Add mass driver 5

Creation, discussion, and balancing of game content such as techs, buildings, ship parts.

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Ophiuchus
Programmer
Posts: 3433
Joined: Tue Sep 30, 2014 10:01 am
Location: Wall IV

Add mass driver 5

#1 Post by Ophiuchus »

In the current game I have known that i will be stuck with bad pilots for a looooong time. I would like to have an alternative military option.

With great pilot species you rather rush for Laser-1 (60RP, dam9) than for MD-4 (40RP, dam8). (Same could happen goes for Plasma-1 vs Laser-4 i think). Level four is usually not RP efficient.

With bad pilot its kind of opposite, you usually want the highest tech level available as each new weapon type gives a bigger malus.

For bad pilot MD-1 is 2 damage, Laser-1 is 3 damage L4 is 9 damage, Plasma-1 is 6, DR-1 is 11

With a MD-5 for 60RP (like lasers) you could bring damage up to 7 (6 for bad species). So a MD5 would be as cost efficient as L4.

For average species also dam 7 means upgraded comsats can be downed in a single shot, so if you have some investment in mass drivers this single damage might make a big difference.

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LienRag
Cosmic Dragon
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Joined: Fri May 17, 2019 5:03 pm

Re: Add mass driver 5

#2 Post by LienRag »

I never thought about the difference between good and bad pilots concerning the choice of weapons, but you're definitely right.

Also I always considered that, even it there is obviously a need for some balance between weapons, armor and shields, having only four tiers for each weapon system wasn't enough and that higher, VERY expensive in terms of research, weapon tiers should be available.
There also would be a need for higher-level armor and shields of course, but as they're in late game it's possible to make them depend on specials, introducing more strategic planning and maneuver (notably that if in late game you've been cut of major specials you're toast).
Also, a Death Ray 7 costs the same than a DR 1 in terms of production, while a Neutroxantronium Crystalline Armor could cost much more than a regular Xantronium Armor, making late game strategic fleet building different than "early game but with higher costs".

So not only the race between Sword and Shield would make for different strategic realities each time one gets forward the other, it would also make for somewhat different strategic realities at different moments of the game.

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