Rising Tide - changes to "communications" tech

[SupremacyKing2]

I don't remember if this has already been discussed but the latest rising tide let's play from writing bull, hovered over the items in the tech "communications" giving us the tool tips for the 2 new items that the tech now gives.

Comm Relay (new satellite)
Cost: 73
Duration: 40 turns
Effect: Provides orbital coverage on all locations within a 5 tile radius.

Since some units now get a bonus when they are under orbital coverage, I could see this satellite being really useful. It can also serve a cheap way to reveal large areas of the map at once.

Sonar Net (new building, only for water cities)
Cost: 170
Maintenance: 2
Effect: +25 city defense and reveals all invisible units with 2 tiles of city

A good defensive building for water cities. Revealing subs within 2 tiles will allow water cities to help with anti-sub warfare, especially if they keep their water cities close to each other. I could see players keep a couple cruisers close to a city with a sonar net. When an enemy sub makes the mistake of getting too close, the cruisers pounce into action.

 

[GenEngineer]

That might be useful building, actually. Seeing as the water cities have less strength by default, a bonus would be very useful.
I'm similarly intrigued by that maintenance - unless I'm mistaken, all of the buildings in Vanilla only had a maintenance of 1, unless they provided energy. Any sign that they changed it means late game buildings could be differentiated by having even stronger effects, and amped up maintenance.

As for the satellite, do you remember which units were the ones that got the coverage buff? I know there are some, but I son't remember which.

 

[SupremacyKing2]

As for the satellite, do you remember which units were the ones that got the coverage buff? I know there are some, but I son't remember which.

I think it was one of the harmony naval units. I would have to go back and look it up.

 

[GenEngineer]

Just double checked my list, it's a perk option for the Purity/Harmony melee boat, so presumably also available to Harmony tier 4 boat and the Harmony/Supremacy boat, at +20% buff if covered. Was hoping it would get more unit types, tbh.

EDIT: Comes from the Purity half instead it seems. So Purity/Supremacy, Purity/Harmony, and Purity get the coverage buff, but only them, and only for naval melee units.

 

[SupremacyKing2]

Comes from the Purity half instead it seems. So Purity/Supremacy, Purity/Harmony, and Purity get the coverage buff, but only them, and only for naval melee units.

So the comm relay sat will definitely be nice for purity naval players.

 

[Makenshi]

I don't get it... if that sat gives orbital coverage, does that mean it can be launched anywhere? Because unless I'm mistaking the terms, you can only launch other sats inside your orbital coverage range, right?

 

[SupremacyKing2]

I don't get it... if that sat gives orbital coverage, does that mean it can be launched anywhere? Because unless I'm mistaking the terms, you can only launch other sats inside your orbital coverage range, right?

No, I don't think it can be launched anywhere. The Comm Relay serves to extend your orbital coverage. Since it provides coverage for 5 tiles, you can launch it on the edge of your current orbital coverage and it will extend it 5 tiles out.

 

[Galgus]

Could be useful for clearing Miasma outside of satellite range.

 

[Halbbruder]

So the comm relay, how much satellite space does it take up then, just 1 tile? It should, otherwise you won't be able to place down any satellites beyond your orbital range using this thing.

 

[SupremacyKing2]

So the comm relay, how much satellite space does it take up then, just 1 tile? It should, otherwise you won't be able to place down any satellites beyond your orbital range using this thing.

Yes I am assuming it only takes up 1 tile.

 

[cicero225]

I wonder if you could daisy-chain coverage - Launch a comm relay, then launch another in the extended range it gives you, which pushes it out even farther...and eventually you've circled the map.

 

[KrikkitTwo]

I wonder if you could daisy-chain coverage - Launch a comm relay, then launch another in the extended range it gives you, which pushes it out even farther...and eventually you've circled the map.

I would guess that's the reason for them.

 

[SupremacyKing2]

I wonder if you could daisy-chain coverage - Launch a comm relay, then launch another in the extended range it gives you, which pushes it out even farther...and eventually you've circled the map.

Yes, I think you could.

 

[Halbbruder]

I wonder if you could daisy-chain coverage - Launch a comm relay, then launch another in the extended range it gives you, which pushes it out even farther...and eventually you've circled the map.

Yep that's the general idea for them. With supremacy, it will be really good, while with other affinities it would involve a long chain of relays. If anyone is perceptive, much like moving sea cities, it will be a matter of looking at the orbital layer every now and then to see if something suspicious is going on.

 

[VCrakeV]

I think that orbital coverage, and the layer itself, will be of a thing now, as it can be extended limitlessly while providing view (you can even spy on a distant neighbor). Plus, you can't forget the bonuses to some units.



Oh, and aren't arrays more relevant now (bonus through Supremacy affinity)? That'll turn the orbital coverage from it into a nice little bonus.

 

[Lord Tirian]

I wonder if you could daisy-chain coverage - Launch a comm relay, then launch another in the extended range it gives you, which pushes it out even farther...and eventually you've circled the map.

That would exactly be the kind of thing that make orbital game play interesting and actually something you want to keep track of.

Together with the new satellites (like the Xeno Siren), this is starting to sound like they quietly turned orbital gameplay into what it should've been. Just hoping that the game pacing/length has been fixed to actually take advantage of this!

 

[VCrakeV]

That would exactly be the kind of thing that make orbital game play interesting and actually something you want to keep track of.





Together with the new satellites (like the Xeno Siren), this is starting to sound like they quietly turned orbital gameplay into what it should've been. Just hoping that the game pacing/length has been fixed to actually take advantage of this!

Forgot all about that satellite. That'll actually make the "alien attack" idea useful and doable (and making the siege worm operation even worse in comparison).

 

[KrikkitTwo]

Forgot all about that satellite. That'll actually make the "alien attack" idea useful and doable (and making the siege worm operation even worse in comparison).

Siege worm operation is in their city and calls siege worms from nowhere

The 'siren' can't be right above their city (they will shoot it down..if they don't already have an orbital there) and I'm not sure if it creates aliens or just attracts ones that are in the area. (I would guess the second)

 

[VCrakeV]

Siege worm operation is in their city and calls siege worms from nowhere





The 'siren' can't be right above their city (they will shoot it down..if they don't already have an orbital there) and I'm not sure if it creates aliens or just attracts ones that are in the area. (I would guess the second)

Still, the ease of access is much more relevant than the utility difference. What about shooting a siren just outside of their territory? Over an outpost (huge, because I hate it when someone colonizes land I want, and I don't like war)?

 

[Eagle Pursuit]

I was thinking of using the Xeno Siren in combination with that one trait that gives you science per kill. Concentrate a bunch of aliens in one area and carpet bomb the bugs.