A thought on killing planets

[Alpha Kodiak]

quote:

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Originally posted by Commander G:
All this talk of uping the damage requirement to kill population may make Weapon Platforms much too powerful because you cannot target Weapon Platforms specifically. If it takes longer to wipe out the population, a few weapon platforms (starting tech) with long range weapons such as Torpedos could pulverize a fleet, using the damage resistant civilians as a sort of armor.

Has anyone tested this modification with Weapon Platforms?

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I think that weapon platforms (and other planetary cargo) get damaged regardless of what is happening to the population. If I'm not mistaken, the planetary cargo gets damaged before planetary facilities, as well.

[DirectorTsaarx]

Weapon Platforms and other "cargo" units take damage first. Then population and facilities take damage. Which means the HP per population has no effect on ability to destroy weapon platforms.

I have no idea how the game decides to destroy a facility; I assume there's some factor that calculates # of population killed and destroys a proportional number of facilities. But I could be wrong...

[Alpha Kodiak]

quote:

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Originally posted by DirectorTsaarx:
Weapon Platforms and other "cargo" units take damage first. Then population and facilities take damage. Which means the HP per population has no effect on ability to destroy weapon platforms.

I have no idea how the game decides to destroy a facility; I assume there's some factor that calculates # of population killed and destroys a proportional number of facilities. But I could be wrong...

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On planets with small populations, I have seen population go down while there are still weapons platforms in place. It seems like 'x' damage will cause 'y' loss of population, independent of whatever damage is done to cargo and facilities.

[DirectorTsaarx]

Alpha:

That's a pain... I was under the impression that cargo soaked up the damage first... hmmm...

[raynor]

I hadn't seen this posted elsewhere.

A good strategy for avoiding damage to the population is to pay close attention to the number of weapon platforms on the planet. When this number starts getting low, you can deselect weapons by simply clickin on them. If they aren't highlighted, then they won't fire. This way you can destroy the weapon emplacements but not the facilities or population.

[Atrocities]

That is a great tatic, and one that does work very well.

[Jubala]

Yes, but only when you do tactical. In strategic it's impossible to only kill the platforms and that's a real ***** in pbem games.

[Barnacle Bill]

I'd like to see a strategy available that would, if selected, cause your ships to cease fire at the planet once all the WP's were killed. Basically, automate the process Raynor described of firing weapons one at a time and checking after each if there are any WP's left. I'd like a similar one that would keep firing until all WP's and all facilities are gone, then stop.

[Str8_Gain]

quote:

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Originally posted by apache:
With enough resources and raw power, any area can be terraformed to liveable conditions, especially if a dome can be constructed.

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Mabye a new planet modification facility for cleaning up fallout? Better yet, if you've got the Temporal tech tree, an enhanced Version that works much quicker (make it like Planet Utilization levels 10,11, and 12, with some level of Temporal Technology). You'd have to stay in the domes while the cleanup takes place, even if the atmosphere is breathable by your race (minus radioactive particles and other nasty stuff). This way, you can incinerate a planet if that's your style, but it costs a LOT in terms of research (to get the tech), time and resources to build these facilities, so it'd tend to discourage nuking planets to glass early on in the game.

[Spoo]

I'm thinking that maybe a planet itself should have hitpoints (perhaps hidden from the player) that are reduced everytime the planet is fired on. Then, after being glassed say 2 or 3 times, the planet will have sustained substansial damage and break-up (or explode, destroying the attcking ships). This value could be random and generally larger for huge worlds than tiny ones. It will also serve to create a deterent to attacking valuable worlds (unless you are of the philosophy, "If I can't have it, no one can!!").

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Assume you have a 1kg squirrel
E=mc^2
E=1kg(3x10^8m/s)^2=9x10^16J
which, if I'm not mistaken, is equivilent to roughly a 50 megaton nuclear bomb.
Fear the squirrel.