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Author Topic:   Former + transport = Sea Former?

Purple posted 05-25-99 01:54 PM ET
In my current game I was transporting a former from my main continent to a nearby island when I received the help message about the suitability of the sea tile (on which I ended the turn) for planting kelp. This had never happened to me before, but when I thought about it, what is a sea former but a former on a transport chassis?
So without any research, my question is this: would it be more efficient only to build regular formers and put them to sea on a convenient transport rather than specialized sea formers. That way they could return to land duty when needed.
Plato90s posted 05-25-99 03:43 PM ET
Formers can only work on the terrain for which they can move across. So a infantry/speeder/hovertank chassis former can't work on water, but a Gravship chassis former can work on both land and sea.
Beta1 posted 05-25-99 06:33 PM ET
Yes but does the game check whether the unit could mobe across the area or does it assume that because it is already in that square it can alter it? If it is the second it would make sense that a land former being transported in a sea transport can alter the sea squares.
However I really cant be bothered to check this out as I dont think biulding sea transports simply to carry formers around is a remotely sensible thing to do
Purple posted 05-25-99 09:06 PM ET
Beta, the obvious down side is that the transport would be immobilized while the transported former is engaged in seaforming. The up side is that it could return to normal transporting when the former debarks. That is, the functions of the two units can either be combined or separated, depending on immediate need.
I just need to compare the building costs and times for building them separately versus building one seaformer.
MrMojoRisin posted 05-25-99 10:37 PM ET
Depends a bit on your support rating....
With the transport/former combo you are supporting 2 units..not a big deal later in the game but a big deal early if you are playing the Morganites in a Democracy or some other negative support set up
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Author	Topic: Former + transport = Sea Former?
Purple	posted 05-25-99 01:54 PM ET In my current game I was transporting a former from my main continent to a nearby island when I received the help message about the suitability of the sea tile (on which I ended the turn) for planting kelp. This had never happened to me before, but when I thought about it, what is a sea former but a former on a transport chassis? So without any research, my question is this: would it be more efficient only to build regular formers and put them to sea on a convenient transport rather than specialized sea formers. That way they could return to land duty when needed.
Plato90s	posted 05-25-99 03:43 PM ET Formers can only work on the terrain for which they can move across. So a infantry/speeder/hovertank chassis former can't work on water, but a Gravship chassis former can work on both land and sea.
Beta1	posted 05-25-99 06:33 PM ET Yes but does the game check whether the unit could mobe across the area or does it assume that because it is already in that square it can alter it? If it is the second it would make sense that a land former being transported in a sea transport can alter the sea squares. However I really cant be bothered to check this out as I dont think biulding sea transports simply to carry formers around is a remotely sensible thing to do
Purple	posted 05-25-99 09:06 PM ET Beta, the obvious down side is that the transport would be immobilized while the transported former is engaged in seaforming. The up side is that it could return to normal transporting when the former debarks. That is, the functions of the two units can either be combined or separated, depending on immediate need. I just need to compare the building costs and times for building them separately versus building one seaformer.
MrMojoRisin	posted 05-25-99 10:37 PM ET Depends a bit on your support rating.... With the transport/former combo you are supporting 2 units..not a big deal later in the game but a big deal early if you are playing the Morganites in a Democracy or some other negative support set up