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Author Topic:   Defending a Base

alienz posted 05-06-99 10:12 PM ET
This has been confusing me, what units are best suited for guarding a base? Under the workshop are they the ones that say "Defense" even tho they only have a low weapons rating?
And other than destroying enhancements what are artillary good for? Whenever I have them attack units they do minimal damage at best. I understand the percentages but still repeated bombardment should do more than make nice explosions.
Thanks for the help.
Nell_Smith posted 05-06-99 11:24 PM ET
alienz:
All units have three ratings: weapons-armour-movement, e.g. 1-3-1 for your standard Plasma Sentinels.
The fact that the computer calls a unit a "Defence" unit doesn't mean that's all you can use it for, it just means that this is what the unit will be best at. It also means that the AI is likely to use units like that for defensive purposes, and will only attack with them if it's desperate.
When units attack each other, the combat system matches the attacker's weapons rating against the defender's armour rating. A unit rated, say, 6-4-1 has a weapons rating of 6 and an armour rating of 4. So, if that unit attacked another unit that was rated 4-6-1, the weapon and the armour would be evenly matched (6 against 6 and 4 against 4). So you can see that a defender that is rated 1-12-1 has much more chance of withstanding an attack than one that is rated 12-1-1, despite the higher weapons rating, since the weapons rating won't help a unit to defend itself. Other factors are taken into account, such as each unit's morale level and also where it is, i.e. is it in a good attacking or defending position.
To defend bases, build units with the best armour rating you can afford. If you want to give the defenders a chance of *also* killing off any attackers, give them as good a weapons rating as you can afford, too, but the critical figure for defenders is the armour rating.
You need also to consider special abilities for defenders, depending what they're defending against. For example, if you're getting hassled by mindworms, build defenders with the Trance special ability (bonus against Psi attacks), if you're being attacked by fast enemy units (e.g. Rovers), build defenders with the ECM comm jammer ability, and if you're being attacked with planes or missiles, build defenders with the AAA (anti-aircraft) bonus. They are more expensive but well worth it, and become vital once missiles and 'copters start flying.
Base facilities are also vital for good defence. Perimeter Defenses, Tachyon Fields and Aerospace Complexes all provide defensive bonuses.
Artillery isn't my favourite kind of unit, and I usually only build these units if I need to take out a sensor that's guarding a base. However, artillery units can make quite a difference if you spend a few turns constantly bombarding a base before sending in your ground forces, as the defenders will be weakened and it can give you quite an edge, especially if the defenders are stronger than your attackers (i.e. they have better armour than your best weapon). Artillery only reduces the defenders' strength by a percentage (can't remember what the maximum is, sorry!), but that reduction does make a difference.
Hope this helps
Nell
CatsAt8 posted 05-07-99 12:07 AM ET
I defend my bases by making the *Don Rickles* unit...it simply hurls insults at the attackers until they break down and cry.
CatsAt8
cousLee posted 05-07-99 12:26 AM ET
besides, artillery can attack from a distance. If you are attacking with an arty unit the same way as a regular unit, they don't do squat. Use the "f" key to attack enemy stacks (if you know this, then sorry). This was a mistake I made when i first got the game, I also throught arty was useless, when in fact, it was ME screwing up, not the unit. I think the damage max is 50%, but thats every unit in the enemy stack. a 1-3-1 at 50% damage, is worse than synthmetal (with no damage). unless using arty as a stand alone unit, armor is a waste on them. (of course other strategys may differ)
Smeagol posted 05-07-99 02:27 AM ET
Another excellent idea that some people have brought up is to put a probe ability in the weapons slot for your base defenders. This will make them require no support, and you will of course get the ability to probe with them. This is ideal because any units attacking your city can be mind controlled with the probe units to take control of them.
OldWarrior_42 posted 05-07-99 02:41 AM ET
Artillery units are really good if you use them on your ships and you want to soften up an opponent that is quite a ways from you and you are not ready to invade yet. While you are fighting nearby factions you can send you art. ships to destroy roads, farms sensors etc... as a preinvasion plan.
drunkenkatori posted 05-07-99 04:54 AM ET
Isn't a probe defender considered a non-combat unit? Oh, maybe not if you armor it...
alienz posted 05-07-99 12:33 PM ET
Thanks for all the info, I've started a new game and taking out farms and mines is extremely effective with art. The ever annoying Hive offered a blood truce then a treaty of friendship after a long vendetta during the same turn. Then broke it right after I closed the window : . I've been wearing them down with just 2 Interceptors and an art foil taking out their formers and destroying all enhancements. Oh yes they will pay. (I'm playing as PK for the first time so nice not having to deal with hordes of drones *cough* UoP *cough* :
Smeagol posted 05-07-99 12:47 PM ET
Drunken-- If you put armor on any noncombat unit (former, supply crawler, probe) it becomes a combat unit and loses the penalty.
sandals posted 05-07-99 01:31 PM ET
Nell mentioned adding armor & weapons to a defender. This will often make them very expensive. A more cost effective option would be to build a strong defensive unit: low-best-1, with any special defenses that you feel are useful. Then build a rover: best-1-2 to attack any weak units that are sitting outside your base.
Note that I said low instead of 1 on the garrison's weapon rating. I think that as long as the weapons rating is lower than the armor, the cost is the same. So a 4-5-1 costs the same as a 1-5-1. It may help if you need to pick off that last rover...
JUSTICE posted 05-07-99 03:38 PM ET
Artillery can be VERY useful for bombing the sea bases that the AI likes to place on the coastline of my main continent. Just bomb the hell out of 'em & soften 'em up before letting a minor naval vessel (e.g. impact foil) take the base for you.
JUSTICE 4 all...
Earwicker posted 05-07-99 03:58 PM ET
Artillery also works wonders for helping low-morale troops knock off stacks of mindworms (and thereby, you hope,increase their morale). If you've got an arty (or more likely, a naval unit) around, use that to soften them up then send the defender after the nasties.
Same works with base defense in case another faction manages to land some attackers. Bombardment will damage rovers enough to slow them to 1 movement point -- easy pickings.
WorldBuster posted 05-07-99 07:15 PM ET
Nay, nay my young foot soldiers. It is
imperative that you build Empath units as soon as you get the tech and constantly upgrade them as the game progresses. You will smile as they put up a stern defense against the swarms of worm attacks when your ecological damage starts wrecking the environment of the soft-skinned planet. You should also have an Empath Rover {multiple moves} or better yet - Empath Hover tank. Have about 1 of these for every four cities on a land mass. They will pay for themselves when you take out a stack of worms and accrue 300 to 650 energy units {enough to finish numerous facilities each turn}.
The worms will come. As a last word, also arm the units with the non-lethal special ability to suppress the unruly drones. When air power is achieved by another faction - build one AAA unit - preferably a rover type.
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Author	Topic: Defending a Base
alienz	posted 05-06-99 10:12 PM ET This has been confusing me, what units are best suited for guarding a base? Under the workshop are they the ones that say "Defense" even tho they only have a low weapons rating? And other than destroying enhancements what are artillary good for? Whenever I have them attack units they do minimal damage at best. I understand the percentages but still repeated bombardment should do more than make nice explosions. Thanks for the help.
Nell_Smith	posted 05-06-99 11:24 PM ET alienz: All units have three ratings: weapons-armour-movement, e.g. 1-3-1 for your standard Plasma Sentinels. The fact that the computer calls a unit a "Defence" unit doesn't mean that's all you can use it for, it just means that this is what the unit will be best at. It also means that the AI is likely to use units like that for defensive purposes, and will only attack with them if it's desperate. When units attack each other, the combat system matches the attacker's weapons rating against the defender's armour rating. A unit rated, say, 6-4-1 has a weapons rating of 6 and an armour rating of 4. So, if that unit attacked another unit that was rated 4-6-1, the weapon and the armour would be evenly matched (6 against 6 and 4 against 4). So you can see that a defender that is rated 1-12-1 has much more chance of withstanding an attack than one that is rated 12-1-1, despite the higher weapons rating, since the weapons rating won't help a unit to defend itself. Other factors are taken into account, such as each unit's morale level and also where it is, i.e. is it in a good attacking or defending position. To defend bases, build units with the best armour rating you can afford. If you want to give the defenders a chance of also killing off any attackers, give them as good a weapons rating as you can afford, too, but the critical figure for defenders is the armour rating. You need also to consider special abilities for defenders, depending what they're defending against. For example, if you're getting hassled by mindworms, build defenders with the Trance special ability (bonus against Psi attacks), if you're being attacked by fast enemy units (e.g. Rovers), build defenders with the ECM comm jammer ability, and if you're being attacked with planes or missiles, build defenders with the AAA (anti-aircraft) bonus. They are more expensive but well worth it, and become vital once missiles and 'copters start flying. Base facilities are also vital for good defence. Perimeter Defenses, Tachyon Fields and Aerospace Complexes all provide defensive bonuses. Artillery isn't my favourite kind of unit, and I usually only build these units if I need to take out a sensor that's guarding a base. However, artillery units can make quite a difference if you spend a few turns constantly bombarding a base before sending in your ground forces, as the defenders will be weakened and it can give you quite an edge, especially if the defenders are stronger than your attackers (i.e. they have better armour than your best weapon). Artillery only reduces the defenders' strength by a percentage (can't remember what the maximum is, sorry!), but that reduction does make a difference. Hope this helps Nell
CatsAt8	posted 05-07-99 12:07 AM ET I defend my bases by making the Don Rickles unit...it simply hurls insults at the attackers until they break down and cry. CatsAt8
cousLee	posted 05-07-99 12:26 AM ET besides, artillery can attack from a distance. If you are attacking with an arty unit the same way as a regular unit, they don't do squat. Use the "f" key to attack enemy stacks (if you know this, then sorry). This was a mistake I made when i first got the game, I also throught arty was useless, when in fact, it was ME screwing up, not the unit. I think the damage max is 50%, but thats every unit in the enemy stack. a 1-3-1 at 50% damage, is worse than synthmetal (with no damage). unless using arty as a stand alone unit, armor is a waste on them. (of course other strategys may differ)
Smeagol	posted 05-07-99 02:27 AM ET Another excellent idea that some people have brought up is to put a probe ability in the weapons slot for your base defenders. This will make them require no support, and you will of course get the ability to probe with them. This is ideal because any units attacking your city can be mind controlled with the probe units to take control of them.
OldWarrior_42	posted 05-07-99 02:41 AM ET Artillery units are really good if you use them on your ships and you want to soften up an opponent that is quite a ways from you and you are not ready to invade yet. While you are fighting nearby factions you can send you art. ships to destroy roads, farms sensors etc... as a preinvasion plan.
drunkenkatori	posted 05-07-99 04:54 AM ET Isn't a probe defender considered a non-combat unit? Oh, maybe not if you armor it...
alienz	posted 05-07-99 12:33 PM ET Thanks for all the info, I've started a new game and taking out farms and mines is extremely effective with art. The ever annoying Hive offered a blood truce then a treaty of friendship after a long vendetta during the same turn. Then broke it right after I closed the window : . I've been wearing them down with just 2 Interceptors and an art foil taking out their formers and destroying all enhancements. Oh yes they will pay. (I'm playing as PK for the first time so nice not having to deal with hordes of drones cough UoP cough :
Smeagol	posted 05-07-99 12:47 PM ET Drunken-- If you put armor on any noncombat unit (former, supply crawler, probe) it becomes a combat unit and loses the penalty.
sandals	posted 05-07-99 01:31 PM ET Nell mentioned adding armor & weapons to a defender. This will often make them very expensive. A more cost effective option would be to build a strong defensive unit: low-best-1, with any special defenses that you feel are useful. Then build a rover: best-1-2 to attack any weak units that are sitting outside your base. Note that I said low instead of 1 on the garrison's weapon rating. I think that as long as the weapons rating is lower than the armor, the cost is the same. So a 4-5-1 costs the same as a 1-5-1. It may help if you need to pick off that last rover...
JUSTICE	posted 05-07-99 03:38 PM ET Artillery can be VERY useful for bombing the sea bases that the AI likes to place on the coastline of my main continent. Just bomb the hell out of 'em & soften 'em up before letting a minor naval vessel (e.g. impact foil) take the base for you. JUSTICE 4 all...
Earwicker	posted 05-07-99 03:58 PM ET Artillery also works wonders for helping low-morale troops knock off stacks of mindworms (and thereby, you hope,increase their morale). If you've got an arty (or more likely, a naval unit) around, use that to soften them up then send the defender after the nasties. Same works with base defense in case another faction manages to land some attackers. Bombardment will damage rovers enough to slow them to 1 movement point -- easy pickings.
WorldBuster	posted 05-07-99 07:15 PM ET Nay, nay my young foot soldiers. It is imperative that you build Empath units as soon as you get the tech and constantly upgrade them as the game progresses. You will smile as they put up a stern defense against the swarms of worm attacks when your ecological damage starts wrecking the environment of the soft-skinned planet. You should also have an Empath Rover {multiple moves} or better yet - Empath Hover tank. Have about 1 of these for every four cities on a land mass. They will pay for themselves when you take out a stack of worms and accrue 300 to 650 energy units {enough to finish numerous facilities each turn}. The worms will come. As a last word, also arm the units with the non-lethal special ability to suppress the unruly drones. When air power is achieved by another faction - build one AAA unit - preferably a rover type.