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Author Topic:   Hovertanks should go over water?!?!

Worm Man posted 04-07-99 08:39 PM ET
I think Hovertanks should go water because they are called HOVERTANKS. Is that freaky or what.

eNo posted 04-07-99 09:15 PM ET
I agree. Hovercraft go over both surfaces don't they? Hovertanks are some 250+ years into the future. Maybe Firaxis decided against this as a play balance thing.
paraskous posted 04-08-99 08:11 AM ET
Maybe they are supposed to need a solid surface to hover on?
Bossman posted 04-08-99 08:47 AM ET
Yeah, Maybe. But what would be the advantage of Grav tanks then other than their speed? The game would not be as challenging + if a unit can have the ability to go over land and sea the special abilities it can use are severely decreased.
Mortis posted 04-08-99 09:03 AM ET
That's what gravships are for...
Bossman posted 04-08-99 09:06 AM ET
Mortis
Read it again and then you might understand what I was saying
Mortis posted 04-08-99 10:28 AM ET
I was refering to the original post.
Plato90s posted 04-08-99 05:31 PM ET
Having more movement points means they can attack more often. Good enough for me. Just keep in mind that an Elite GravBlink Hovertank can attack 5 times in a single turn.
Worm Man posted 04-08-99 05:42 PM ET
Like Hovertanks supposed to be good not bad, they're bad 'cause they avoid Roads, Mag. Tubes, and Xenofugus
WyldKarde posted 04-08-99 07:53 PM ET
Sez who? I have hovertanks in the field at the moment and they're getting the full benefit from roads and mag tubes just like any other ground unit.
ProximaCentauri posted 04-11-99 03:53 AM ET
Hovertanks might be more logical if they were given amphibious ability for free. That way they can travel over water but only close to the shoreline.
StellarLightning posted 04-11-99 07:45 AM ET
Here's a suggestion: How about hovertanks can _move_ over water squares, but have to _end_ their turns on a land square or be destroyed.
NotLikeTea posted 04-11-99 09:54 AM ET
A little bit like Triremes in Civ, but more flexible.. nice!
Though, maybe this should be yet another chassis.. we've got an expansion disk a commin, afterall..
Harrdy S posted 04-12-99 07:32 AM ET
As I suggested in the SMACX Thread it would be REALLY nice to have a "hovercraft" unit... the hovertank is not quite what I like it to be. The hovercraft unit could be limited in weapon and armor usage so it is more interresting for reconaissance (sp?), base building, terraforming and (of course) probe teams! (Please give me probe teams hovercrafts!!!)
Peace
dawgchild posted 04-16-99 02:55 PM ET
hi. are you guys kidding!!! hovertanks are the best! combined with stealth and drop pod special ability... they're practically invincible. you can do hit and runs or just drop a group out of nowhere for support. when i only have a few... i usually use 'em to pester the enemy by dropping in a square and destroying an enhancement(especially boreholes and echelon mirrors) and jumping outta there before the enemy can say... "what the..." also it's a perfect invasion force. unlike gravships which can take a while to get to its destination and can be hella expensive to build.
in my opinion... it would be too good if they made a grav tank go over water. so i guess it's a good idea not to. there won't be much challenge and there would be no use for sea units once you have a grav tank that can basically go anywhere and everywhere.
Druid posted 04-16-99 04:23 PM ET
Hey dawgchild..
"jump in", I grok.
how do ya get the tanks to "jump out" .. ?
dawgchild posted 04-17-99 02:57 AM ET
i don't get your question druid. were you asking how do you get them to jump out? if yes... then the answer is the same way you "jump in"... use the drop pod outta there before he can send his troops on you.
by the way i would like you guys to know that i've finally used a planet buster class missile for the very first time and the only thing that came out of my mouth was... whoooaaaaaa!!! it was awesome. it almost took out a quarter of an island.
Plato90s posted 04-17-99 04:20 PM ET
You can always use Drop formers to prepare an airbase or a Drop Colony Pod to make a city.
As for PBs, you haven't seen fun until you get about a dozen PBs, strategically positioned around your enemies on carriers. One minute, the enemy factions are on a sizable continent and several largish islands. Next minutes, only a chain of islands remain, with everything else submerged under a new ocean.
evil_conquerer posted 04-17-99 04:33 PM ET
A reason for not having hovertanks on water might be because of the waves. They might be ok on flat ground but unable to stand high waves without swamping. That's partially true with modern hovercraft.
MasterSmiloid posted 04-19-99 02:09 PM ET
Well, another reason for not being able to hover over water my be because of surface tension. If the hovertank gives enough downward force to break this tension, then I believe the tank would flounder. I'm guessing they aren't just using some turbines pointing downward. But some gravitic field that pushes down.
Little experiment to try to illustrate my point:
have:
a cup
water
dish soap
square of screen (like used in screen doors)
fill the cup with water
then place the square of screen on top f the water, it should float. This is because the water's surface tension is holding it up.
next, place a few drops of soap into the water. The square of screen should sink. This is because the soap weakens water's surface tension.
Its science!! try it!!
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Author	Topic: Hovertanks should go over water?!?!
Worm Man	posted 04-07-99 08:39 PM ET I think Hovertanks should go water because they are called HOVERTANKS. Is that freaky or what.
eNo	posted 04-07-99 09:15 PM ET I agree. Hovercraft go over both surfaces don't they? Hovertanks are some 250+ years into the future. Maybe Firaxis decided against this as a play balance thing.
paraskous	posted 04-08-99 08:11 AM ET Maybe they are supposed to need a solid surface to hover on?
Bossman	posted 04-08-99 08:47 AM ET Yeah, Maybe. But what would be the advantage of Grav tanks then other than their speed? The game would not be as challenging + if a unit can have the ability to go over land and sea the special abilities it can use are severely decreased.
Mortis	posted 04-08-99 09:03 AM ET That's what gravships are for...
Bossman	posted 04-08-99 09:06 AM ET Mortis Read it again and then you might understand what I was saying
Mortis	posted 04-08-99 10:28 AM ET I was refering to the original post.
Plato90s	posted 04-08-99 05:31 PM ET Having more movement points means they can attack more often. Good enough for me. Just keep in mind that an Elite GravBlink Hovertank can attack 5 times in a single turn.
Worm Man	posted 04-08-99 05:42 PM ET Like Hovertanks supposed to be good not bad, they're bad 'cause they avoid Roads, Mag. Tubes, and Xenofugus
WyldKarde	posted 04-08-99 07:53 PM ET Sez who? I have hovertanks in the field at the moment and they're getting the full benefit from roads and mag tubes just like any other ground unit.
ProximaCentauri	posted 04-11-99 03:53 AM ET Hovertanks might be more logical if they were given amphibious ability for free. That way they can travel over water but only close to the shoreline.
StellarLightning	posted 04-11-99 07:45 AM ET Here's a suggestion: How about hovertanks can _move_ over water squares, but have to _end_ their turns on a land square or be destroyed.
NotLikeTea	posted 04-11-99 09:54 AM ET A little bit like Triremes in Civ, but more flexible.. nice! Though, maybe this should be yet another chassis.. we've got an expansion disk a commin, afterall..
Harrdy S	posted 04-12-99 07:32 AM ET As I suggested in the SMACX Thread it would be REALLY nice to have a "hovercraft" unit... the hovertank is not quite what I like it to be. The hovercraft unit could be limited in weapon and armor usage so it is more interresting for reconaissance (sp?), base building, terraforming and (of course) probe teams! (Please give me probe teams hovercrafts!!!) Peace
dawgchild	posted 04-16-99 02:55 PM ET hi. are you guys kidding!!! hovertanks are the best! combined with stealth and drop pod special ability... they're practically invincible. you can do hit and runs or just drop a group out of nowhere for support. when i only have a few... i usually use 'em to pester the enemy by dropping in a square and destroying an enhancement(especially boreholes and echelon mirrors) and jumping outta there before the enemy can say... "what the..." also it's a perfect invasion force. unlike gravships which can take a while to get to its destination and can be hella expensive to build. in my opinion... it would be too good if they made a grav tank go over water. so i guess it's a good idea not to. there won't be much challenge and there would be no use for sea units once you have a grav tank that can basically go anywhere and everywhere.
Druid	posted 04-16-99 04:23 PM ET Hey dawgchild.. "jump in", I grok. how do ya get the tanks to "jump out" .. ?
dawgchild	posted 04-17-99 02:57 AM ET i don't get your question druid. were you asking how do you get them to jump out? if yes... then the answer is the same way you "jump in"... use the drop pod outta there before he can send his troops on you. by the way i would like you guys to know that i've finally used a planet buster class missile for the very first time and the only thing that came out of my mouth was... whoooaaaaaa!!! it was awesome. it almost took out a quarter of an island.
Plato90s	posted 04-17-99 04:20 PM ET You can always use Drop formers to prepare an airbase or a Drop Colony Pod to make a city. As for PBs, you haven't seen fun until you get about a dozen PBs, strategically positioned around your enemies on carriers. One minute, the enemy factions are on a sizable continent and several largish islands. Next minutes, only a chain of islands remain, with everything else submerged under a new ocean.
evil_conquerer	posted 04-17-99 04:33 PM ET A reason for not having hovertanks on water might be because of the waves. They might be ok on flat ground but unable to stand high waves without swamping. That's partially true with modern hovercraft.
MasterSmiloid	posted 04-19-99 02:09 PM ET Well, another reason for not being able to hover over water my be because of surface tension. If the hovertank gives enough downward force to break this tension, then I believe the tank would flounder. I'm guessing they aren't just using some turbines pointing downward. But some gravitic field that pushes down. Little experiment to try to illustrate my point: have: a cup water dish soap square of screen (like used in screen doors) fill the cup with water then place the square of screen on top f the water, it should float. This is because the water's surface tension is holding it up. next, place a few drops of soap into the water. The square of screen should sink. This is because the soap weakens water's surface tension. Its science!! try it!!