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Author Topic:   Defending against missiles

Drunken Master posted 06-03-99 12:12 AM ET
Hi again,
Im having problems with Yang. Hes got a much larger empire than me, and he keeps sending over missiles to take out my formers/supply convoys/closest cities.
So are there any good ways of protecting against missiles?
Thanx.
dingwick posted 06-03-99 04:14 AM ET
I don't know about the missile part. I'm still on my first game, at the second easiest level, and so far it's been all me as the PK. I was wondering, however, if the AI is prone to using the planet busters and nerve gas pods.
MichaeltheGreat posted 06-03-99 04:33 AM ET
dingwick - you're damned right they'll use planet busters. I've never seen them deploy nerve gass pods.
Drunken - Yang's a bastard if you let him get too big on you. Units in the open, are pretty helpless, and missiles have a high offensive value. If you have the AAA special ability, and decent armor techs, build AAA garrison units 1/best armor you've got/1 AAA and put perimeter defenses and tachyon fields around your bases. Your formers, etc. are vulnerable, so depending on your position in the game, you may need to kiss his arse, and give him anything short of a base on your home continent to get him off your back. He also gets bent out of shape about democratic governments.
Once you get him off your back, try to rebuild and get the edge in technology, then figure out if you can either take him on, or figure a way to live with him and still win.
If you go after him, launch a surprise attack, go straight at his capital, and throw massive force at it - you want to hit hard and fast. If you succeed in taking enemy cities, the leaders become much more reasonable about truces, etc.
Remember that diplomacy is merely another weapon to be used in war, and if you need to, nuke his most productive bases - the ecology might get ugly and you might cause the oceans to rise, so do that as a last resort. Also see if you can persuade other factions to go after him, and/or build probe units, do something to the other factions and try to frame Yang.
seth5454 posted 06-03-99 06:50 AM ET
I heard that anything under Neutronium armor wont hold up against missle attacks so....
go straight for it i guess.
Plato90s posted 06-03-99 10:09 AM ET
Well, I've actually observed the Believers utilize nerve gas units, so I know the AI can design them.
Drunken Master posted 06-03-99 10:38 AM ET
Neutronium hey? Well Im still at silksteel. Im doing really badly (Im not very good with Morgan) yet Im still top dog in technology. All my cities have silksteel sentinels with AAA and they all get slaughtered. I sucked up to Yang, and Lal (who is winning) started killing me. So I made friends with Lal, and now Yang is killing me..
Oh well thanx for the help ;o)
DM.
jimmytrick posted 06-03-99 12:44 PM ET
Yes, I have seen the Spartans make extensive use of nerve gas. If they grow strong enough to revoke the charter-look out!
If the charter is revoked you should put gas pods on your designs as well to keep up. Remember, you have the option not to use the gas so you will not get caught with useless units if the Charter is reinstated.
MichaeltheGreat posted 06-03-99 01:06 PM ET
The nastiness of the other factions when they get too big/strong/advanced calls to mind that line from the reggae song "I shot the sheriff" best known by Clapton's version:
"Sheriff John Brown always hated me,
for what, I do not know,
Every time I plant a seed,
he said 'kill it before it grows'
he said 'kill it before it grows'"
To beat the AI, you have to expand rapidly, in the early game and teach them some manners early enough that they can't screw with you. I like to get a huge lead in technology, so exploring and hunting for alien artifacts is a major priority - I just love frre techs, and especially the possibility of getting ones before I have all the prerequisites.
Technology + Production = Victory
"I just love the smell of nerve gas in the morning... it's the smell of... Victory"
if Robert DuVal was a SMACer
Also, about atrocities and sanctions - the sanctions are either they all stop trading with you, or they all declare war on you.
If you're way ahead in tech and production, or already at war with everyone anyway, or you have huge advanced cities and they're all living in dungheaps, U.N. Sanctions are a joke, much like they are here in real life.
jimmytrick posted 06-03-99 01:27 PM ET
MTG, that reminds me of a "game story". I was Gaian and Lal was govenor. He decided to hit me with a PB. All of the other factions declared vendetta on him of course. So, I thought, lets see if I can revoke the charter and then retaliate. But Lal had the veto, so no go. Made me so mad I just went outside and talked to the trees........
Krushala posted 06-03-99 05:09 PM ET
I've never had the ai use planet busters against me, but I never do atrocities/ use PB's or repeal the trade pack. I suppose they do at transcend. but so far I'm up to librarian and the ai hasn't used pb's against me. But did against other factions.
Zakalwe posted 06-04-99 03:08 AM ET
When I'm faced with a strong Hive or the Believers equipped with missiles, I usually try to take the war to them. If you don't have the resources to fight a conquest war, you can stave off the missile threat with a spoiling strategy.
The trick is to capture one or two of their cities and pour in some expendable troops and a lot of helicopters. The AI will come after these conquered bases, so the pressure on your heartland will ease up. If you use the copters to hit the enemy bases, they will be forvced to build defensive units instead of missiles. This will often give you the time you need to develop your technology to the point (Shard, Prob Sheath, Blink etc.) where you can wage a war against a larger opponent.
Zakalwe
Blunderdog posted 06-04-99 03:18 AM ET
The AI will use PBs on all the levels. I got PBed by Yang in my first or second game of SMAC, on Citizen. In my most recent game (at Librarian, I'm working my way up, Dierdre tried to PB me (UoP), but I had orbital defense pods to stop both of them. She got off without sanctions even! Guess they have to hit before it pisses everyone off. Later in the game she had the gall to threaten me with sanctions if I were to use my PBs against her!
Beta1 posted 06-04-99 07:14 AM ET
All the AI factions build PBs in almost every game I've played at the higher levels - but it only ever seems to be Yang who starts throwing them around. The best way of dealing with them tends to be to hit them first - either with probes or air power. If they hit you first make sure you've got enough PBs to go around if you decide to retaliate. I usually stock pile large numbers PBs (esp singularity reactor ones ) and if someones fires one at me its mushroom cloud time. Its always amusing to be the only person sitting on dry land while everyone else is wondering where their continent went.
But back to the original question - if you havnt got high enough armour try using disposable 1/1/1 units as nominated defenders - they cost much less than the missile so the computer is wasting money/production killing them.
Incredible I managed to write an entire post about missiles without moaning about the teleporting PB problem.
Krushala posted 07-03-99 02:12 PM ET
Just bringing this thread up. Yes there is strategy information in this section. Just got to look for it sometimes.
Krushala posted 07-16-99 01:16 PM ET
There may be a better thread than this but I can't find it. Just conquer the hive, that's actually the easiest way. Actually the easiest way is to not let them grow strong.
Anyway the word defense is wrong. Unless you really enjoy it, playing defense is worthless. As the cliche goes the best defense is a good offense. Build some missles and drop units (if you are close enough) and make him surrender. With the patch you shouldn't be getting hit from accross the world. So getting troops over there shouldn't be a problem. Just build them in bases not getting bombarded. The ai seems to like using missles on specific bases.
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Author	Topic: Defending against missiles
Drunken Master	posted 06-03-99 12:12 AM ET Hi again, Im having problems with Yang. Hes got a much larger empire than me, and he keeps sending over missiles to take out my formers/supply convoys/closest cities. So are there any good ways of protecting against missiles? Thanx.
dingwick	posted 06-03-99 04:14 AM ET I don't know about the missile part. I'm still on my first game, at the second easiest level, and so far it's been all me as the PK. I was wondering, however, if the AI is prone to using the planet busters and nerve gas pods.
MichaeltheGreat	posted 06-03-99 04:33 AM ET dingwick - you're damned right they'll use planet busters. I've never seen them deploy nerve gass pods. Drunken - Yang's a bastard if you let him get too big on you. Units in the open, are pretty helpless, and missiles have a high offensive value. If you have the AAA special ability, and decent armor techs, build AAA garrison units 1/best armor you've got/1 AAA and put perimeter defenses and tachyon fields around your bases. Your formers, etc. are vulnerable, so depending on your position in the game, you may need to kiss his arse, and give him anything short of a base on your home continent to get him off your back. He also gets bent out of shape about democratic governments. Once you get him off your back, try to rebuild and get the edge in technology, then figure out if you can either take him on, or figure a way to live with him and still win. If you go after him, launch a surprise attack, go straight at his capital, and throw massive force at it - you want to hit hard and fast. If you succeed in taking enemy cities, the leaders become much more reasonable about truces, etc. Remember that diplomacy is merely another weapon to be used in war, and if you need to, nuke his most productive bases - the ecology might get ugly and you might cause the oceans to rise, so do that as a last resort. Also see if you can persuade other factions to go after him, and/or build probe units, do something to the other factions and try to frame Yang.
seth5454	posted 06-03-99 06:50 AM ET I heard that anything under Neutronium armor wont hold up against missle attacks so.... go straight for it i guess.
Plato90s	posted 06-03-99 10:09 AM ET Well, I've actually observed the Believers utilize nerve gas units, so I know the AI can design them.
Drunken Master	posted 06-03-99 10:38 AM ET Neutronium hey? Well Im still at silksteel. Im doing really badly (Im not very good with Morgan) yet Im still top dog in technology. All my cities have silksteel sentinels with AAA and they all get slaughtered. I sucked up to Yang, and Lal (who is winning) started killing me. So I made friends with Lal, and now Yang is killing me.. Oh well thanx for the help ;o) DM.
jimmytrick	posted 06-03-99 12:44 PM ET Yes, I have seen the Spartans make extensive use of nerve gas. If they grow strong enough to revoke the charter-look out! If the charter is revoked you should put gas pods on your designs as well to keep up. Remember, you have the option not to use the gas so you will not get caught with useless units if the Charter is reinstated.
MichaeltheGreat	posted 06-03-99 01:06 PM ET The nastiness of the other factions when they get too big/strong/advanced calls to mind that line from the reggae song "I shot the sheriff" best known by Clapton's version: "Sheriff John Brown always hated me, for what, I do not know, Every time I plant a seed, he said 'kill it before it grows' he said 'kill it before it grows'" To beat the AI, you have to expand rapidly, in the early game and teach them some manners early enough that they can't screw with you. I like to get a huge lead in technology, so exploring and hunting for alien artifacts is a major priority - I just love frre techs, and especially the possibility of getting ones before I have all the prerequisites. Technology + Production = Victory "I just love the smell of nerve gas in the morning... it's the smell of... Victory" if Robert DuVal was a SMACer Also, about atrocities and sanctions - the sanctions are either they all stop trading with you, or they all declare war on you. If you're way ahead in tech and production, or already at war with everyone anyway, or you have huge advanced cities and they're all living in dungheaps, U.N. Sanctions are a joke, much like they are here in real life.
jimmytrick	posted 06-03-99 01:27 PM ET MTG, that reminds me of a "game story". I was Gaian and Lal was govenor. He decided to hit me with a PB. All of the other factions declared vendetta on him of course. So, I thought, lets see if I can revoke the charter and then retaliate. But Lal had the veto, so no go. Made me so mad I just went outside and talked to the trees........
Krushala	posted 06-03-99 05:09 PM ET I've never had the ai use planet busters against me, but I never do atrocities/ use PB's or repeal the trade pack. I suppose they do at transcend. but so far I'm up to librarian and the ai hasn't used pb's against me. But did against other factions.
Zakalwe	posted 06-04-99 03:08 AM ET When I'm faced with a strong Hive or the Believers equipped with missiles, I usually try to take the war to them. If you don't have the resources to fight a conquest war, you can stave off the missile threat with a spoiling strategy. The trick is to capture one or two of their cities and pour in some expendable troops and a lot of helicopters. The AI will come after these conquered bases, so the pressure on your heartland will ease up. If you use the copters to hit the enemy bases, they will be forvced to build defensive units instead of missiles. This will often give you the time you need to develop your technology to the point (Shard, Prob Sheath, Blink etc.) where you can wage a war against a larger opponent. Zakalwe
Blunderdog	posted 06-04-99 03:18 AM ET The AI will use PBs on all the levels. I got PBed by Yang in my first or second game of SMAC, on Citizen. In my most recent game (at Librarian, I'm working my way up, Dierdre tried to PB me (UoP), but I had orbital defense pods to stop both of them. She got off without sanctions even! Guess they have to hit before it pisses everyone off. Later in the game she had the gall to threaten me with sanctions if I were to use my PBs against her!
Beta1	posted 06-04-99 07:14 AM ET All the AI factions build PBs in almost every game I've played at the higher levels - but it only ever seems to be Yang who starts throwing them around. The best way of dealing with them tends to be to hit them first - either with probes or air power. If they hit you first make sure you've got enough PBs to go around if you decide to retaliate. I usually stock pile large numbers PBs (esp singularity reactor ones ) and if someones fires one at me its mushroom cloud time. Its always amusing to be the only person sitting on dry land while everyone else is wondering where their continent went. But back to the original question - if you havnt got high enough armour try using disposable 1/1/1 units as nominated defenders - they cost much less than the missile so the computer is wasting money/production killing them. Incredible I managed to write an entire post about missiles without moaning about the teleporting PB problem.
Krushala	posted 07-03-99 02:12 PM ET Just bringing this thread up. Yes there is strategy information in this section. Just got to look for it sometimes.
Krushala	posted 07-16-99 01:16 PM ET There may be a better thread than this but I can't find it. Just conquer the hive, that's actually the easiest way. Actually the easiest way is to not let them grow strong. Anyway the word defense is wrong. Unless you really enjoy it, playing defense is worthless. As the cliche goes the best defense is a good offense. Build some missles and drop units (if you are close enough) and make him surrender. With the patch you shouldn't be getting hit from accross the world. So getting troops over there shouldn't be a problem. Just build them in bases not getting bombarded. The ai seems to like using missles on specific bases.