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IDProjectCategoryLast Update
0002740AI War 1 / ClassicSuggestion - New Unit Ideas - StarshipsFeb 4, 2011 5:52 pm
ReporterKDR_11k Assigned ToChris_McElligottPark  
Status consideringResolutionopen 
Summary0002740: Spirecraft Triangle
DescriptionCurrently the Spirecraft unit selection is composed of special purpose units, there isn't really an option for "I need more firepower". The siege tower comes the closest but that still feels like abusing it for a wrong role.

The Spirecraft triangle would offer the equivalent of each basic triangle ship to allow a player to boost his firepower in specific disciplines by spending the spirecraft asteroids.

Spirecraft Phalanx: The fighter equivalent carries a large battery of flaks to wreak havoc upon swarms and melee units as well as bombers. Since they're AOE they cannot hurt Missile Frigates at all.

Spirecraft Sledgehammer: The bomber equivalent launches volleys of energy bombs at close range and like bombers has a polycrystal hull. Unlike the bomber starship the Sledgehammer can attack small targets but has a fairly low base damage, only the multipliers make it useful.

Spirecraft Longbow: The missile frigate equivalent fires volleys of long-ranged armor-piercing missiles, great for eliminating fighter escorts or just harassing random things at long range.

So basically souped-up versions of the triangle ships that of course cost a lot. Maybe the AI could use them to replace some number of basic triangle ships in large attacks to keep the CPU usage down.
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Sunshine

Feb 4, 2011 5:22 pm

reporter   ~0010017

While there isn't strictly a lack of an "I need more firepower" unit (because of the Siege Tower, as KDR points out), from my brief uses I think this might be okay. If there were a strict "I need more firepower" unit, that would probably the first spirecraft a player would unequivocally cap out on (less so if there were the proposed three, but the Implosion Artillery comes close to being Bomber-esque), and it would leave players with less interesting decisions to make about what spirecraft they want.

Again, this is purely from a design perspective, I don't really have a lot of experience using them. Personally I think the current set of spirecraft is probably less usable (but more interesting, because of their specialist natures) than a more generalized set of spirecraft. I think this is probably also the main drawback of Spirecraft (considering their relative inexpense) compared to Golems, which are more multi-purpose but have the drawback of being ridiculously expensive and needing constant repairs.

TechSY730

Feb 4, 2011 5:52 pm

reporter   ~0010021

Although I would love a "conventional DPS" type Spirecraft, I share Sunshine's concern that most players would use it the most, because it would be the easiest to use.

Then again, players already do this with bombers (very frequently unlocking their Mk. II forms before unlocking another fleet ship's Mk. II forms), so maybe that wouldn't be so bad.

Issue History

Date Modified Username Field Change
Feb 4, 2011 1:52 pm KDR_11k New Issue
Feb 4, 2011 1:59 pm Chris_McElligottPark Assigned To => Chris_McElligottPark
Feb 4, 2011 1:59 pm Chris_McElligottPark Status new => considering
Feb 4, 2011 5:22 pm Sunshine Note Added: 0010017
Feb 4, 2011 5:52 pm TechSY730 Note Added: 0010021