies, better fleet composition and all of above. People will also get edge over the others with better tech and better income to replenish loses quickly.
