mind worms - Alpha Centauri Forums

  Alpha Centauri Forums
  Support and Troubleshooting
  mind worms

profile | register | prefs | faq | search

Author Topic:   mind worms

cyb_erus posted 05-22-99 01:45 PM ET
Are these superior war machines to man made ones? They don't seem to be, because once an artillery unit destroyed one in one shot - even though it was a mature boil (+37%) and the artillery was only veteran(++)
Urban Ranger posted 05-25-99 01:09 AM ET
No.
They fight differently. Most weapons, armor, misc defenses, etc. have no effect in psi combat. The things that really matter are:
1. Morale level of the combatants
2. SA: Hypnotic Trance and Empath Song
3. SP: Neural Amplifier and Dream Twister
I don't know if Tach Field help with defending, but perim defense certainly doesn't.
But I found it strange that your artillery can kill a boil. My experience is ranged attackes have little effects on them.
MichaeltheGreat posted 05-26-99 02:23 AM ET
No - they are inferior in most ways
I usually alter between go Green, so always capture a few after some exploration - I've taken to just disbanding them, or leaving them where I find them, rather than even giving them room on my transports. I never pay good resources to build the things.
There are several reasons - the base combat advantage is only three to two for an attacker, and the modifications aren't that great. Even with a demon boil mind worm, they take a lot of damage when they win. They also only have movement advantages in fungus squares or on roads, so getting them anywhere is pretty tough - I like mobile forces. Since the game consistently favors weapon development over armor development, you usually have units (of any kind) with better offensive capability - so you can get situations like tachyon beam or plasma shard against plasma steel or silksteel armor - the base attacker advantage is much higher, plus you have the flexibility of designing special purpose units.
A mindworm is just a mindworm is just a ...
Isles of the Deep are cool however - a transport that can fight, and move through sea fungus without a hitch, so I use any I capture, although I don't bother to build them.
Zonker posted 05-27-99 05:43 PM ET
They have their uses. For one thing, the damage they do is multiplied by the reactor value of the defending unit, so they remain useful even after the enemy gets better reactors. In addition, if you're behind on tech, or the enemy is really well dug in, the 3:2 attacker advantage is possibly the best you'll be able to get. They don't require support, and they make good shock troops, especially since losing mind worms just makes it more likely that you'll capture more.
Incidentally, there's a bug in the odds generator for psi combat, in that it doesn't consider the reactor multiplier for damage.
MichaeltheGreat posted 05-28-99 12:03 AM ET
Zonker has a point about dug in enemies - but I usually bypass strongpoints - if I'm disassembling my enemy's terraforming and going after his weak points, he won't have enough left worth defending - I also make it a big point, in fact the whole focus of my warfighting strategy, to use mobile forces that are technologically superior, and if I can't conquer an ememies key cities, I find ways to limit his food and resource production - a low producing, slow growing city is not going to produce many units with good reactors. The biggest trouble I see with mind worms, unless they have a good fungus route to the point they want to attack, the are slow and vulnerable - they have no advantage in defense, and a cheap enemy unit can take them out, but no synthmetal sentinal or scout rover ever made will put a dent in my cloaked hovertanks
To close this thread, click here (moderator or admin only).


Hop to:

Contact Us | Alpha Centauri Home

Powered by: Ultimate Bulletin Board, Version 5.18
© Madrona Park, Inc., 1998.

Author	Topic: mind worms
cyb_erus	posted 05-22-99 01:45 PM ET Are these superior war machines to man made ones? They don't seem to be, because once an artillery unit destroyed one in one shot - even though it was a mature boil (+37%) and the artillery was only veteran(++)
Urban Ranger	posted 05-25-99 01:09 AM ET No. They fight differently. Most weapons, armor, misc defenses, etc. have no effect in psi combat. The things that really matter are: 1. Morale level of the combatants 2. SA: Hypnotic Trance and Empath Song 3. SP: Neural Amplifier and Dream Twister I don't know if Tach Field help with defending, but perim defense certainly doesn't. But I found it strange that your artillery can kill a boil. My experience is ranged attackes have little effects on them.
MichaeltheGreat	posted 05-26-99 02:23 AM ET No - they are inferior in most ways I usually alter between go Green, so always capture a few after some exploration - I've taken to just disbanding them, or leaving them where I find them, rather than even giving them room on my transports. I never pay good resources to build the things. There are several reasons - the base combat advantage is only three to two for an attacker, and the modifications aren't that great. Even with a demon boil mind worm, they take a lot of damage when they win. They also only have movement advantages in fungus squares or on roads, so getting them anywhere is pretty tough - I like mobile forces. Since the game consistently favors weapon development over armor development, you usually have units (of any kind) with better offensive capability - so you can get situations like tachyon beam or plasma shard against plasma steel or silksteel armor - the base attacker advantage is much higher, plus you have the flexibility of designing special purpose units. A mindworm is just a mindworm is just a ... Isles of the Deep are cool however - a transport that can fight, and move through sea fungus without a hitch, so I use any I capture, although I don't bother to build them.
Zonker	posted 05-27-99 05:43 PM ET They have their uses. For one thing, the damage they do is multiplied by the reactor value of the defending unit, so they remain useful even after the enemy gets better reactors. In addition, if you're behind on tech, or the enemy is really well dug in, the 3:2 attacker advantage is possibly the best you'll be able to get. They don't require support, and they make good shock troops, especially since losing mind worms just makes it more likely that you'll capture more. Incidentally, there's a bug in the odds generator for psi combat, in that it doesn't consider the reactor multiplier for damage.
MichaeltheGreat	posted 05-28-99 12:03 AM ET Zonker has a point about dug in enemies - but I usually bypass strongpoints - if I'm disassembling my enemy's terraforming and going after his weak points, he won't have enough left worth defending - I also make it a big point, in fact the whole focus of my warfighting strategy, to use mobile forces that are technologically superior, and if I can't conquer an ememies key cities, I find ways to limit his food and resource production - a low producing, slow growing city is not going to produce many units with good reactors. The biggest trouble I see with mind worms, unless they have a good fungus route to the point they want to attack, the are slow and vulnerable - they have no advantage in defense, and a cheap enemy unit can take them out, but no synthmetal sentinal or scout rover ever made will put a dent in my cloaked hovertanks