tech tree/combat

Grumbling Grognard · #1 August 4th, 2000, 06:01 PM

Jars:

Are your ships equipped with the "Mine Layer"? You must have one of these to lay mines. I generally just equip a ship with one mine layer component and a lot of cargo space and it does the trick on the strategic map.

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The Grumbling Grognard

Mark Pavlou · #2 August 6th, 2000, 04:42 AM

One thing that does rather jar about the tech tree is that while you can build Frigates from the very start, to build Fighters, Mines, Satellites or Weapons Platforms requires 150-200,000 research points! (100,000 for Construction level 1 to open up all the relevant Tech Areas and then 50-100,000 to pick up 1 level in each area).

Surely given the complexities of ship design versus satellites, weapons platforms and the like it would make more sense to start with the small stuff (eg fighters capable of in-system movement only) and requiring research for anything bigger?

What would seem a better use for Construction in this case would be for increased levels to provide minaturisation, allowing you to build components that take up less space (as in MOO2 where increasing a tech level causes all older items to shrink in size). As well as increasing ship capability, this could also be extended indefinitely (looking forward to a game with an infinite research model).

jars_u · #3 August 7th, 2000, 06:17 AM

Yes, the ships have mine layers. Getting them to deploy the mines is not a problem - however I wish there was some way (is there?) to deploy them into the "Square" you want them to go. But, my real question is can mines be used outsdie of combat? Meaning can you mine a warp point, planet etc. BEFORE you enter into the same "space" as another race and before combat begins so that any ships that attempt to pass though that mined area risk being damaged. Say like - when your ships enter into the same sector that has a black hole. Your ships always get damaged when moving through a system with a black hole - I want to be able to mine a square and any enemy ships that pass though it face some % of hitting them and taking damge and I guess that % can be less if a ship or ship in that fleet has a mine sweeper.

jars_u · #4 August 7th, 2000, 06:19 AM

Yes I know I mentioned this before. But, I just want to state again that I would REALLY like to see a tech/tree map that is easier to understand and find specific items of technology on then the one included in the original demo. Anyway... thanks for listening to my .02

Grumbling Grognard · #5 August 7th, 2000, 08:12 AM

I am not sure exactly what you are asking...

But the ONLY way I have been using mines is strategically. Basically mining the hell out of warp points into my systems.

It appears like mines will explode/work until either all the mines are gone or all the offending ships are gone. I don't think you are assured a hit with each mine though (I supposed it is like in tactical combat where the enemy ships are assumed to fire on the mines and get some of them).

I have found mines next to useless in tactical combat. IMHO, they are a strategic weapons.

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The Grumbling Grognard

Machetti · #6 August 10th, 2000, 12:02 PM

hm. i haven't toyed with mines yet, but i might be able to help clarify the question. what command (interface button, whatever) do you use to lay the mines? 'drop cargo' didn't seem to work. is there a 'lay minefield' or do you need to use a launch button or something?

to answer one or two of your other questions, yeah, there are boarding parties and fighters in the demo. i've researched them and fiddled with the construction of them, though i've never used them. (i whip up on the computer too hard, so by that time i'm just researching to pump my score.

when you start a new game, one of the options somewhere about new races is 'tech level' if you set that to the top, then you start with all the tech available in the demo, and can at least look at all the stuff you've been missing.

Baron Munchausen · #7 August 10th, 2000, 02:07 PM

Mines are deployed the same way that satellites or fighters are deployed: The "launch/recover units" button. Mines cannot be recovered, though, only self-destructed. I agree that mines are really a strategic map weapon. You can drop them in combat but they are vulnerable targets. They just sit there and anyone can see them, and so shoot at them. You have to "run into" them to get damaged. Maybe in the full Version there will be more options for mines that make them more practical on the combat map.

[This message has been edited by Baron Munchausen (edited 10 August 2000).]