keeping captured planets
 

Pardon if this is a FAQ but a search didn't yield an answer - is there a rule of thumb about the nmber of troops needed to garrison a conquered planet to keep it from revolting? Does the powerfulness of their weaponry count? Does the difference between your culture and theirs make a difference?

Re: keeping captured planets
 

From my experience, it seems to be a ratio of troops to population, not the weapons power of said troops. In fact, some threads discuss using 'police' troops - empty troop 'shells' with just a cockpit - as being quite effective.

Also Urban Pacification Fac's and/or Racial equivalents (Fate Shrine, Temporal Vac, etc.) are almost required to keep unruly populations in line, especially after your empire reaches a certain size (I don't know what size that actually is however...)

Re: keeping captured planets
 

In general I leave 5 units of my weakest units behind. I then set the planet to making 5 to 20 more units to both replace my suppy and control the locals. Frequently I capture a planet and the population is Jubilant and I have not been able to determine the paturn there. I capture one planet that I could not get out of revolt. I never figured out why. The only guess I had was the poximity to an enemy planet in the same solar system. I was never able to capture that planet as I went Mega Evil Empire status and was too busy to bother with it.

[ 15 February 2002: Message edited by: Gryphin ]</p>

Re: keeping captured planets
 

Derb, I agree with both Gryphin and Rdouglas.

It doesn't matter what the component makeup/tonnage of your units are, simply the number. I get the same happiness increase whether or not I use 'cockpit only' peakekeepers or heavily armed assault units.

Do research applied politics - the urban pacification centre is incredibly effective at keeping the folks back home grinning ear to ear

Gryphin is right though, I have seen sufficient randomness in populations' responses to indicate that there is not a 100 per cent cert pattern

Re: keeping captured planets
 

Quite a while ago I remember reading several times on this forum, that someone, after capturing a planet, would move in a large transport, load all but 1 mil of the pop. onto the transport, let it sit there for a turn, and then dump the pop. back onto the planet.

They claimed this immediately quelled any dissatisfaction. I cannot confirm this having never tried it, and if so, it may have been edited out in past patches.

Re: keeping captured planets
 

I read that the load/unload trick was coded out.

I remember seeing a AI script entry (personality?) for happiness effect. About 0.3 points per troop. So it takes a lot of troops. It can also take time as there is a maximum change per year (about 20 points) in the script(s).


UPGRADES HAPPEN!!!

Re: keeping captured planets
 

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Jmenschenfresser:
Quite a while ago I remember reading several times on this forum, that someone, after capturing a planet, would move in a large transport, load all but 1 mil of the pop. onto the transport, let it sit there for a turn, and then dump the pop. back onto the planet.

They claimed this immediately quelled any dissatisfaction. I cannot confirm this having never tried it, and if so, it may have been edited out in past patches.<hr></blockquote>

I have dropped troops onto a planet at times they are not roiting if they are leave the troops there (lots, 500) the next turn Pop Jublant http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

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Re: keeping captured planets
 

so it seems in general once your enemy's planet has been conquered it stays conquered with very little effort. Something I think should be included in future editions is the need for a garrison, at least for the first several years, in approximate proportion to the population.

There should be a %age chance depending on the difference between your politics and theirs and the strength of your garrison that the population will revolt (generate a new militia and fight you).

Conquering planets at the moment (at least when fighting the computer) is really too easy...

Re: keeping captured planets
 

derb,
Yes, I have seen the suggestion in other threads. I my opinion it could be based on:
Racial Characteristics, Distance from Home World, Presence of Home World Ships in the Solar System, If the planet was bombarded befor the invasion, The racial characteristics of the Invaders.
and probably a whole lot of other factors.

Re: keeping captured planets
 

Another alternative is to edit Settings.txt, and reduce the ground combat rounds to 3.

That way, even an overwhelming ground force may take three or four months to quell the resistance.

As an added bonus, you'd see more troop-on-troop combat, since the defenders would be able to construct more throughout the campaign.

An close battle could take years, with reinforcements pouring in from both sides http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Re: keeping captured planets
 

Ooo, good idea. I think I'll do that. Plus, it would actually let you use multiple transports. Maybe not down to 3 though.

Phoenix-D

Re: keeping captured planets
 

Don't the defenders magically regrow light infantry based on population? Is the regrow on a per turn basis?

Re: keeping captured planets
 

Defending militia only regenerate when there are no hostiles on the planet. Any amount of time without hostiles is sufficient.

I'm thinking 2 GC rounds per turn would be better http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif .

Re: keeping captured planets
 

Yes, I did this in my Proportions mod (3 ground combat rounds per turn - note though that low rounds/turn also affects balance of troops weapons with low ROF.).

One thing that occurs is that the invasion makes the population unhappy quickly, so the defenders can only build new defenders there for a short time, unless there are construction bases to build more.

PvK

Re: keeping captured planets
 

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by suicide_junkie:
Another alternative is to edit Settings.txt, and reduce the ground combat rounds to 3.

That way, even an overwhelming ground force may take three or four months to quell the resistance.

As an added bonus, you'd see more troop-on-troop combat, since the defenders would be able to construct more throughout the campaign.

An close battle could take years, with reinforcements pouring in from both sides http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif <hr></blockquote>
I have had a combat Last turns before granted that is not years but it is a long time, I Gen. drop about 400 to 625 Sm troops on a planet Last on avg of 3 combat turns now

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Re: keeping captured planets
 

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>
Another alternative is to edit Settings.txt, and reduce the ground combat rounds to 3.
<hr></blockquote>

I had no idea that this was possible without hardcode changes. This is brilliant! Thankyou S_J.

Proportions mod (and any other mod which implements this excellent feature) is looking even better now, can't wait to go gold.

One small thing- how does the AI get on with this modification? Now that we have troop- capable AIs, do they sit and wait patiently for their troops to conquer the planet in multi-turn ground combat or do they pummel the colony into dust from orbit the very next turn? What happens to their troops if the do?

Re: keeping captured planets
 

I was playing a simultaneous game, and the ships in orbit were getting a battle every turn.

They just sat back out of range, so I suppose the contested colony is not considered a valid target except by troop transports.

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>One thing that occurs is that the invasion makes the population unhappy quickly, so the defenders can only build new defenders there for a short time, unless there are construction bases to build more.<hr></blockquote>What about the defender "attacking" the planet with troop transports? Can you drop more defender troops to help out?
If the battle is going to be Lasting a year, you'd have plenty of time to collect some ships from neighbouring colonies/systems, smash the attacking fleet, and drop reinforcements.

Re: keeping captured planets
 

Yes, both sides can keep adding troops from outside the planet. If the happiness modifiers somehow prevent the planet from rioting, then the defender can keep building them too, of course. This could turn out to be a useful advantage for Emotionless races.

I haven't tested what happens if a human player (or whatever) orders ships to lay waste to a planet with friendly troops on it. I'll have to check that out.

PvK

Re: keeping captured planets
 

"I haven't tested what happens if a human player (or whatever) orders ships to lay waste to a planet with friendly troops on it. I'll have to check that out." -- PvK

Bad things die; good things live. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif