Unique ruins techs

[Omega]

I have seen AI races build planetary shield generators. The generators take way too long to build for the small amount of protection that they provide.

I have also seen the unique techs not be unique. I have encountered AI players that have the same “unique” tech as I have. I have no idea why that is.

The massive shield depleter and other massive weapons are totally useless. They do not do enough damage and have that asinine 30 turn reload rate. 1k of shield damage is pathetic for a “massive” weapon. How about 10k of damage or 3 turn reload rate. This would make the weapons actually worthwhile.

I prefer to find cargo II or some other useful tech rather than any of the massively useless techs. When I get the massively useless shield depleter I feel as if I’ve gotten the booby prize!

[Nitram Draw]

There are only 4 unique techs so you are right, they aren't very unique.
I would like to see 20 - 25 unique techs to give some variety. I think it could be done by modding advanced Versions of the current techs with the same family numbers and tech requirements. That way the AI may actually use them if it is a tech they normally research.

[Sinapus]

Well, I had a little time after I came home from work today and I did a little playtesting with the planetary shields. Hooray Map Editor. Put a moon on a homeworld and gave it the unique ruins to get Massive Planetary Shields very early. Then used the cheat codes to rush research and production.

First, I confirmed that the regular ones that come with the game do not block phased weapons. Then I went in and changed the shield type to phased shield generation, like what the regular ones use. That worked and blocked the phased poleron beams I was using.

Then I made ten other entries for the shield and gave them two tech requirements. Massive Planetary Shields and a level of Shields tech and increased the shield strength by 500 per level. As I advanced shield tech, a new Version of the planetary shield became available. Upgraded as I go and ran test combats. The shield rate increased.

So, the only thing the shields won't stop are troop drops and null space cannons. Now the question is, how high do I want to set them, keeping in mind that there are only 30 combat turns and things like shield regeneration are an insult to injury...

(I consider an upper limit of 20k shields to be excessive to say the least. Or maybe I should drop the number of upgrades available since any modded AI that builds these things are going to be spending 25k minerals per upgrade.)

[BeeDee10]

VEERS: My lord, the fleet has moved out of light-speed. Com-Scan has detected an energy field protecting an area around the sixth planet of the Hoth system. The field is strong enough to deflect any bombardment.

VADER: (angrily) The Rebels are alerted to our presence. Admiral Ozzel came out of light-speed too close to the system.

VEERS: He felt surprise was wiser...

VADER: He is as clumsy as he is stupid. General, prepare your troops for a surface attack.


I don't think there's necessarily anything wrong with being able to raise a planetary shield too strong for conventional orbital bombardment to break, provided troops can still land. If nothing else, you can blockade the planet. And if there's no gravitational shield facility, the Death Star can still blow the place to smithereens...


[This message has been edited by BeeDee10 (edited 14 June 2001).]

[ZeroAdunn]

Why not add some of the race pic techs to ruin techs. Maybe like a tech that just gives organic armor, or alliegence subverter, that would be cool.

[ZeroAdunn]

Doh! posted twice.

[This message has been edited by ZeroAdunn (edited 14 June 2001).]

[capnq]

quote:

---

I have also seen the unique techs not be unique. I have encountered AI players that have the same ?unique? tech as I have. I have no idea why that is.

---

The game just uses "unique" as a label for the techs that can only be found in ruins rather than by normal research. AFAIK, there are no checks to make sure that each "unique" tech is found on only one ruins planet.

------------------
Cap'n Q

The most merciful thing in the world, I think, is the inability of the
human mind to correlate all of its contents. We live on a placid
island of ignorance in the midst of black seas of infinity, and it was
not meant that we should go far. -- HP Lovecraft, "The Call of Cthulhu"

[This message has been edited by capnq (edited 14 June 2001).]