"Physical Strength" racial trait
 

How does "Physical Strength" affect ground combat? If I lower it to 50%, will I always lose ground combats, or will I simply need twice as many troops?

Re: "Physical Strength" racial trait
 

If it lowers both attack and defense of troops, I believe you'll need four times as many troops to achive same results as with 100% Phys Str. So the question will be: if it reduces both att and def or not?

Re: "Physical Strength" racial trait
 

You definetly don't "lose all ground combats". It's simply a matter of needing more troops to have the same effect. Whether it's two times or four times I don't know. Against most planets, I hardly notice a difference. It's only when trying to capture a planet with a lot of population like a homeworld, or one where the defender has built some defensive troops. Against the normal colony with a couple hundred million population the piddling few defensive militia generated still are unable to stop even a small transport full of early tech small troops. You might lose one or two where you wouldn't have lost any.

[ March 24, 2004, 16:07: Message edited by: geoschmo ]

Re: "Physical Strength" racial trait
 

I don't quite know how the percent affects ground combat, but whatever the effect is, it doesn't outweigh the ammount of points you get for bringing down to 50%

Re: "Physical Strength" racial trait
 

... unless you're playing PvK Balance mod ...

Re: "Physical Strength" racial trait
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Even then, it's free points, just not as many!

Re: "Physical Strength" racial trait
 

They be free points. Nuff said. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

Re: "Physical Strength" racial trait
 

I take PS down -50%. Also I have only lost one ground combat ever since then. The design is also important with troops. Shields give troops an edge in combat. Not to mention the extra points are nice!

Re: "Physical Strength" racial trait
 

Organic armour can be helpful if you play a ground based invasion strategy. It re generates points and negates a certain damange level.

Combine this in medium or large troops with some weapons and a shield and a shield re generator and you almost never lose.

It can be useful to capture enemy planets instead of destroying them - just be careful when attacking to limit damage to removing enemy WP etc and not damage the facilities as if you capture the planet with facilities in tact it can be an immediate boost saving you having to rebuild faciities.

I like to capture enemy research labs and mining planets first. - SPace yards should be captured first in each system so the AI cannot rebuild defensive ships in that system. The spaceport is usually on the SY planet - i seperate them in each system. Another thing is to capture enemy colony ships with boarding parties - access to othre 2 colony types once you anaysise it and of course you can also then reuse them to settle youre systems.

Re: "Physical Strength" racial trait
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Specialty armors don't work on units. Neither do shield regenerators.

Re: "Physical Strength" racial trait
 

i agree with stealing colony ships, do it mad crazy.

in fact, i think ship stealing could be nerfed a little, because i mad steal ships and then take a 40 ship fleet of some poor bastard AI and beating his own self up with them.

Re: "Physical Strength" racial trait
 

Bone try that in a PBW game and see how far that will get you. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

Re: "Physical Strength" racial trait
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">This strat has allowed me to get half way up "The Hill" but I'm still yet to wear the Crown. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

Re: "Physical Strength" racial trait
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">would love to! i have not played PBW ever. i was reading that thread today with Slynky and somebody about a PBW game they are in, sounds like so much friggin' fun.

i hope someday soon i have the time to do it. i have played so many hours against the AI i'm probably terrible in a real match of wits.

ship stealing is well accounted for by most PBW players?

Re: "Physical Strength" racial trait
 

well, a self-destruct device pretty much rules it out, don't it?

Re: "Physical Strength" racial trait
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Ship capture only works (on PBW) when it comes as a surprise. It’s too easy to defend against, and the tactic is getting so well known now that many players (me included) puts up the defences automatically.

That said; it’s an important part of a combined arms strategy, together with mines, fighters (or missiles) and stealth armor (Could also put engine destroyers and shield depleters in this Category).

Keep your enemy confused and constantly reconfiguring his ships to counter different threats and fleets and you are halfway to victory http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

You really should try PBW sometimes. It does not have to take a lot of time, but it requires that you can put in time on a regular basis. Some games require making turns every day, but there are also games that only requires one turn a week.

Re: "Physical Strength" racial trait
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Specialty armors don't work on units. Neither do shield regenerators. </font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">It came to my mind, that does these work in DevNull mod? There is some more specialites for troops and other units than stock game.

Re: "Physical Strength" racial trait
 

No. The abilities are non-functional in ground combat, as well as non-functional on other units in general.

Re: "Physical Strength" racial trait
 

Certain abilities of special armors don't work on units. Regeneration doesn't work for organic armor, and shield recharging doesn't work for crystalline armor. The defense bonus of stealth and scattering armors most certainly do work on units. Cloaking works but cause problems. I'm not sure if the 'scanner jammer' ability works or not. Never tested for that.

Re: "Physical Strength" racial trait
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Ship stealing is still very effective in a general sense, but most good players won't leave themselves in a situation where you will be able to steal colony ships from them.

Re: "Physical Strength" racial trait
 

Actually most players do not protect their colonyships with any special means and anybody can steal them. Losing couple of colonyships marks very little in player economy. However, stealing colonyships is good way to make enemies and warships are most definately protected with self destruct device or security station or both. Or at least this is my experience on PBW. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

[ March 26, 2004, 17:19: Message edited by: Karibu ]

Re: "Physical Strength" racial trait
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Setting Colony ships to Ram is a good way to keep them from being boarded (with Simu movement). It will at least keep the tech out of others hands.

In Tactical combat mode I have have had one of my colony ships fight and take out a FF and a DD in the same battle. Pretty good for an unarmed ship. Just shows the difference between Tactical battles and Strategic.

Re: "Physical Strength" racial trait
 

You mean colonyship against frigate and dreadnought? Impressive. How in earth you managed to take them with one colonyship? Btw. tactic of RAM for colonyships is a good idea.

[ March 26, 2004, 19:36: Message edited by: Karibu ]

Re: "Physical Strength" racial trait
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Yes, ram is definetly better then the default of run away and sit in the corner till boarded. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

You are aware I am sure that setting your colony ship to ram is not a fool proof method of avoiding capture. It only works if your ship gets to hit him before he Boards you. With ships of roughly equal speed this will happen approximatly half the time. Less often if your enemy has a speed advantage. So technically it will "at least" make no difference. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif With luck it will keep the tech out of their hands though. At best your ship might even manage to survive, though heavily damaged.

[ March 26, 2004, 19:59: Message edited by: geoschmo ]

Re: "Physical Strength" racial trait
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Even then, it's free points, just not as many! </font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Bah!

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Bah!

http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

PvK

Re: "Physical Strength" racial trait
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Yeah, how did you do that? Were those enemy ships damaged to begin with?

Re: "Physical Strength" racial trait
 

DD = destroyer. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

Re: "Physical Strength" racial trait
 

Well, if there was a level 3 cobalt warhead on the colony ship, it could do some pretty good damage to a dreadnought.