Planet Carver - rush it?

[s0nny80y]

It also follows the Contact victory branches. Is it a good idea?

 

[Aldor]

I find it's rarely a good idea to manually research the contact techs (for deep space telescope). Only go for contact if you get a piece of the signal from an early expedition.

That said, planet carver is a nice satellite, but I wouldn't go out of my way for it.

 

[vorlon_mi]

Is the planet carver better than or comparable to the Orbital Laser?

 

[legalizefreedom]

It is a stronger version of the Orbital Laser. It is certainly a lot stronger.
The issue with these "attack" satellites is you can't move them once placed, so you end up only getting a couple of shots out of them. They would have been much more useful if they had the ability to move.
As is, they are much more suited for defense. I usually don't bother with them at all.

 

[vorlon_mi]

Indeed. The few times I launched one so that it could attack an AI city, the AI city had built an improvement that let it shoot at orbital units. My satellites lasted one turn -- each -- after they were deployed.

Putting one up to watch over / defend an narrow water passage that led to my empire worked pretty well. I could shoot at a ship long before it came within range to shoot down my satellite.

 

[Guide-on]

The Rocktopuss was suppose to be the movable Orbital laser. Unfortunately, is is too slow to move, and sets on an outer tech that is not usually worth going to. The Awesome Rocktopuss adds a phasel transporter that can make to worth it in certain situations, but it is still s-l-o-w. A unit like the rocktopuss that could orbit/de-orbit 2 hexes from its starting hex and de-orbit the next turn might work. The upgrade would allow it to de-orbit on the same turn unless fired giving it a movement of 4. It would have to be on a branch that was not isolated.

 

[legalizefreedom]

One thing about the Rocktopuss is that if magrails are available, it zips around just fine. Of course that is almost never the case.

 

[Droz]

I usually play Purity/Supremacy with a big emphasis on orbital units as Slavic Federation. Works really well. I cover my borders and chokepoints with them, and then nothing gets through while I go through the Contact victory.