LordEngelbert LordEngelbert

Superweapons

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Superweapons

from Sins Forums
As i mentioned on the "Balance/Builds Analysis" thread me and a couple of mates play this over a network.  We were having a nice slow paced game on a large map (the other players complained about small maps with lots of deception and trickery which is fair enough).  It was all going good.  They wanted a big map and I was Vasari, they also wanted peace for a long time so they could catch their breath, again fine, me @ Vasari.com
This went on for quite a while, i had all of 7 planets in a system of about 50 odd i think.  I got my Dark Armada (DA) and i was happy just to sit there and research.  All was good until it came near the time when battle was about to commence.
At this point my ally says to me:
"I say; LordEngelbert Dear chap, would you care to build some superweapons?  I know that i shall be."
Taken aback by the mere suggestion of buggering up another fleet with one shot from half a system away, i promptly built 2.  Joy.  The other guy was TEC and he built 4 or 5 of their big WTF-guns.
The time for battle was finally nigh, we had spent hours preparing for a good old fashioned showdown.  Like wise players we used our artillery, i thoroughly baffled one guy with my big guns and my ally destroyed their home planets.  Sadly as i moved my fleet in (which lagged the game as everyone else was moving too) i realised that there would be no opposition.  The combination of those big guns we had and some bad luck meant that nothing was left.  Absolutely nowt.  I had a few skirmishes but aside from that it seems the only actual use i had for that fleet was to fill up the car park outside my front planet (oh and look pretty).
Anyways, to the point.  Superweapons.  I do believe they are over-powered (though i may be wrong).  The ability to build an unlimited amount of planet/fleet destroying guns in a stand-off like that is a little odd.  Is there some way this could be addressed?
If you disagree about them being over-powered then fair enough, some might even say that i was daft for allowing the battle to get to the point where me and my ally could do that and that "pr0" players always finish the battle before it gets to that stage.
However, it would indeed be nice if there were some way of limiting them (perhaps there already is, i never host the games):  If you could disable them or limit them to a build count of one.  It would be nice.
In my view at least.  I know someone will disagree, but i've put my point across, i bid ye all farewell for now.
27,490 views 60 replies
Reply #51 from Sins Forums Top
the thing is the only reason chokepoints dont really exist in this game is due to superweapons.

the developers made it so yes anything (anything decently sized, which is easy if we are talking endgame where both sides have multiple novaliths) can get to a planet in the back with minor losses and thus neutralize your novalith or continously move through your systems with minor losses per system (if you have fighters/bombers).

if they make PJI's actually work correctly than super weapons would be too hard to counter, however making PJI's correctly would add a lot of strategy to the game.

if they can balance superweapons and a decent PJI, I dont really mind.
Reply #52 from Sins Forums Top
and since the cannon can only target planets in its own star system, you immediately have an inherent limitation.
End of quote

This is a not-trueity. Although the blurb seems to strongly IMPLY that this is true, as of 1.02, the Novalith Cannon is NOT limited to its own system. Although shots may take a good half hour to arrive, you CAN fire it at other systems, after which that planet will be uninhabitable for 30 minutes as it gets wiped out and subsequent shots continue to slam into it. It's pretty hilarious to watch, actually. In a 4-system map, I owned one, built a ton of Novacannons in it, and just let them autofire. There is now a seemingly unending wave of bullets slamming into the system, thwarting any efforts to recolonize it...by me, or anyone else, because if you colonize the planet, it will be annihilated by a cannon shot that is still in the air. It's pretty hilarious. I saw this previously with the Advent Deliverance, but the Deliverance is nonlethal to friendly targets, while the Novalith has no such scruples. Being shot by your own Deliverance is harmless and even good. Being hit by your own Novalith is...not so good. This may be a point in favor of the Deliverance over the Novalith, for those who say the Advent weapon is worthless. It's not a *FAST* killer, since you have to strike a planet repeatedly to cultureflip it and then wait for allegiance to drop to zero, but on the other hand, IT NEVER BLOWS UP YOUR RECOLONIZATION.

The eagle may soar, but the weasel never gets sucked into a jet engine.
The Political Machine 2024
Reply #53 from Sins Forums Top
Make it so super weapons have a range of two jumps. Then they can still break stalemates, yet can allow the return of beta four PJI's.
Reply #54 from Sins Forums Top
"Nerf carriers!" "Nerf anti-strikecraft frigates!" "Nerf LRM!" "Nerf Dark Armada!"
Please
End of quote


Nerf siege frigates.
Nerf flaks.
Nerf carriers.
Nerf LRMs.
Nerf superweapons.
Nerf Novalith.
Nerf Returning Armada.
Nerf Phase Stabilizers.

And PJIs had apparently been nerfed throughout the beta to the point that people are calling anti-nerf.
Reply #55 from Sins Forums Top
"Nerf carriers!" "Nerf anti-strikecraft frigates!" "Nerf LRM!" "Nerf Dark Armada!"PleaseNerf siege frigates.Nerf flaks.Nerf carriers.Nerf LRMs.Nerf superweapons.Nerf Novalith.Nerf Returning Armada.Nerf Phase Stabilizers.And PJIs had apparently been nerfed throughout the beta to the point that people are calling anti-nerf.
End of quote

Given the huge list of things which must be nerfed for everyone, it seems like maybe the game is just high-impact. Stuff dies. Easily and often. Get used to it, I guess. Hey, space is a tough place where wimps eat flaming plasma death.
Reply #56 from Sins Forums Top
Yeah I thought of limiting their range too. It just doesnt seem all that possible that a cannon from the other end of a star system can cover such a huge distance.
or for example make the novalith cannon lose power over distance.
Reply #57 from Sins Forums Top
Being shot by your own Deliverance is harmless and even good. Being hit by your own Novalith is...not so good. This may be a point in favor of the Deliverance over the Novalith, for those who say the Advent weapon is worthless. It's not a *FAST* killer, since you have to strike a planet repeatedly to cultureflip it and then wait for allegiance to drop to zero, but on the other hand, IT NEVER BLOWS UP YOUR RECOLONIZATION.
End of quote


Being shot by your own Deliverance Engine is good. Being shot by your own Novalith or Kostura is not.

Yet, the Deliverance Engine DOES disable enemy recolonization. Enough shots and the enemy star system will not just be poisoned, but will be swimming in a vat of Advent culture. Once a planet gets neutralized by culture, the original owners can't re-colonize it because they'll get a 'Foreign Culture is Too Strong' message or something like that.

But the Deliverance Engine can be defended against using a sufficiently large number of Broadcast Centers or Media Hubs, which are not too expensive and can be build in bulk if required. Novaliths can only be defended against using Shield Generators which are owned by the TEC itself, and that too, only for a while. And Kosturas cannot be defended against, but they have no effect on strike craft operations.
Reply #58 from Sins Forums Top
Possibly have anti-weapons for superweapons, as in supreme commander. such as an anti-nuke, or something equvilant.
Reply #59 from Sins Forums Top
the funniest thing about the TEC superweapon is that it's bugged. It's only supposed to target planets in system, but if you turn it on auto it targets planets in ALL systems. Theres a few threads in here about the royal PITA of colonizing a far off planet only to have it hit by a few of your own novalith rounds fired an hour ago.

In my huge game vs the AI right now i have around 50 systems, probably around 30 with novalith cannons built on them. My ally and i have all the planets in one system and the enemy is all in another system. If i scroll between the two starsystems all i can see is this endless stream of novalith shells slowly inching towards the enemy. I wonder how this would get in a multiplayer match? that would have to be the MOST annoying thing to deal with.
Reply #60 from Sins Forums Top
"since the cannon can only target planets in its own star system"

I've seen the vasari cannon fire at other star systems