v11 feedback

[Pfeffersack]

The Sentry ability worked for me. Although I guess there could be times when you can see 2 tiles away, but your bunker can't see that far even though it can fire that far. Maybe bunkers should get deep radar for free..

Thanks for the advice. I just hadn't though of that command - indeed, it works (though the bunker gets often already woken, when the native life is still one tile out of reach - then you have to skip a turn nonetheless, but it's a least better then nothing)

Hmm, I could also make aquaformers invisible under the Enclosed Biosphere civic.

So that native life wouldn't be able to attack them (or would it mean that subds start to defend them again?). The former would be too powerful and not very intuitive, IMO (factions with EB can still pollute the planet and upset its "immune system"). Also, why only under EB? The problem exists for Terraformers and Hybrid (for them to alesser extend, of course) as well.

Have you tried using the Sea Patrol command by the way? Don't know if it works for invisible units, but it's worth a testing. Tell me the results!

I tried it and failed, also with the Sentry command Keeper_GFA has suggested for my bunker problem. You can test it yourself, if you load the save I have attached (set the Aquaformers W of Noah's Regenbogen to either Senty or Sea Patrol and it will still get killed in the next interturn)

They may not be powerful enough. For instance I've heard people say that it's always better in vanilla civ to choose a combat promotion rather than a barrage promotion, even for collateral damage. I'm always willing to try out suggestions for better collateral damage boosts for these promotions.

Yes, there was a calculation bug before the BTS v3.17 update (which also removed the combat promotion line for artillery units under stock rules). I will pay closer attention the next time I use ratillery in PF and have the chance to promote it with barrage or something else...

I added the FfH code for defensive withdrawal a couple days ago, but I don't feel inspired for a name for the special ability that could give this benefit. Any suggestions? I'd allow the special abllity for Cavalry and Boats. I'd probably give the ability an equal amount of normal offensive withdrawal.

Some random ideas (I used the Moo3 as an inspiration, as it has a lot of terms for the different ground assault and defense tactics you can use):

- Evade/Evasion
- Limited Resistance
- Feint or Ruse
- Manoeuvrable

"Harrass" (in the sense of attacking continously) would BTW another candiate for a "Blitz"-style promotion or special ability.

 

[Maniac]

So why do they only get a bonus in the area that it's not really needed (attack) and not where it's needed most (defense).

Or, to put it succinctly, because they don't currently do the job they're supposed to do.

I disagree that the psi attack bonus is not needed. Assume the common situation that the worm is on fungus and that the Flowering Counter is at 30, and without any attack bonus you'd be fighting at a 15% disadvantage! Then throw in a penalty for a negative Planet Attitude etc etc..

Also think of human factions using native life. Making flamethrower too powerful might leave the Hybrids military too powerless.

I looked "hard" at the new tech tree and there are a couple of techs that I don't really like, mainly the names and how they are linked, it all seems a bit random to me. So here's basically a big list of flavour quibbles, feel free to ignore them!

Magnetic Acceleration: Too similar to Mass Driver

Yes, but then again, with the exception of the Stealth ability which is placed at Magnetic Acceleration for this reason, all the stuff at Magnetic Acceleration and Mass Driver are applications of the Mass Driver. Giving it an IMO vague and general name like the ones you propose, loses that connection. I'm not particularly fond of the name myself, but it's still better than calling them Mass Driver I & Mass Driver II.

Antimatter:

I don't dislike material names. Plus I like short and punchy names over longer ones. Hence I still prefer Antimatter over the ones you propose.

Pressure Dome:

To me it seems more intuitive that Pressure Domes are required for sea colonies than a fictional material. Hence I prefer Pressure Dome.

Silksteel Alloy:

This tech is renamed to Nanotubes in the next patch for the record. Yeah, another materials name.

Kinematics:

I don't see why Kinematics doesn't fit for an industrial tech. For the Industry interpretation Kinematics can refer to advanced robotic arm movement etc. A better understanding on how to replicate complex movements in robotics. For the naval interpretation Kinematics refers to a better understanding on how to harness the kinetic energy of waves (it enables the Tidal Harness).

Degenerate Neutronium:

Yeah, I don't like the Neutronium names. The end of the physics theme will also undergo a revision at some point (if I have some inspiration on what to change it to...) Matter Transmission sounds like a good possible name. I've been wanting to enable Dimensional Gates one tech earlier than the Subspace Generator. Matter Transmission sounds like a good place for them. On the other side, I don't see how the current military applications of Degenerate Neutronium fit into Matter Transmission.

Since you'd like to change the tech to the Build theme, do you have an idea for a concrete builder effect for this tech? I'm kinda uninspired in this area. I'm now happy with most buildings after the changes in the recent patch, but there are still a few I don't like: Living Refinery, Antimatter Reactor, Singularity Inductor. Unless people have some cool builder ideas, I'm currently feeling more inclined to remove buildings rather than add more.

So that native life wouldn't be able to attack them (or would it mean that subds start to defend them again?). The former would be too powerful and not very intuitive, IMO (factions with EB can still pollute the planet and upset its "immune system").

I don't see why it would be overpowered. Native life can still pillage the improvements the aquaformer builds, so you'd still need a defensive fleet. It would just remove the annoyance of having to babysit aquaformers.

Also, why only under EB? The problem exists for Terraformers and Hybrid (for them to alesser extend, of course) as well.

Boat units only get Stealth under the Enclosed Biosphere civic.

I tried it and failed, also with the Sentry command Keeper_GFA has suggested for my bunker problem. You can test it yourself, if you load the save I have attached (set the Aquaformers W of Noah's Regenbogen to either Senty or Sea Patrol and it will still get killed in the next interturn)

Yeah you're right.

 

[WarKirby]

I disagree that the psi attack bonus is not needed. Assume the common situation that the worm is on fungus and that the Flowering Counter is at 30, and without any attack bonus you'd be fighting at a 15% disadvantage! Then throw in a penalty for a negative Planet Attitude etc etc..

Also think of human factions using native life. Making flamethrower too powerful might leave the Hybrids military too powerless.

I do see your point, but I'd also say the current situation isn't adequate - they're no better at defending against native life than any other unit.

Two ideas:

1. Give them a smaller defense bonus than their attack bonus. 10-15% or so.
2. Give them a moderate/large defense bonus 25-40%, but make flamethrower units unable to take hypnotic trance. Then they'd be able to do naturally what other units need to use an ability for, but without having much/any more overall potential power.

 

[WarKirby]

Can someone explain how the planet attitude system works?

I'm playing a gaian game currently. And having focused almost exclusively on the "planet Empathy" tech path, I now have hybrid forest and communes everywhere. Most of my bases have 12-20 positive planet attitude. The Holy city of Voice of Planet has close to 60. Only one, just one of my bases, is anywhere close to negative, with a positive planet rating of 5.

But my overall planet attitude is still hovering around 7. I thought it was supposed to be an average? The actual average of all my bases is close to 20. The planet attitude isn't reflecting that.


And as an aside, despite sacrificing so much to become a friend of the planet, IODs still keep eating all my aquaformers. Could there maybe be some AI tweak that makes them less likely to attack people with positive planet scores? It seems kind of wierd that having positive planet attitude doesn't actually make the planet more friendly, but just makes it easier to kill them. I'd rather it stop trying to kill me.

 

[Keeper_GFA]

Can someone explain how the planet attitude system works?
...
I thought it was supposed to be an average?

It's an average of your total Planet Attitude points earned each turn over the entire game. If you mouseover the green heart on the main screen, it'll break it down more for you.

And you have way too much positive PA. Build some boreholes dammit!

 

[Lord Tirian]

I don't see why Kinematics doesn't fit for an industrial tech. For the Industry interpretation Kinematics can refer to advanced robotic arm movement etc. A better understanding on how to replicate complex movements in robotics. For the naval interpretation Kinematics refers to a better understanding on how to harness the kinetic energy of waves (it enables the Tidal Harness).

Mainly because it's so closely associated with Newtonian mechanics. I know that newer developments are sometimes associated with the term, but it really makes me think of school and first year university.

The end of the physics theme will also undergo a revision at some point (if I have some inspiration on what to change it to...)

Actually, a big part of the physics tree is bothering me (no doubt due to my field of study... ). I don't really get a feel of "progress" out of it, it looks a bit random to me, unlike other trees where I get the feel of progress (for example Neural Grafting -> MMI -> Personality Transcription, the centauri techs and how they meet with the genetics and computer tree, the industry tree from industrial base -> automation -> nanominiaturization -> nanites).

Basically, it's all about rediscovering current knowledge (up to nuclear physics), then a bit of progress (superconductures, plasma chemistry) - then deals with applied magnetics twice, goes to fusion (another - at least partial - rediscovery), gets to antimatter (which is well understood, this is "just" at a larger scale)... and then it goes crazy, goes to warping space and time!

Makes it kinda weird to me and not sufficiently "shiny" (to me, a tech must sound like a big step ahead, it makes it more fun discovering them).

Unless people have some cool builder ideas, I'm currently feeling more inclined to remove buildings rather than add more.

What is interesting is the ability of buildings to add some yields to all bases, in a (possibly) cumulative fashion.

For example, matter transmission could allow you to build something like a Asteroid/Moon mining station (in SMAC, there was the Nessus Mining Station) - that could add hammers to all bases at once (perhaps as percentage or as absolute hammer yield - or make it a national wonder that gives all aerospace complexes a hammer yield). Would work for energy and nutrients as well and I miss the orbital stations, putting them in as faction-wide boosters for aerospace complexes sounds like a good way to get them back.

Another interesting effect might be a building that allows you to get energy or hammers from units dying in the base (whether it's due to combat or manual deletion).

New influence buildings are always welcome - the lack of them at the start is fine, but later on having some extra buildings with that effect would be cool.

Buildings that cut down the upgrade costs of units (whether in the base or in general). I'm speaking about a small discount, like 25% to minimize exploits - or even make the basic upgrade more expensive first.

Not so much of a builder effect, but something that might be neat in general, would be a building increasing the sight radius of units in the base by +1 square (perhaps you could call it "Satellite Network" and add in an influence effect as well?).

Buildings that increase defence or decrease nuke/bombing damage are possible nice additions that can "piggyback" on other buildings as side purpose.

Something could specifically boost less common things - secret project build rate, unit build rate, give things free promotions - basically a lot of the things that traits in vanilla Civ do.

Buildings similar to the Cloudscoop, giving you access to certain resources (possibly even unique ones?) or buildings that act in a similar fashion to cooperations, giving you a bonus based on the number of resources of a type you control.

More buildings that add to the yield of specific tile improvements, like the bioreactor and the solar power transmitter. For example, matter transmission could boost the yield of boreholes and mines. Or get other bonuses from tile improvement they usually don't have, like outposts could start giving you hammers/energy (instead of just food) and similar things. Such a building could also be a transit system (would need to come earlier, though).

Some buildings could also improve upon religions. VoP is currently the big one with associated buildings, edenism has some, the rest is a bit sidelined.

Another interesting idea might be a building that has effects based on your diplomatic relations, like +1 happiness or GPP per open borders agreement (could be a good unique building for the peacekeepers).

Or stuff that (eventually) leads to an economic victory!

Hope there is some food for thought in there!

Cheers, LT.

 

[Pfeffersack]

I don't see why it would be overpowered. Native life can still pillage the improvements the aquaformer builds, so you'd still need a defensive fleet. It would just remove the annoyance of having to babysit aquaformers.

It could save factions following EB some expenses - I tend to lose quite a couple of formers in my game. But maybe that boost for EB wouldn't be so bad, as it is arted so weak...

Boat units only get Stealth under the Enclosed Biosphere civic.

Now that you say it, I saw it mentioned in the EB description - before I missed it out, because I mainly rely on the changelog for finding out what's new.

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Thermobaric Missiles

I like the idea behind this unit and it has a nice niche use - they are perfect for weaking fungal towers with their crazy defense boni (other wise you sometimes have to sacrifice a couple of units to just to do the first scratch to their health). In other situations they are just too expensive for my taste - you can just weaken one opponent (no collateral damage), they are one-time only and cost 60. An interceptor can easily cause the same damage and stays alive. They can be lethal, but it only happens against already almost dead enemies and then 60 hammers are too much again...

 

[WarKirby]

For example, matter transmission could allow you to build something like a Asteroid/Moon mining station (in SMAC, there was the Nessus Mining Station) - that could add hammers to all bases at once (perhaps as percentage or as absolute hammer yield - or make it a national wonder that gives all aerospace complexes a hammer yield). Would work for energy and nutrients as well and I miss the orbital stations, putting them in as faction-wide boosters for aerospace complexes sounds like a good way to get them back.

I have... mixed feeelings about the orbital stations. They were kind of strange, in that you could build them infinitely, and essentially get infinite amounts of everything. It kind of felt like cheating to build them. They just seemed too easy.

Another interesting effect might be a building that allows you to get energy or hammers from units dying in the base (whether it's due to combat or manual deletion).

Recycling Tanks. Tertiary function

Buildings that cut down the upgrade costs of units (whether in the base or in general). I'm speaking about a small discount, like 25% to minimize exploits - or even make the basic upgrade more expensive first.

Skunkworks

Not so much of a builder effect, but something that might be neat in general, would be a building increasing the sight radius of units in the base by +1 square (perhaps you could call it "Satellite Network" and add in an influence effect as well?).

There was something like this in SMAC. something along the lines of "Geosynchronous Survey Pod"
It'd have to be a lot more than +1 though, since that distance becomes pretty meaningless once culture expands. I'd say, make it give bunkers only (for simplicity) a massive boost to visibility. like +6. And if possible, make it ignore LOS rules on terrain, so you could see over intervening hills and such.

Buildings that increase defence or decrease nuke/bombing damage are possible nice additions that can "piggyback" on other buildings as side purpose.

Do we have the Tachyon Field yet ?

Buildings similar to the Cloudscoop, giving you access to certain resources (possibly even unique ones?) or buildings that act in a similar fashion to cooperations, giving you a bonus based on the number of resources of a type you control.

I'd like to see the Nuclear Reactor give X amount of energy for every fuel resource you have. That'd be neat.

 

[WarKirby]

Hmm, why can't solar panels be built on rainy ridges? What am I supposed to do with all these rainy ridges that I can't put hybrid forests on ? Why give solar panels a bonus for being built on ridges, but not allow them on fertile ridges ?

 

[Lord Tirian]

I have... mixed feeelings about the orbital stations. They were kind of strange, in that you could build them infinitely, and essentially get infinite amounts of everything. It kind of felt like cheating to build them. They just seemed too easy.

Infinite build really *felt* bad (I think it is possible to balance, if you account for the fact that there is a limit - time and opportunity cost - but that's tricky). For Planetfall, I'd rather see one orbital station of each type per city, implemented as straight building (with aerospace complex as prerequisite) or national wonders representing satellite networks.

I just like the feel of really going into space and really want to have satellites hovering above the cities.

And it sounds really Enclosed Biosphere-like to say "Bugger you, Planet, I'm off here, I'll grow my food in space!".

I'd like to see the Nuclear Reactor give X amount of energy for every fuel resource you have. That'd be neat.

Oh, that sounds neat - then you could move the health benefits around to the various other buildings and give them more reason to exist.

Cheers, LT.

 

[WarKirby]

Locusts of Chiron don't start with Flying.
It kind of takes the coolness out of having an army of flying mindworms, when theyre just more like "fairly fast mindworms". They can't even benefit from fungus movement bonuses, and seeing them take the long way around to get up and down from ridges just looks silly.

I hope this isn't intended

 

[WarKirby]

Planes seem a bit underpowered. Too easily shot down, and bunkers don't even seem to take any damage when they do it.

AA tracking on bunkers, and interceptors in the city, made my planes pretty useless.
-----------------------------------

On another note, I'm not too fond of the artillery duelling mechanic. It seems like I can bombard a target, and somehow end up losing a bunker or mass driver without even causing damage. Both parties should always take damage at least. And it doesn't make much sense that Spore Launchers can fight against artillery units in that manner, but without actually having a ranged attack of their own. Why can't they learn Range or some native equivilant ?

Same issue with armour, sort of. IT doesn't make sense for them to be able to fight artillery without having Range, but it seems to be an inbuilt ability. I think that ability should be a part of the Range I special ability.
------------------------------------------
And missiles, just suck. They don't do collateral damage, and are entirely capable of nothing at all. It makes no sense that bomb and strike are seperate actions for a missile.
I think it'd be better if they damaged both units AND improvements in the tile, with a single action. And that they cause collateral damage to 4-6 units on the tile, rather than just one.

Also, there seems to be a problem with target prioritisation. I had a missile strike on a bunker utterly ruined, because my enemy decided to fortify that bunker..... with a scout patrol. A single measly strength 2 scout patrol, this is on turn 400 mind you, when they have behemoths, InVitros and Helions running around, and somehow it got picked as the priority target for airstrikes over an undamaged Bunker III, making it impossible to attack the bunker without wasting several missiles on that first. Given their size, and inability to maneuver out of the way, it seems like bunkers should always be the priority defender.
-----------------------------
After finding most conventional military options rather lacking in various ways, as detailed above, I eventually just opted to rape that base with locusts instead, which worked wonderfully. Psi Combat kind of feels like cheating since enemy strength is pretty much irrelevant..

 

[Maniac]

I do see your point, but I'd also say the current situation isn't adequate - they're no better at defending against native life than any other unit.

I don't mind that. Psi combat is all about getting the initiative.

Actually, a big part of the physics tree is bothering me (no doubt due to my field of study... ).

I've tried my best, but it's kinda hard to come up with stuff that works both for realism and gameplay. Also, everyone has a different background, so there will always be something that bugs anyone.

Personally I don't feel something like Field Mechanics or Hyperpressurization is better though. Those just sound like vague meaningless names to me. Where possible I prefer concrete names.

goes to fusion (another - at least partial - rediscovery), gets to antimatter (which is well understood, this is "just" at a larger scale)

We have commercially viable fusion reactors and antimatter batteries? Why did no one tell me?

What is interesting is the ability of buildings to add some yields to all bases, in a (possibly) cumulative fashion.

The problem with satellites à la SMAC is that it encourages ICS. That's intended for Hybrids, but not for the other ecological strategies. And Hybrids aren't supposed to b-line to space techs.

New influence buildings are always welcome - the lack of them at the start is fine, but later on having some extra buildings with that effect would be cool.

Some Influence might fit for the Atmospheric Processor and Solar Power Transmitter. But I question the need for more culture buildings. Culture is a commerce type with strongly diminishing returns the more you have of it. So in the case of culture More (culture buildings) is most definitely Less. I'd rather have those few buildings who do provide culture, mean something. Plus you could always use psych chaplains or the culture slider.

Buildings that cut down the upgrade costs of units (whether in the base or in general). I'm speaking about a small discount, like 25% to minimize exploits - or even make the basic upgrade more expensive first.

That would encourage IMO boring micromanagement where an efficient player will try to move all his units to single base for upgrading.

Not so much of a builder effect, but something that might be neat in general, would be a building increasing the sight radius of units in the base by +1 square (perhaps you could call it "Satellite Network" and add in an influence effect as well?).

This would infringe on the already limited use of culture.

Buildings that increase defence or decrease nuke/bombing damage are possible nice additions that can "piggyback" on other buildings as side purpose.

Tachyon Field does that. Perhaps I could give the Solar Power Transmitter that bonus as well?

Buildings similar to the Cloudscoop, giving you access to certain resources (possibly even unique ones?) or buildings that act in a similar fashion to cooperations, giving you a bonus based on the number of resources of a type you control.

That's the only idea I like. I keep forgetting I have this as an option. This should be good for four techs worth of builder effects. I'd implement that as 'executives' everyone can build though rather than real buildings. That way I can piggyback the corporation code.

Some buildings could also improve upon religions. VoP is currently the big one with associated buildings, edenism has some, the rest is a bit sidelined.

There is *some* strategic synergy with other buildings. Eg Homo Superior and the Rejuvenation Tanks. And if you're low on food, stuff like the Pressure Dome and Ascetic Virtues will still allow your bases to produce some more.

Something could specifically boost less common things - secret project build rate, unit build rate, give things free promotions - basically a lot of the things that traits in vanilla Civ do.
Another interesting idea might be a building that has effects based on your diplomatic relations, like +1 happiness or GPP per open borders agreement (could be a good unique building for the peacekeepers).

Problem with such effects is that it's usually sufficient or most efficient to have only one base with that building.

Thermobaric Missiles

I've given them some collateral damage now. Less than artillery does though. Let's see how it plays out.

Hmm, why can't solar panels be built on rainy ridges?

Too much cloud cover for the solar panels to be economically efficient.

Locusts of Chiron don't start with Flying.
I hope this isn't intended

Woops. Will be changed in next patch (tomorrow hopefully).

AA tracking on bunkers, and interceptors in the city, made my planes pretty useless.[/quore]

I don't see a problem with AAA effectively fending off planes. That's what the special ability is for.

And it doesn't make much sense that Spore Launchers can fight against artillery units in that manner, but without actually having a ranged attack of their own. Why can't they learn Range or some native equivilant ?

Same issue with armour, sort of. IT doesn't make sense for them to be able to fight artillery without having Range, but it seems to be an inbuilt ability. I think that ability should be a part of the Range I special ability.

Hmm, I can't replicate this, or find what would cause this in the code. Could you please attach a save when you encounter it again?

I'd actually prefer Armor (not Spore Launchers) being able to defend against ranged strikes from adjacent plots though. That way the first one to discover ranged strikes doesn't get such a huge military advantage.

Also, there seems to be a problem with target prioritisation. I had a missile strike on a bunker utterly ruined, because my enemy decided to fortify that bunker..... with a scout patrol.

I don't understand how this could have happened. A single scout patrol resisting several missiles? Would appreciate a save too when you encounter it again.

After finding most conventional military options rather lacking in various ways, as detailed above, I eventually just opted to rape that base with locusts instead, which worked wonderfully. Psi Combat kind of feels like cheating since enemy strength is pretty much irrelevant..

I haven't played with Locusts much yet (when I get at that point in the game, I have many ideas for game improvements which break my save, so I rarely get to the endgame...), so I can't say myself yet if they are ovepowered. Possible 'counterarguments' though: they are pretty much the most expensive unit in the game at the moment, and you were playing the Gaians with a heavy focus on Planet. So it seems only fair that as a result you get powerful Locusts.

And as an aside, despite sacrificing so much to become a friend of the planet, IODs still keep eating all my aquaformers. Could there maybe be some AI tweak that makes them less likely to attack people with positive planet scores?

Aquaformers will be invisible in the next patch.

 

[WarKirby]

your unitinfos file is completely untrimmed and uncommented. Kind of a nightmare to work with.

FF has a nice eample of how to do things much neater.

 

[Pfeffersack]

I haven't played with Locusts much yet (when I get at that point in the game, I have many ideas for game improvements which break my save, so I rarely get to the endgame...), so I can't say myself yet if they are ovepowered. Possible 'counterarguments' though: they are pretty much the most expensive unit in the game at the moment, and you were playing the Gaians with a heavy focus on Planet. So it seems only fair that as a result you get powerful Locusts.

I don't come to using them in most of my games as well, but my experience is similar - they are a powerful weapon, but also very expensive. As you said above, PSI combat is about initiative (especially if you target ground units) and Locusts have great mobility - so they can be terror for your opponent. However, using them effectively will often put them in vulnerable front positions and unless you manage to protect them with ground units (unlikely and difficult because of the movement differences) or use them great swarms to have some full-health ones as escort (very expensive - even more because they are considered as ground units in PSI combat, leading to the 2:3 ratio or I am wrong here?), you will lose them quite often and that a drawback if a unit costs 120 hammers to build.

 

[WarKirby]

they're only 100 minerals (not hammers) but that is still quite expensive.

But at that stage of the game, for me at least, it just means a 2 turn production time, rather than 1. It's not that big of a deal. Still, they should be able to fly

I play a strategy of producing units only in my biggest cities, which have already built most/all facilities. All smaller bases are devoted towards improving themselves and making buildings, except in times of emergency. I use bunkers and peace treaties for defence, mostly.

 

[WarKirby]

I've given them some collateral damage now. Less than artillery does though. Let's see how it plays out.

Why less than artillery? That doesn't make much sense in play terms. Artillery units can fire once a turn, every turn, in addition to being able to defend their tile. Missiles are completely used up after one attack, and they cost the same as a mass driver, I believe.

Given the opportunity cost of actually using them in combat, I think they should be considerably more powerful than artillery. Although on that subject, artillery bombardments are a bit too powerful, I think. Especially from bunkers.

Too much cloud cover for the solar panels to be economically efficient.

Why not just a penalty to output, rather than disallowing them at all ? I like the look of solar panels everywhere. Perhaps it could be tweaked so they'd be no more or less efficient than windmills in flat/rainy areas, to create a fun aesthetic choice between the two.

I don't see a problem with AAA effectively fending off planes. That's what the special ability is for.

Actually, disregard that. I wasn't aware that there's a limit on interceptions per turn. i'm kind of feeling the opposite now.

My present gaian game, I'm second in score. In tech, I'm behind. waaaay behind. But I'm still swarming across the landscape, steamrolling the world.

Planet attitude is 8 now, flowering counter 30. MY entire army is composed of two unit types, in massive numbers.
1. Interceptors. I use them to weaken bases.s With fuel nanocells, they have a silly range. They're like artillery without the collateral. Getting intercepted doesn't even seem to be a problem because I have so many. I keep about 20 of them on hand in my main army, and between my 3 best industrial bases, I can create another 8 interceptors every turn. I don't even lose that many in the average attack. And they can rebase to the frontline to provide instant reinforcement.

2. Locusts of Chiron. With the planet attitude, plus a settled Security chief, they're getting 3 free promotions on creation. I give them planetmind, and the first two "combat" promotions. So in addition to having 4 speed and therefore always getting initiative, they have a +35% base strength from the promotions. And since I weaken everything to half health or so via bombardment with planes, the locusts are more or less just mopping up wounded enemies with 80-90% combat odds on a fortified city. I have about 10 locusts, but the swarm is growing constantly because they rarely die.

With this combination alone, I'm tearing the morgan empire to shreds. He has about 7 defensive units per city, including bunkers. But with as much mobility and sheer offensive power as I have, I can easily intercept reinforcements, and crush bases one after another. everything else in my army is pretty much just there to defend captured bases.

I'd actually prefer Armor (not Spore Launchers) being able to defend against ranged strikes from adjacent plots though. That way the first one to discover ranged strikes doesn't get such a huge military advantage.

Giving them ranged strikes as an inherent ability would solve the issue nicely, I think. maybe with no collateral until they learn Range I

I don't understand how this could have happened. A single scout patrol resisting several missiles? Would appreciate a save too when you encounter it again.

I didn't actually try to attack it. But based on experience, it seems to take 2-3 missiles to actually kill things. The main issue is that the scout was defending the tile first, and I wasn't willing to waste a 60 mineral missile on a cheap fodder unit like that.

 

[Pfeffersack]

Actually, disregard that. I wasn't aware that there's a limit on interceptions per turn. i'm kind of feeling the opposite now.

My present gaian game, I'm second in score. In tech, I'm behind. waaaay behind. But I'm still swarming across the landscape, steamrolling the world.

Planet attitude is 8 now, flowering counter 30. MY entire army is composed of two unit types, in massive numbers.
1. Interceptors. I use them to weaken bases.s With fuel nanocells, they have a silly range. They're like artillery without the collateral. Getting intercepted doesn't even seem to be a problem because I have so many. I keep about 20 of them on hand in my main army, and between my 3 best industrial bases, I can create another 8 interceptors every turn. I don't even lose that many in the average attack. And they can rebase to the frontline to provide instant reinforcement.

Yes, planes striked me already as being to cheap recently. I suggested a slight price increase to not disturb the relation to the other units hammer costs and this was implemented, but your report show that it might be necessary to increase the costs even more (and/or to change interception rules, make AAA tracking available for infantry,...) - especially the price relation to missiles is problematic.

 

[WarKirby]

I really don't think they should be able to instantly rebase across the world. I'd say there should be a limit on their range, based on their operational range. And if they try to rebase somewhere outside of that, it should take multiple turns to do so, or perhaps just not be possible. Then for example, you'd actually need carriers to take them across the sea, rather than just requiring a carrier once and then rebasing 3000 miles to the first city you capture with every newly built one

 

[Pfeffersack]

I really don't think they should be able to instantly rebase across the world. I'd say there should be a limit on their range, based on their operational range. And if they try to rebase somewhere outside of that, it should take multiple turns to do so, or perhaps just not be possible. Then for example, you'd actually need carriers to take them across the sea, rather than just requiring a carrier once and then rebasing 3000 miles to the first city you capture with every newly built one

Another excellent point Should also apply for missiles - rebase is even more questionable for them, realistic would be only transport by ships - but I guess here interface comfort has to trump realism. Nonetheless, missile rebase should be limited and slowed as well.