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IDProjectCategoryLast Update
0016821AI War 1 / ClassicSuggestion - Game MechanicsApr 29, 2016 8:09 pm
ReporterRadiant Phoenix Assigned To 
Severitytweak 
Status newResolutionopen 
Summary0016821: Per-Planet Turrets -> Human Guard Posts
DescriptionNow that most turrets are per-planet, I find myself always placing all of them in a blob all in one place.

Given that, I think that replacing the current implementation of these turrets with a "guard post"-like structure with a cap of 1 per planet would reduce busywork in setting up and managing defenses, and maybe make high-AIP games less "heavy" on the computer.

Is there any reason this would be a bad idea?
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pumpkin

May 25, 2015 9:52 am

reporter   ~0041117

I totally agree with creating one-planetary-cap turrets (or things like fortresses) to allow more simple defense layout. Also, with my idea of guardians in player's hands, GPosts for humans was also a big idea.

However...
1) while piling turrets is common to me (I barely always do that), it's not such a pain to do so.
2) rather than replacing turrets as they are, adding this sort of one-cap would be better.

Shrugging Khan

May 25, 2015 10:15 am

reporter   ~0041118

One per planet takes away quite some flexibility - maybe there's two wormholes to block, maybe you can't afford all that metal or power, maybe you like to spread them so they don't get hit all at once.

Since single turrets are completely powerless though, I'd say lowering the cap and increasing their strength proportionally would be a good move. Maybe lower the cap to 10 or 5?

Radiant Phoenix

May 25, 2015 10:32 am

reporter   ~0041121

>rather than replacing turrets as they are, adding this sort of one-cap would be better.
You're not the only one who wants more firepower...

>maybe there's two wormholes to block, maybe you can't afford all that metal or power
If you've got enough firepower in turrets to comfortably split it in half, you might want to go to a higher difficulty.

Note that Gravity, Tractor, and Tachyon turrets are per-galaxy cap, and not what I'm talking about.

>maybe you like to spread them so they don't get hit all at once.
The only turrets you can really do this with without sacrificing firepower are sniper and missile turrets. But... putting them behind (not under) the command station's forcefield is also often an option, and is generally pretty effective at getting them not-killed.

Remember that, per Lanchester's laws, splitting your force into two half-size forces that the enemy can defeat in detail is equivalent to scrapping 30% of your ships before the battle even begins.

pumpkin

May 26, 2015 8:44 am

reporter   ~0041194

>>rather than replacing turrets as they are, adding this sort of one-cap would be better.
>You're not the only one who wants more firepower...
Ah, I forget this side of the balance. So it would require to replace a regular turret with a new low-cap design? Lame. Is the Knowledge cost enough to justify the total firepower increase?

Also, fortresses are already low-cap human turrets. But they are galaxy-capped. So mini-fortresses are 1-cap but per planet. Don't mini-fortresses match what you want?

Radiant Phoenix

May 26, 2015 9:08 am

reporter   ~0041195

A cap of Mini-Fortresses (which is 2, by the way, not that I ever use them anymore) is comparable to a cap of Mk-1 turrets... except that it doesn't have bonuses, costs twice as much metal, and has under 30% the health.

Damage:
* Missile Turrets: 48x (144 x 3 / 12) = 1,728 DPS, x3 vs bonused
* Mini Fortress: 2x (160 x 3 / 6 ) = 1,600 DPS

HP:
* Missile Turrets: 48x 3,000 = 144,000
* Mini Fortresses: 2x 20,000 = 40,000

The things the Mini-Fortress does have going for it:
* Immunity to Ion Cannons
* Scout Intel
* Ability to repair things
* The ability to move, which temporarily negates its repair ability

malkiel

Jul 13, 2015 6:54 am

reporter   ~0042621

Phoenix... I don't care for high AIP games, not knocking it, just personal preference. That having been established, let me illustrate how it makes the difference.
I don't place a full cap of turrets on a planet. EVER.
I simply can't afford the energy.
My current game is nearing an end state. I control 10 planets, I will take 1 more before ending it.
I'm already running 10 matter converters on my homeworld, just so if I lost a collector the grid wont go down (currently just under 200K energy surplus)
I run 46K energy worth of turrets each planet, with exceptions for hotspots running HBCs. That 46K is 20 each needler, laser, mlrs, missile, sniper.
Your high aip games have a backfield in which to place mark 3 econ stations, low aip players _don't_

As for my 10 matter convertors..
Exodian blade takes a lot of juice to run.

Basically, this idea would reduce the degree to which I can customize my defensive setups, because sometimes a planet just needs 14K worth of sniper/spider turrets to be fine.

I'd love to see you post idea implemented as new unlockables, perhaps with a button on game generation screen to choose them over the old for initial unlocks.

I have to voice slightly against, due to the "replace" basis of it.
Also, those mini forts do 1.125 damage per energy consumed, making them better at that versus 1.1r for missile turrets. I don't unlock them because it's not an upgrade when I can't even fill out my missile turrets.

tadrinth

Apr 29, 2016 8:09 pm

reporter   ~0045491

I'll also point out that sometimes you have a system which has more than one thing you want to protect against low-level aggression. If you have a system with a spire archive or ZPG near the wormholes, plus a fab on the edge of the system, you may want to protect both against small numbers of ships that might slip through your defenses.

That said, playing on Ultra-Low caps will cut the turret caps low enough to require a lot less micro.

Issue History

Date Modified Username Field Change
May 24, 2015 10:52 pm Radiant Phoenix New Issue
May 25, 2015 9:52 am pumpkin Note Added: 0041117
May 25, 2015 10:15 am Shrugging Khan Note Added: 0041118
May 25, 2015 10:32 am Radiant Phoenix Note Added: 0041121
May 26, 2015 8:44 am pumpkin Note Added: 0041194
May 26, 2015 9:08 am Radiant Phoenix Note Added: 0041195
Jul 13, 2015 6:54 am malkiel Note Added: 0042621
Apr 29, 2016 8:09 pm tadrinth Note Added: 0045491