By Enola Gay!

[Frodo Bolson]

I am playing at the 3º difficult level, I placed good defenses in my cities (a mind worm, a plane to kill units that get near and a soldier with the strongest weapon and shield) but when war begin all my cities lost their soldiers without fighting due to missile attacks. How do I prevent it? Is there any building or soldier hability that can shield the bases against missile attacks?

 

[Lefty Scaevola]

None in smac, just the rebular defenses trying to get to a modified defense factor that can survive the missle attack, which is 24 or 30 IIRC, which means max armor defense perimiter, tachyon feild and sensor. If he missle hust particular bases, use lots of scouts. A conventional missle hits just one unit.
In smac-x you can build a flechette missle defense for bases.
Assuming you are properly patched the AI infinite missle range bug will be mostly fixed, and your best best is to attack his bases in lauching range with wave of choppers.

 

[Sukenis]

Kinda like what Lefty said, but you can put a scput patrol in the base and designate him as a defender. Make it a clean reactor scout and you still have a cheap missle defense with no support.

On a side note, your base defense needs tweeking.

A high armor, high weapon defender is to wasteful. Get only the high armor and for every 2-3 bases have a strong weapon rover.tank that can get to multiple bases to attack units attacking the base.

While a mind worm in each base might sound nice, it takes to much support to do. Also remember that mind worms are much better at attacking than defending so why keep them back at you based. Get them to the front lines.

A plane at every base is not much good. As far as "defensive attacking" goes, a choper is much better. A plane has far better range, but can only attack once. With a single choper you can destroy up to 17 units in a turn. Save support and keep 1 choper per 4-5 cities.

Also to save on support only keep as many land units in a city as your police rating allows to reduce drones. Any more is wastefull.

 

[Lefty Scaevola]

I usually would not pay to put a clean reactor on a cannon fodder unit, besides the up front time cost, it would raely be recovered in the long run.

 

[Sukenis]

Sorry, I think my message with clean scout patrols might have been poorly written. I ment to place clean scouts in the base prior to being attacked. Put one per base and lable as "designated defender" so that they will be the first unit to go. This way any missles (which are normally the first strike tool) will kill the unneeded scout patrol and not the real defender. By the time you can make clean reactors, scout patrols aare very quick units to make and putting a clean reactor does not change the build time much. The clean reactor is becasue you hope you are never attacked and thus support is not wasted.

This tends to be a decent setup for the Morganites, University, and Gians (if being peaceful).

Also if need be you have a unit able to be upgraded to a real defender or counterattacker if need be.

 

[Pragmatic]

Sukenis:
I think I understand. You're saying build an "Infantry, Hand-Weapon, No Armor, Fission-Plant Reactor (lowest one), Clean Reactor, blank second ability" unit. This unit (according to my Workshop) costs 10 minerals. Cheap, very cheap. This unit is NOT expected to win a fight. It is only expected to draw the first attack, thus sparing a more valuable unit.

So, pretty much, your idea is cannon fodder. And, since it's a Clean Reactor, it doesn't draw against your Support rating, right? How about tossing in Dissociative Wave, to prevent the use of enemy special abilities?

As long as we're on the topic of specialized units like this, how about creating police-only units? Similar to the roadkill, above, but instead of Dissociative Wave, use the Non-Lethal Methods, to double the effect. Thus, you can put in your faction's current allowance of Police (up to three), AND double their effect while you're at it. And, since they're pretty much roadkill (the important thing is that they have the Non-Lethal Methods), they can be built by any surrounding cities in quickly if they get creamed.

Not a bad idea.... Then you can centralize the defense, as you say, to a few per every 4-5 cities, right? And you're not spending your Support on the bulk of your home defense, but can spend it in a few quick-reaction defense units, and the majority used for offensive actions.

 

[Sukenis]

Pragmatic,

It seems as though we think the same way. Maybe we could do a multiplayer game togather some day.

As far as the Dissociative Wave ability, I currently do not have alien crossfire (bidding on it on ebay though) and have never heard of that ability. Sounds cool though.

 

[Pragmatic]

Sukenis,

I don't play multiplayer, because I love cheating too much.

Alien Crossfire adds lots of good new stuff. I especially like the Manifold Harmonics. By the time I get this Wonder, I can definitely use it. Basically, based on your Planet rating, you get nutrients/energy/minerals from fungus. With the base technology from Alpha Centauri, you end up with 2/3/2 n/e/m from fungus. With the Manifold Harmonics, you get:

Rating/Nutrients/Energy/Mineral
0/0/+1/0
1/+1/+1/0
2/+1/+1/+1
3/+1/+2/+1

From fungus _and_ monoliths, in addition to their base. So, by the time that the fungus is spreading and you're losing the farms, mines, and solar panels, as well as your trees, you're picking up a great deal of resources from the fungus (up to 3/4/3 n/e/m, without having to specialize).

Other stuff from Alien Crossfire:
Resonance Lasers/Bolts. These are normal weapons, but in addition to being useful against other factions' units, they also have a +25% attack in psi-combat. Mind you, compared to some other weapons, they're not great (attack 6 and 12, respectively). But they're useful in two situations.

Resonance Armor. Defense 3 or 8 armor, which in addition have a +25% defense in psi-combat.
(The above two are good for when you're not sure whether you'll be facing native and non-native units, I guess.... Though wouldn't just tossing on psi-weapon and psi-armor force combat into a psi-mode?)

Pulse Armor. Defense 3 or 3 armor, which in addition gets a +25% defense against Mobile (rovers and hovertanks?) units.

String Disruptor. Most powerful non-atrocity weapon. (attack 30)

Tectonic payload/Fungal Payload. New atrocity weapons for missiles. Tectonic raises the ground 1 to 4 levels (based on reactor). Fungal leaves behind 1 to 4 fungal squares.

Soporific Gas Pods. Lowers morale of enemy unit by two levels, thus increasing the chance of a victory.

Dissociative Wave. Already described.

Marine Detachment. 50% chance to capture enemy ship if it's at or below 30% of combat strength. (Never tried this, might be fun.)

Fuel Nanocells. Increases needlejet range by four (two each direction).

Algorithmic Enhancement. Probe team failure chance cut in half. Against a faction with the Hunter Seeker Algorithm (where there's usually NO chance), the probe team gets half the normal chance of success.

Aquafarm. Facility to increase Kelp Farm production, nutrients.

Brood Pit. Acts as Children's Creche for native units (if the base doesn't have a Children's Creche yet). Alien units cost -25%. Base gets +2 Police rating.

Covert Ops Center. Probe teams built here get +2 Morale. Base gets +2 Probe rating.

Flechette Defense System. Doubles base defense against missiles. Each FDS within 2 squares gets 50% chance to counter atrocity missiles before the satellite defenses have to fire.

Geosynchronous Survey Pod. Base sees out to 3 squares. Acts as Sensor, cumulative with actual sensors.

Subsea Trunkline. Facility to increase Mining Platform production, minerals.

Subspace Generator. If an alien faction builds six of these, they win.

Thermocline Transducer. Facility to increase Tidal Harness production, energy.

Cloudbase Academy. Wonder to place an Aerospace Complex in every base.

Manifold Harmonics. Described above.

Nethack Terminus. All Probe teams get +1 morale. All Probe team actions cost -25% cost. All Probe teams act as if have Algorithmic Enhancement (not cumulative with actual A.E.)

Planetary Energy Grid. A free Energy Bank at every base. "Stockpile Energy" is 25% more effective.

New Probe team stuff. Algorithmic Enhancement (described above). And, new action, Free Captured Leader: Can free a captured leader, and they are your virtual slave.

Borehole Cluster. New landmark. Three boreholes.

Unity Wreckage. New landmark. Search the wreckage to find (each found only once): Mining Laser (don't know what this is), Scout Chopper, starting locations of all human factions, and the Engine Core (bonus energy; the OTHER engine core, from the Planetary Council, still works).

Manifold Nexus. New landmark. Grants the controlling faction a +1 Planet rating.

Fossil Ridge. New landmark. +1 mineral/square of landmark.

Fungal Towers. Immobile unit. Fight using psi. Adds fungus to any open space around them. If surrounded by fungus, start generating wind worms and spore launchers. Can't be built or controlled.

Spore Launchers. Fight using psi "artillery." Wild ones attack improvements, then units. Can be built.

Sealurks. Fight using psi. Native equivalent of submarine. Stronger sea unit than Isles of the Deep, but without transport ability. Can be built.

Battle Ogres. Strong units that can't be built. Alien units start with one of the weakest. Available from pods. Note: Ogres CAN'T be repaired..... Ever. (Neither by barracks nor by monoliths.)
* Mark 1 Ogre: effectively Infantry, Resonance Laser (6r), Resonance Armor (3r), Level 1 reactor, Non-Lethal Methods.
*Mark 2 Ogre: effectively Infantry, Resonance Bolt (12r), Resonance Armor (8r), Level 2 reactor, Non-Lethal Methods, Dissociative Wave.
*Mark 3 Ogre: effectively Hovertank (but with the bonus?), String Disruptor (30 attack), Stasis Generator (12 defense), Level 3 reactor, Non-Lethal Weapons, Dissociative Wave, and possibly High Morale (not sure on this last one).
(As can be seen, almost everything about an Ogre can be built, but without the trouble of non-repairable units.)

NEW FACTIONS
Cult of Planet. +2 Planet. -1 Economy. -1 Industry. Free Brood Pit. Mind Worms count double when doing Police Duty. Free Mind Worms at start. Extra techs = Centauri Ecology, Social Psych. (Can't use Wealth.)

Cybernetic Consciousness (Cyborgs). +2 Efficiency. -1 Growth. +2 Research. Impunity/Cybernetic negatives. Steal tech when conquer. Extra techs = Applied Physics, Information Networks. (Can't use Fundamentalism.)

Data Angels. +2 Probe. -1 Police. Probe costs -25%. Free Covert Ops. Gain any tech known to 3 infiltrated factions. Free Probe team at start. Free techs = Information Networks, Planetary Networks. (Can't use Power.)

Drones. +2 Industry. -2 Research. Bases that revolt have 75% chance of joining. -1 Drone/base. Extra tech = Industrial Base. (Can't use Green.)

Pirates. Aquatic faction (Can build enhancements in deep water. (Other factions stuck to continental shelf for enhancements.) +1 mineral in shelf squares. Marine Detachment added to combat naval units for free. Already have prototypes for Sea Colony Pod and Sea Former.) Algorithmic Enahncement added to probe teams for free. Free Naval Yard. -1 Growth. -1 Efficiency. Extra techs = Doctrine: Mobility, Doctrine: Flexibility. (No socials locked out.)

Manifold Caretakers. Alien faction ("Energy Grid" instead of commerce = +1 energy/turn for facilities and +2.5/turn for Wonders. Non-blind research even when on Blind Research. Space Survey even when Space Survey turned off. Deep Radar for all units.) +1 Planet. Free Recycling Tanks. +25% defense. Extra techs = Biogenetics, Information Networks, Centauri Ecology. (No socials locked out.)

Manifold Usurpers. Alien faction (see above). +1 Growth. +1 Morale. -1 Planet. +25% attack. Extra techs = Centauri Ecology, Applied Physics, Biogenetics. (Can't do Democracy)

(Note: Impunity means not affected by negatives from a social choice. Immunity means not affected by negatives hitting a particular social rating. Cyborgs have Impunity to Cybernetic. Hivers have Immunity to Efficiency.)