What would happen if...

wierdbob · #1 January 22nd, 2001, 02:47 AM

What would happen if you removed all the weapon technolgies from ships and forced the computer to use boarding and troop technolgies for conquest? Do you think it would be able to addapt or would it build empty hulls filled with ECMs and combat sensors?

Emperor Zodd · #2 January 22nd, 2001, 02:56 AM

That's a weird question, Weird Bob!

Puke · #3 January 22nd, 2001, 03:04 AM

i think you would have to add the ship caputure components to the design files if they are not there already. the answer is to tweak the ai build files, not the available components.

a no-shield no-weapon game would be very interesting and different though. i think who ever got the lead early would win though, once you caputre their ship caputring ship, you have twice as many and they have none. it would snowball from there.

wierdbob · #4 January 22nd, 2001, 03:16 AM

I see, so you would need to modify both. Your right, a snow ball effect would occur. However if we allowed weapons platforms that could defend a planet against incoming ships there would be some attrition. I was wondering if the AI would use troop transports on a large scale. I'm not even sure if a planetary invasion can happen in strategic combat.

ColdSteel · #5 January 22nd, 2001, 03:33 AM

Well, I've never seen the AI do a planetary invasion in strategic mode but it sure works fine when I do it myself.

I created a new strategy called "Strip Planet Defenses" which does just that. I send in the first wave with that strategy and once the skys are clear I send in my troop transports to take the planet. Works great. I love taking planets, not only do you get a nice world complete with facilites and a workforce, if they breath another atmosphere you can use them as seed populations on planets with that same atmosphere. Works great. Wish the AI would use that strategy more, it would make for a much tougher struggle.

DirkHowitzer · #6 January 22nd, 2001, 05:22 AM

Steel, could you send me your strategy file? If so e-mail it to...: LeviathanDreams@excite.com

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"He's dead, Jim."-- Lt. Commander Leonard "Bones" McCoy |Chief Medical Officer / USS Enterprise (NCC-1701)

Puke · #7 January 22nd, 2001, 06:40 AM

quote:
Originally posted by ColdSteel:
I created a new strategy called "Strip Planet Defenses" which does just that.

do you mean that you have a strategy that takes out weapon plats before killing facilities or population then backs off? or do you mean that you have a strategy that hits everything arround the planet but contains the 'dont fire on planets' order.

the only way I have found to blocade a planet in the strategic game is with the dont fire on planets order. if you could fire on WPs and then back off before damaging the planet, that would certainly help planet capture - but as far as i know, this cant currently be done. please tell me you have found a way arround that.

ColdSteel · #8 January 22nd, 2001, 03:38 PM

Puke, the second one. It just cleans everything from around the planet but doesn't touch the planet itself. I don't know any way you can target just the WPs on a planet. So, I just clean the skies, send down a ton of troops and let God sort them all out.

ColdSteel · #9 January 22nd, 2001, 03:48 PM

DirkH, My email is kaput at the moment but the strategy is nothing special. Just go in, create new strategy, under the firing options set it not to fire on planets, weaponless ships, colony ships, bases with no weapons. Set the priorities to satellites, and mines first, then bases and ships, fighters, etc. Just set the order you like and you can always play with it to fine tune.

What this does is make your ships take on and deal with the real threats first and not go chasing off after things with no weapons on them. I've found it to be pretty effective as long as there is no real defending fleet in orbit. I assume a lot of folks are using this (or a similar) strategy.

Puke · #10 January 23rd, 2001, 04:29 AM

quote:
Originally posted by ColdSteel:
Puke, the second one. It just cleans everything from around the planet but doesn't touch the planet itself. I don't know any way you can target just the WPs on a planet. So, I just clean the skies, send down a ton of troops and let God sort them all out.

which is why zealots are so good at ground combat