unbalanced units??

[ellie]

Hiya

played an ineresting game this week where i gave the ai +2 research to make it close. As a result i was behind techwise for a while and even towards the end only a bit ahead.

This meant i couldnt just trash everyone with drop singularity troops.

Since having to think about how to fight i came to appreciate how devestating two units are, the CHOPPER and the PROBE.

Obviously with choppers its the multi attack feature. Add fizzle to the unit and its a nightmare for defenders. Add fizzle and blink and its death.

Probes id never used before today, but its fun probing a city with 40 missiles in it then firing all those missiles off ;p

So, does anyone else think these units are a bit TOO powerfull?
Compared to choppers, needlejets and even gravships, and especially locusts seem v.weak indeed.

Ellie

 

[smalltalk]

I use both units a lot, they are very strong/valuable. Sadly/luckily, you can't mount a probe onto an aircraft/chopper chassis.

Probes:

In fact I try to have at least one in each fringe city. Just can't stand it, when a newly built/captured city is bought out from under my ass or valuable tech gets stolen. Grrrm.

Besides of infiltration and defense from enemy covert-ops, I often use them as garrison. They get an infantry chassis and armor and still need no mineral support. This allows me to have one attacker more or building infrastructure faster. Having 3 instead of 2 minerals or 4 instead of 3 really makes a difference. I really like to have my share of early wonders. This is even more important when I play University/Morgan or when I'm running Dem. It is less of an issue, if you're playing Miriam.



Choppers:

For a few times, I automated all my units to see if the AI could bring my certain victory home. And guess what, the AI wouldn't use a chopper like I would. Sent it on suicide missions, let its fuel run out (!), left it uncovered in the open. We don't get the full punch from the AI of what a Chopper could deliver. What I like to say is, I wouldn't want to see an experienced player have MMI/Choppers and me not.

It never occured to me to give them fizzle and blink. Silly me.

I do use Locusts, esp. for finally taking over an enemy city. (another thing choppers can not do)

i gave the ai +2 research to make it close

Wow. Don't you get nuked? In my games, there always seems to be someone very upset with me, who will throw planet busters in my precious, secret-project-ladden bases (see above). I have to go for every enemy city that is building a nuke and wipe out the garrison. AI usually switches all its accumulated minerals into building a defender. I couldn't stand a chance if AI were smarter or could choose better bases for the build.

In fact, I am so scared of PB to research straight for orbital defense after nukes arrive and try to trade for other tech out of the line.

So, a bit OT-answer is

The most powerfull, trouble-raising, annoying unit:
the planet buster.

But maybe this is as it should be? I really can't decide. And possibly gameplay is different in a multiplayer setup.

 

[jbouklas]

I like that the Planet Buster is the most troublesome/powerful weapon. It mimics today's modern democratic attitude. If a nation ever used an atomic bomb now, all other nations would shun it and refuse to cooperate with that nation. We got away with dropping two atomic bombs, but the world forgave us. I don't think any nation can be forgiven if it happens now. Even building a nuclear weapon in SMAC pisses other nations off (as it does right now, with nations like North Korea and Iran looking into the possibility of producing a nuclear arsenal).

-Jim