Computer combat Q

[jim]

Does having more than one Master Computer on a ship make it any less at risk to a computer virus armed foe? That is, would a target ship with 2 MCs have to be hit twice? If there were 3 MCs aboard, would it have to be hit 3 times? Does having more than one MC mean that the ship has to be hit in separate attacks from a computer virus component? Or, do more powerful or closer range virus hit spill over damage onto more than one MC with a single hit?

In non-Gold, a MC ship can still fall victim to the Allegiance Subverter even if it has a bridge, if the MC is hit first and THEN it is hit with the Allegiance Subverter. (IIRC, in GOLD, the MC protects against the Allegiance Subverter even after it is destroyed even if by computer virus)

I am in a high-high *non-GOLD* TDM game and the Cue Cappa AI designer correctly sequenced the design to put the computer virus ahead of the Allgiance Subverter in the firing order of the designs. Interestingly enough, the CC were on the other side of the map and I have been thrashing about with the others while the CC was been allowed to expand w/o check.

As a result, as I approach the end game, having almost fought through several other AIs, the CC finally appeared and are threatening to beat me for a rare loss in solitaire non-GOLD. They have taken away the systems in which we first met, on both fronts we share. The CC are way ahead on points and tech, and I will have to struggle simply not to lose on point differential. Huge fleets roam about, fully trained by psychic facilities, with at least a couple Mine Sweep Vs in each large ship, with virus compnents and multiple subverters along with the top psychic weapons. I am in a pickle!

I have had to resort to some unusual dodges, including leaving two AIs in the game! The first is useful as a source of ships I can steal (they have no intel), since I am no where near Quantum Reactor, I am letting them build me my fleet supply ships! In the second, I have allowed a Trade treaty just to help delay his collapse and letting the CC get at me on another front or two!

I am far from star destroyers, which might end up my only solution. For the moment, I will try Plague V kamikazes for his big worlds. Still, I have to deal with these fleets just to get to his systems.

Since each battle can not only be a loss, but a source of new ships from my own fleets (!), I have tried to devise more subverter resistant designs.

Any ideas?