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IDProjectCategoryLast Update
0023497AI War 2Balance IssueAug 3, 2020 7:33 pm
ReporterMasterGeese Assigned ToBadgerBadger  
Status resolvedResolutionfixed 
Product Version2.112 Steam Networking Complete 
Fixed in Version2.115 Imperial Summons 
Summary0023497: Underwhelmed by Spire Transceiver Defense
DescriptionThis was my first campaign where I went for the spire transceiver alternate win condition, I remember from AI war I the effort it took to defend against the AI's last desparate assault would often be down to the wire, and a test of even the most potent defenses.

So when I attempted it this time around, I made sure to park all my fleets on a chokepoint world and fortified that world to 1k+ immobile strength. When the assault started, I had about 2.5k strength total on that planet.

I started the hack, fully expecting to get my ass whooped and learn from what went wrong.

The first attempt an unrelated raid from the hunter fleet knocked my power offline and caused a brownout. It might have been salvageable, but I decided to immediately restart and fortify that world so that didn't happen again.

On my second attempt, it was almost laughable easy. the AI threw thousands of fleetpower at me, but it would trickle in to my fortress system a few hundred at a time and get instantly gibbed before it got more than one volley off. I could have gone afk and everything would have been fine.

I feel like the transceiver defense should be much more challenging to pull off, given that it's an alternate win condition. Implementing counters to holing up in a single fortress world would go a long way towards solving this; perhaps wormhole invasions tied to the transceiver assault, or the AI assaulting worlds other than the chokepoint, aiming to take out GCAs, eco stations, etc.
TagsNo tags attached.

Activities

MasterGeese

Aug 2, 2020 7:45 pm

reporter  

BadgerBadger

Aug 2, 2020 10:03 pm

manager   ~0057937

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNkrF43SZEU

BadgerBadger

Aug 3, 2020 2:40 pm

manager   ~0057947

Okay, so you've actually defended extremely well. I'm not sure I have a good mechanism that will allow the AI to challenge you but not be a giant difficulty spike to other players.

I don't want to use Wormhole Invasions because that feels like the AI is cheating its response. And even if the AI gets bonus attacks on planets outside your choke point, those are all extremely well defended too.

I shall continue to consider, but honestly I think you are in an extremely domination position, and you should be able to win by any mechanism without too much difficulty.

BadgerBadger

Aug 3, 2020 7:32 pm

manager   ~0057951

Last edited: Aug 3, 2020 7:32 pm

Okay!

The AI now generates some weaker bonus exos against miscellaneous player targets (energy producers, MDCs, GCAs, etc), just to keep things exciting.

Fix a bug where Exos were trickling into their targets instead of moving as groups.

Start the Exos the moment you finish the hack, instead of some random time < 30 seconds from when the transceiver finishes.

After these changes, you go from "Comfortable destroying all the Exos" to "Dying with 60 seconds left tille the Imperial Fleet arrives"

I think these changes aren't going to be in till 2.114

Issue History

Date Modified Username Field Change
Aug 2, 2020 7:45 pm MasterGeese New Issue
Aug 2, 2020 7:45 pm MasterGeese File Added: transceiver complete attempt 2.save
Aug 2, 2020 10:02 pm BadgerBadger Assigned To => BadgerBadger
Aug 2, 2020 10:02 pm BadgerBadger Status new => assigned
Aug 2, 2020 10:03 pm BadgerBadger Note Added: 0057937
Aug 3, 2020 2:40 pm BadgerBadger Note Added: 0057947
Aug 3, 2020 7:32 pm BadgerBadger Note Added: 0057951
Aug 3, 2020 7:32 pm BadgerBadger Note Edited: 0057951
Aug 3, 2020 7:33 pm BadgerBadger Status assigned => resolved
Aug 3, 2020 7:33 pm BadgerBadger Resolution open => fixed
Aug 3, 2020 7:33 pm BadgerBadger Fixed in Version => 2.115 Imperial Summons