Sattelites

[T-Money]

Currently, IMHO the Sattelites advance doesn't really deliver what it has the potential to. All you get is "the entire worl revealed" which isn't really any good because by that stage of the game you've got the whole world (or what's important) revealed anyway. Here's my proposal.

With Sattelites, you could get a new espionage mission. You would'nt need a spy in your enemy's capital, but you could instead send up a spy sattelite over their territory to give you view of their lands and the units in their lands. The sattelite could have, say a 10 diameter view, and you select where it's centered, like selecting a target for ICBMs. The power of this could be offset by a high cost per mission, and of course maybe the AI could shoot down your sattelites, maybe with the SDI defense or something.

 

[Colonel]

Actually all you would need is a B2 or in Civ term stealth bomber to shoot it down with advanced targeting. Secondly the better idea would be to keep spies in the Capitals(not mention haveing extra spies in key indutrial and commerical cities). Satelites only reveal if you enemy is putting nukes, military forces, and possibly settlers\workers.

 

[elementgoo]

Yea, sattelites late in the game are worthless and think giving them power use would be good

 

[T-Money]

Colonel...I'm not sure if I'm understanding you, but I'm not proposing taking away spies. I'm just proposing that the sattelites be independent of spies.

 

[sir_schwick]

a Spy Satellite network small wonder would allow you to see tactical dispositions of units/silos(iffy on second one). also, you should be able to start building non-military satellites for stuff like weather, communications, blah that all would have wide sweeping effects. our modern world depends on satellites to run.

 

[T-Money]

Exactly. The tech in civ relates to real life only in its title. Something should be implemented to make it more useful.

 

[Rambuchan]

This is not a bad idea at all. Satellites are under powered as is. But then again who really makes use of the deep modern age techs? I would love to use radar artillery for example or stealth bombers but the game is usually over by then.

 

[lcorinth]

With Sattelites, you could get a new espionage mission. You would'nt need a spy in your enemy's capital, but you could instead send up a spy sattelite over their territory to give you view of their lands and the units in their lands. The sattelite could have, say a 10 diameter view, and you select where it's centered, like selecting a target for ICBMs.

That's a great idea. I haven't gotten to sattelites yet (still pretty new to the game), but as it is, they sound kind of useless. Seeing enemy units would be a useful and realistic purpose for them.

 

[rhialto]

Actually all you would need is a B2 or in Civ term stealth bomber to shoot it down with advanced targeting.

You appear to overestimate teh range and maximum altitude of a B2 bomber. Aircraft don't function very well outside the atmosphere. And I suspect the profiles necessary for stealth make crappy re-entry vehicles.

 

[T-Money]

Yeah, but you could just launch a missile at it..

 

[sir_schwick]

Yeah, but you could just launch a missile at it..

That sounds easy, but there must be something technically difficult considering the failures of anti-ICBM systems.

 

[LumpenProle]

Remember orbitals from SMAC? They were cool.

I'm thinking you can accumulate satellites here and use them to perform recon missions and as you get more satellites, you reveal more squares, or can track more troop movements... or they increase outpost range...


Speaking of espionage and spies, why not some Goldeneye style satellites as well?

Say no to Star Wars!
You'll only provoke your enemies in game to build more weapons technology and waste money that could be used to cure AIDS.

 

[Stid]

why are we always thinking only militaristic? satillites offer research into physics and space, communication relay (maybe propaganda?), weather (global warming features?), reconisance as mentioned above, advanced targeting for ICBMs, sonar pulses (detecting submarines) and judging siesmic activity (would be useful if natural disasters are included in civ4). i just thought of these on the top of my head so im sure there are others.

im not fond of the whole james bond style satilites either lol

 

[Colonel]

You appear to overestimate teh range and maximum altitude of a B2 bomber. Aircraft don't function very well outside the atmosphere. And I suspect the profiles necessary for stealth make crappy re-entry vehicles.

Their are missles capable of takeing down satelites but they are generally to big for anything but the largestest bombers and generally a B2 is used as it is a stealth and those missle cost alot of money so they need to be protected. Also sir_schwick its alot easyer to hit a relatively stationary target rather then a very fast very small very dangerous ICBM.

Also Stid someone already said weather and communications and such, but you did bring up an intresting point which is worth exploreing, why not be able to get certian research benefits from certian kinds of satelites, as Stid said some are used to study physics and such, so maybe if you sent one up for study of some type of science maybe it could cut down on research time for that tech area.

 

[KrikkitTwo]

One point, satellite should be in, but sort of like they were in SMAC, ie you don't put satellites in 'a location' on the map, you put them in orbit (so there's a generic orbital box that applies equally to the whole world)

Uses
Spy (similar to an investigate city+reveal troop plans)
Military boost (command+Control Sats)
Weather: Improved disaster preparedness/Improved food production
Improved communications (culture/propaganda, Improved productivity and trade)
Science bonus
Better anti-crime/corruption???
Weapon Satelites (either 'Fighter', 'Bomber', or 'Nuclear' type, ie equipped for attacking other satellites, the ground, or the ground with nukes, respectively)

You should also have anti-satellite instalations (which would automatically shoot down satellites of someone you are at war with)

Anti-satellite instalations and 'Fighter' Satellites could be a replacement for the current SDI small wonder (so all nations would not have an equal level of SDI)

You could then prioritize your 'Space warfare' targets as either
Fighters and Anti sat installations
Bombers and Ground Military
Nukes
Civilian(satellites or cities)

 

[searcheagle]

Their are missles capable of takeing down satelites but they are generally to big for anything but the largestest bombers and generally a B2 is used as it is a stealth and those missle cost alot of money so they need to be protected. Also sir_schwick its alot easyer to hit a relatively stationary target rather then a very fast very small very dangerous ICBM.

Colonel, I think you are almost right. The only plane I know of that could carry an anti satelite was a modified F-15, not a bomber. (Bombers launch the weapons from underneath them, making it difficult to hit targets above them.) The F-15 ASAT, would only be able to carry one anti satellite missile and would fly vertically to get in position to launch the missile. Essentially the jet became the inital rocket liftoff for the missile.