Planetary Defences

[Cumberlow]

Any plans to introduce more planetary defences? Missiles are better now that you have to shoot each down, but don't pose a huge threat. As suggested in another thread planetary fighters would be welcome and possibly ground based beams or defence satellites. Perhaps also upgradable missile defences and/or torpedo launchers as the game progresses to provide more of a challenge later on. Do star base defences upgrade as the game proceeds?

[Zaimat]

Yes, missiles will be buffed up further. Beam defense exists in the game (got to find it before it's available to build like Stargates). Your other suggestions added to wishlist!

Starbases upgrade automatically when your techs advance right now. Manual design/redesign is something we want to add later.

[johanwanderer]

Yes, missiles will be buffed up further. Beam defense exists in the game (got to find it before it's available to build like Stargates). Your other suggestions added to wishlist!

Starbases upgrade automatically when your techs advance right now. Manual design/redesign is something we want to add later.

In the current version (0.338?) starbases don't seem to be upgraded. My starbases still wield light-mounted lasers, when I have researched all the weapon techs. Basically, a single Crystal Cannon equipped mothership can easily take out a starbase in a couple tactical turns without suffering any damage.

Currently, starbases are good against a few smaller ships, but not much help with the bigger ships.

Just like the other planetary structures, maybe starbases and missiles can also be upgraded. In the early game, starbases cost too much to maintain, but you still need at least one (to refit the colony ships.) Maybe that useful first-level "space station" can be cheaper to build and maintain. Then, as your economy and technology progress, you can focus more on the defensive aspect of the starbase.

In "reality", because of its size (and in response to its inability to move), a defensive orbital should out-range and out-punch any single ship. Otherwise it would be more economical to have a cheaper mothership parked in orbit. Maybe when starbase can be designed, they'll gain a "Ultra Heavy Mount" option that, say, double the range. Or a "Heavy Mount Turret" option that adds 360 degree FOF to the heavy weapons.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to see what will come out in future builds

[Zaimat]

They upgrade (level increases) but do not refit or change designs right. We will be looking to improve that. Light mount weapons still have advantages so a mix of weapon mounts is beneficial for starbases since they can't rotate and as point defense weapons.

[Fairin]

if they -did- rotate it would further increase their defensive value. although i would reccomend making station only 360 weapons. or at least 180.

rotation to simulate gravity would be a little realistic tho - maybe a few station based tech's (gravity control) allowing manual rotation >:) or planet based shield generators (for the station).. to name a few ideas off the top of my head.

[Lithari]

I personally just stick to light version of energy weapons anyway and only use heavy versions for the bombardment fleets, though until a good bombardment and invasion feature works, I will be avoiding wars.

[Cailean556]

I personally just stick to light version of energy weapons anyway and only use heavy versions for the bombardment fleets, though until a good bombardment and invasion feature works, I will be avoiding wars.

If only I could do that too... Every game I've played so far, someone has declared war on me. The Tantik are the worst for it in my experience but they're easily contained... The rock and crystal guys though...I'm currently engaged in a bitter war between the two. I'm running cruisers and motherships but their advanced tech is causing issues - and they haven't even thrown a cruiser at me yet! I'm being undone by transports and scouts!

Planetary fighter bases would be good and I'm glad that you're reviewing Starbases. I acknowledge the fact that they can't turn - and that's fine - but having them armed with only light cannons makes them useless versus dedicated warships. I agree the OP in that Starbases need some form of heavy mount to counter larger warships. These are, after all, giant space castles and what good is a giant space castle without giant space cannons?

I will also have to find these planetary defence beams you speak of...planetary cannons in IG2 were a distraction but they still gave your opponent a bit of a pause. "Do I shoot at the orbiting fleet and get hit by the planetary guns or hit the planetary guns and get hit by the fleet?"

[Lithari]

I personally just stick to light version of energy weapons anyway and only use heavy versions for the bombardment fleets, though until a good bombardment and invasion feature works, I will be avoiding wars.

If only I could do that too... Every game I've played so far, someone has declared war on me. The Tantik are the worst for it in my experience but they're easily contained... The rock and crystal guys though...I'm currently engaged in a bitter war between the two. I'm running cruisers and motherships but their advanced tech is causing issues - and they haven't even thrown a cruiser at me yet! I'm being undone by transports and scouts!

Planetary fighter bases would be good and I'm glad that you're reviewing Starbases. I acknowledge the fact that they can't turn - and that's fine - but having them armed with only light cannons makes them useless versus dedicated warships. I agree the OP in that Starbases need some form of heavy mount to counter larger warships. These are, after all, giant space castles and what good is a giant space castle without giant space cannons?

I will also have to find these planetary defence beams you speak of...planetary cannons in IG2 were a distraction but they still gave your opponent a bit of a pause. "Do I shoot at the orbiting fleet and get hit by the planetary guns or hit the planetary guns and get hit by the fleet?"

Finding the tech in ruins is purely random, just like researching new tech is purely random, I mean, I went virtually the whole game without getting a single inch of the techs only available via ruins or even interstellar broadcasting, then another game I got beam defence from the first ruins I found and I got interstellar broadcasting from a research breakthrough.

Overall, The ways of gaining technology is just too random to be truly viable, I am hoping later versions are more refined when it comes to gaining new technology, but right now, its just too unpredictable, it just means right now I just need to restart the game more often until I get the techs I want as fast as possible.

[johanwanderer]

Planetary fighter bases would be good and I'm glad that you're reviewing Starbases. I acknowledge the fact that they can't turn - and that's fine - but having them armed with only light cannons makes them useless versus dedicated warships. I agree the OP in that Starbases need some form of heavy mount to counter larger warships. These are, after all, giant space castles and what good is a giant space castle without giant space cannons?

The way weapon mount currently works actually favor the light mounted beams. So much so that I light-mounted almost all my ships (except one for planetary bombardments).

The current math makes mounting 4 light weapons taking up the same amount of space as one heavy one, and deal about the same (or slightly more) damage. While having a 360 degree arc. I have not seen any negative effect besides making them unsuitable for bombardment.

Obviously, if your ship has a lot of space, you might need to have a few heavy weapon, because the maximum number of weapons per slot is 9.

I wish, however, that we can upgrade the weapon type. I would love to have my starbase be fitted with lots and lots of light-mounted crystal cannons

[CellNav]

They upgrade (level increases) but do not refit or change designs right. We will be looking to improve that. Light mount weapons still have advantages so a mix of weapon mounts is beneficial for starbases since they can't rotate and as point defense weapons.

Zaimat,

In 340, star bases aren't leveling up. I sent you a bug report early this morning on an unrelated issue (capture ship bug) ... If you check the star bases I built you'll see the old (look at blight) base level aren't up to level. To check them, double click the sector and scan the base, note the laser tech level and compare ... Consider that my 'bonus bug' .

Thanks!

[True_poser]

BTW, why does a planet contain only nine salvos of rockets?

I mean, that's THE planet, a huge mass capable of projecting it's own noticeable gravity field, a home for a billion of people, for hundreds of thousands of soldiers.

81 missiles.

Okay.jpg.

[Zaimat]

BTW, why does a planet contain only nine salvos of rockets?

The Galactic-wide ban on stockpiling missiles has been lifted by unanimous decision of the council (4.42+).

In the current version (0.338?) starbases don't seem to be upgraded.

If you check the star bases I built you'll see the old (look at blight) base level aren't up to level. To check them, double click the sector and scan the base, note the laser tech level and compare ... Consider that my 'bonus bug' .

Thanks guys, I fixed this bug for 4.42+

As for star bases rotating, this should be easy to do but going to leave it until starbases can be designed in-game.

[CellNav]

The Galactic-wide ban on stockpiling missiles has been lifted by unanimous decision of the council (4.42+).

Zaimat,

I know you guys fixed the issue with Ships/Starbases firing first causing relations to drop (or war) ... Are you guys going to do this for planetary missiles?

You see, the planet will launch missiles on a ship automatically and if they "miss", I can finish out the rounds by not firing, it's too late anyway. Next turn the races will be mad (don't fire with 10 turns) ... however, the hostile ship is now parked over my planet and guess what? ... yeah, next turn the planet auto fires and that breaks the 10-turn agreement immediately, and you know the rest of the story as to what happens

I'm looking forward to you're updates, thanks!