Entrenchment Feedback

Basic Summary of Ideas

from Sins Forums

I have never really been good with introductions so I am going to dive right in to the actual post:

1. The number one problem that I have with Entrenchment is the starbases. I agree with most people on the resolution to this issue. The starbases need to have a much longer range to be able to combat any unit whatsoever, except the unit specifically designed to counter them. The starbases could also use cheaper/ more upgrades and a higher initial cost. (The whole moving of the starbases completely defeats teh purpose of the starBASE, and as for building in enemy gravity wells, this isn't neccesarily a bad idea as it gives it a Death Star-like feel, however an anti-planet upgrade would be mucch appreciated here.) Also it would be nice if starbases had powers and gained levels like cap ships. And the final problem I have with the starbase is that the constructor ship builds where it is and does not construct where I want, which is only a minor problem but still frustrating. PS the idea of having a starbase stop the traveling of phaselanes is also a great idea.

2. The number 2 problem I have currently is everyone elses number one and that is the mines. Obviously. What can I say that hasnt already been said? The TEC mine system is top notch but as for Advent and Vasari it is just annoying. I would like to see a 500 mine limit and also the ability for constructor ships to automatically replace a detonated mine. Also if a mine explodes, it should destroy everything around it, not just enemy ships. If I was dumb enough to leave my capital ship next to a mine field that enemies were coming into, well maybe I did not deserve that capital ship. Also I would like to see scout ships or robotics cruisers to be able to be upgraded with a greater mine clearing ability.

3. One major problem people seem to have is that no matter what, even if ranges were increased for starbases, is that they can still just be bypassed and the planet can be destoryed either way. Well something I have wanted from the beginning that would easily fix this problem would be to be able to upgrade the actual planets with physical planetary defenses. If I was the ruler of a particular gravity well, I sure as hell would not leave the actual planet undefended andWput my sole confidence in the constructions of the gravity well. Many of you now say, "Well that is great, but how does this help solve the problem?" Well, this would make it so if someone did decide to go through your defenses, they would be stuck between a rock(planetary defenses) and a hard place (orbital defenses, including the starbase) thus being assaulted from all sides and would never be able to actually destroy any defenseless orbital structure placed near the planet without first destroying the tactical structures and then attempting to destroy the plaetary ones. (A good way to implement this would be to have the planetary defenses targetable by teh antistructure firgates and thus increase the usage of these units.) And you could also have upgrade slots like the starbases that have diferent powers like missle bays or something but you could also do weapon upgrades, Im not sure at the moment but with some tweaking I think that this could be a very cool idea to implement.

4. These final suggestions are minor and would be nice changes to teh game howeve this just might be my opinion. First off I would like to see flak guns on cap ships like everyone else, also to increase the damage/health of cap ships to increase the usefulness(as well as that of the starbases because seriously my starbase was destroyed by 2 level 1 cap ships). Next, I would like to see a few more ship types, personally I would like to see a frigate with very fast engines but a powerful close range attack that would be a good counter to both LRMs and carriers, and also maybe some unique units with unique capabilities for each civilization. I would like the Novalith Cannon to be able to target starbases and have a damage multiplyer against tehm so its a 1 hit kill. And finally I am sick and tired of finding nothing after expending resources on exploring a plnet. I would like to see getting relics more often, and if there is no relic, the exploration should lead to a non permanent power with a cooldown timer, like rocket swarm or something I dont know. Or exploration will lead to more upgrade slots that you can use as mentioned above.

-My Two Cents

1,796 views 5 replies
Reply #1 from Sins Forums Top

Nice on planet defenses and exploration.

Reply #2 from Sins Forums Top

We have a thinker! first the varsari starbase can launch an asteriod at a planet.

My biggest issue which everyone can agree on is adding a phase jump inhibitor so great that you have to take on the star base. Or have it not so great and make the star base moveable. As for making them move space lanes? I think not and if so only for Vasari because they mastered phase space long ago and then only an upgradeable option.

Planetary defenses are a good idea but realistically speaking you'd have to pay a pretty penny to provide planet to space weaponary. So this is an entrenchment, why not build large silos on the planet for defense?

Advent mines are just aggrevating. They all need to be like TEC because its so simple. I dont want to have to look around for my mine layer ship i like being able to click the planet and go. Anything else is just a disadvantage to other races. Perhaps if you kept the ship mine layer idea you have an easy to click icon in the corner of the screen that says mines and then you can lay them out.

Finally i have to disagree with the last statement of adding more ships. It would start making the game to complex and they will come with the two other mini expansions planned for the future so i dont think anyone else should waste the space asking for them.

Fences - Organize your desktop icons today!
Reply #3 from Sins Forums Top

I think the planet defenses would be worth it when it forces your enemy to engage the defenses that you had spent even more money on.

Reply #4 from Sins Forums Top

One more thing that might be nice is another cap ship class that is mediocre most of the time, but it can deploy into a stationary gun like the terran tank thing in starcraft. When deplowed it chews up all ships and eats through all enemy structures in an enemy system, but it takes time to deploy and has mediocre health and mediocre attack when not deployed. And maybe if you have multiple cap ships in the same well or a starbase and a cap ship(s) in a well they get bonuses? Just a thought.

PS I think it is sometimes forgotten that starbases and cap ships are not meant to have weaknesses, but only differing strengths. They are costly enough that they should be things that when an enemy sees an incoming cap ship he starts panicking and swearing, and when he is invading a planet to save himself that has a starbase he starts praying and kicking himself in the ass for not getting the ogrov tech. When he has a cap ship in his system he should feel glorious and when he has a starbase in his system he should feel safe. That is the purpose of cap ships and starbases.

Reply #5 from Sins Forums Top

I would like to see minefields rather than individual mines being placed.  The minefields could be upgraded to have different abilities, density and size.  Abilities would include antimatter drain, damage, homing, etc.  Density would be the probability of a ship detonating a mine while travelling through the minefield.  Size would make the minefield larger so when combined with density would cause major problems.  Health could represent the density of minefields along with size.  The larger and more dense a minefield the more health it would have.  It would allow players to clear out minefields, but it might take a long time.  Ships detonating mines would reduce the health of the field, but the minefield would only repair if there was a minelaying structure or ship in the vicinity.

 

Scouts should be immune to minefields and have the ability to autocast mine removal.  They detect mines, but also actively seek out mines to detonate.  It might take large numbers of scouts to detonate a dense large minefield.   

 

Mines in systems with planets you control should automatically detect and be able to destroy mines.  This prevents the mine spam if you ally and your "friend" becomes your enemy later on.  I had this happen several times in single player with the AI.

 

Starbases do need longer range.  They also need multiple weapon types so they can focus on several ships, fighters and bombers.   I would like to see more special abilities for starbases.  They also need to be beefed up.  A fully upgraded starbase costs as much as 5 capital ships.  This should make the starbase much stronger .  Put some speed reduction within a certain range.  As it stands now even if I fight a fully upgraded starbase it may destroy 1 or 2 frigates or cruisers ships before my group of capital ships destroy it.  It should be a true terror when I face against it.  It is supposed to allow players to defend the system against a fleet.  As it is now it is a nuisance worth destroying for the XP.  Maybe allow it 10-15 upgrades so it does cost as much as several cruisers and is more deadly.