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Author Topic:   Unit questions

Johnny V posted 06-28-99 04:21 PM ET
1. Drop ability, when can you drop to anywhere on the planet. I know it is when you get orbital insertion but what does that mean. Is it a tech, SP, or base improvement.
2. I had two helicopters in my list of units, as best I could tell they were exactly the same in all respects except that one had a better engine and therefore could go further. But the one that could go further was cheaper to build. Is that possible?
3.I was getting messages saying some terrain improvement was destroyed by the hive, but I did not see any of their units, do you only see units if you are close to them? (I haven't built sensors this game, I forgot about them).
Thanks in advance for any response. I really appreciate the help I get here.
Thucydides posted 06-28-99 05:43 PM ET
1. Build the 'Space Elivator' secret project.
3. The Hive are bombarding your resources with artillery.
Krushala posted 06-28-99 06:45 PM ET
The cheaper copter has a better reactor so it will cost less and move further. A fusion reactor copter will cost less and move further than a fission copter
Zoetrope posted 06-29-99 03:52 AM ET
Yes, the Hive are artillery freaks, just as the Believers are needlejet maniacs. They build zillions of the things, and both the Hive and Spartans love to blast your improvements.
Sensors are very good: they not only give early warning, they strengthen your defenders by 50%. You should build several around every frontier base, because the AI will destroy them when it locates them (as I am also wont to do).
Better reactors also reduce the cost of armor, weapons and special equipment on units; and they make the units stronger. ASAP go for Fusion reactors, as Fusion reactor units will be twice as strong as Fission reactor wins. This can often make all the difference in a battle against conventional units (but mindworms ignore reactors and armor).
You can drop almost anywhere on the planet with military drop units, because they can be dropped multiple times per turn.
That may be a bug, but who knows? Firaxis aren't very forthcoming about their designs or progress. In the current world philosophy, which they also seem to have fallen prey to, guff dominates and most needed information is hidden.
googlie posted 06-29-99 02:17 PM ET
You won't be able to drop within the radius of a base with an aerospace complex.
(Which is why, in answer to another post elsewhere about why there isn't an SP that gives you an aerospace complex in every base, that would be far too strong because of it's effect on drop units)
googlie
Plato90s posted 06-29-99 03:59 PM ET
The multiple drop ability is a bug, not a feature. It's evidenced by two things.
1) If you use the keyboard shortcut to initiate a drop, you can't drop twice.
2) Drop units is supposed to be able to initiate a drop only from a city or an airbase, but the menu option allows you to initiate a drop from the middle of nowhere.
Earwicker posted 06-29-99 04:14 PM ET
There is also a late tech which allows for orbital insertion. The Space Elevator can provide that capability slightly sooner if you get on building it right away. I suppose this is to balance military effect of Space Elevator, not that any of the AI's have ever reached that tech level in my games.
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Author	Topic: Unit questions
Johnny V	posted 06-28-99 04:21 PM ET 1. Drop ability, when can you drop to anywhere on the planet. I know it is when you get orbital insertion but what does that mean. Is it a tech, SP, or base improvement. 2. I had two helicopters in my list of units, as best I could tell they were exactly the same in all respects except that one had a better engine and therefore could go further. But the one that could go further was cheaper to build. Is that possible? 3.I was getting messages saying some terrain improvement was destroyed by the hive, but I did not see any of their units, do you only see units if you are close to them? (I haven't built sensors this game, I forgot about them). Thanks in advance for any response. I really appreciate the help I get here.
Thucydides	posted 06-28-99 05:43 PM ET 1. Build the 'Space Elivator' secret project. 3. The Hive are bombarding your resources with artillery.
Krushala	posted 06-28-99 06:45 PM ET The cheaper copter has a better reactor so it will cost less and move further. A fusion reactor copter will cost less and move further than a fission copter
Zoetrope	posted 06-29-99 03:52 AM ET Yes, the Hive are artillery freaks, just as the Believers are needlejet maniacs. They build zillions of the things, and both the Hive and Spartans love to blast your improvements. Sensors are very good: they not only give early warning, they strengthen your defenders by 50%. You should build several around every frontier base, because the AI will destroy them when it locates them (as I am also wont to do). Better reactors also reduce the cost of armor, weapons and special equipment on units; and they make the units stronger. ASAP go for Fusion reactors, as Fusion reactor units will be twice as strong as Fission reactor wins. This can often make all the difference in a battle against conventional units (but mindworms ignore reactors and armor). You can drop almost anywhere on the planet with military drop units, because they can be dropped multiple times per turn. That may be a bug, but who knows? Firaxis aren't very forthcoming about their designs or progress. In the current world philosophy, which they also seem to have fallen prey to, guff dominates and most needed information is hidden.
googlie	posted 06-29-99 02:17 PM ET You won't be able to drop within the radius of a base with an aerospace complex. (Which is why, in answer to another post elsewhere about why there isn't an SP that gives you an aerospace complex in every base, that would be far too strong because of it's effect on drop units) googlie
Plato90s	posted 06-29-99 03:59 PM ET The multiple drop ability is a bug, not a feature. It's evidenced by two things. 1) If you use the keyboard shortcut to initiate a drop, you can't drop twice. 2) Drop units is supposed to be able to initiate a drop only from a city or an airbase, but the menu option allows you to initiate a drop from the middle of nowhere.
Earwicker	posted 06-29-99 04:14 PM ET There is also a late tech which allows for orbital insertion. The Space Elevator can provide that capability slightly sooner if you get on building it right away. I suppose this is to balance military effect of Space Elevator, not that any of the AI's have ever reached that tech level in my games.