Dominance of Battle Cruiser Era

from Stardock Forums
It seems that in normal and smaller games the military aspect of the game is always decided in the battle cruiser era. Before BCs defense is usually too strong to wage offensive war (barring lucky exploration ship upgrades). After BCs the war ends in victory or defeat before any other serious ship is developed. The BCs are too fast and potent.

In other words, I can always conquer a normal sized or smaller galaxy with BCs if I choose to do so. (Or don't get creamed by someone else getting them first :) Battleships etc. only show up in big games or smaller games where I deliberately play peaceful and let the AIs live...

Perhaps there is a way to slow conquest down? The first serious offensive weapon seems to result in galactic domination.

martinl



431 views 16 replies
Reply #1 from Stardock Forums Top
I have an idea. Drop the maintenace cost of the BattleAxe to 2 or 3 (is 1 BA worth 2 Defenders on defence, or 3?). As it is, these ships cost as much to maintain as a BattleCruiser. Added to a planet with planetary defences, shouldn't they be able to hold off a BC?
Reply #2 from Stardock Forums Top
I think generally defense needs to be strengthened across the board. It is too easy to to take out the defense of a planet. I would like to see more defense technology and better defensive ships. I agree that the defensive ships as they are in orbit should have a lot lower maintenance cost as the expense of their range and speed.
Star Control: Origins
Reply #3 from Stardock Forums Top
Fighters/smaller vessels should be a lot cheaper to maintain(or big ships more expensive)
Reply #4 from Stardock Forums Top
Even on the huge map I played today, Battle Cruisers where about the most advanced thing I ever saw other than my Phoenix.. es?
Reply #5 from Stardock Forums Top
'Fighters/smaller vessels should be a lot cheaper to maintain(or big ships more expensive)'

Most of the smaller ships are already 0-2 maintenance.

'Phoenix.. es?'

Phoenices, presuming normal English pluralization rules, which, in English, isn't really a good idea. There's more exceptions to rules (and exceptions to exceptions to rules) than actual rules. :notsure:
Reply #6 from Stardock Forums Top
There are more ships coming. ;)
Reply #8 from Stardock Forums Top
Are there going to be battlestars like in GC OS/2? I remember that they came real late in the game, but whoever got to them first had a real advantage. I also miss the excaliburs.
Reply #9 from Stardock Forums Top
I miss the Excaliburs too. My military strategy has always been to have a moderately powerful but highly mobile force. That's hard to match with the existing ships.
Reply #10 from Stardock Forums Top
Overlords are the replacement to Excalibur.

I dunno why but I always hated the name Excalibur. Don't like the ur. ;)
Reply #11 from Stardock Forums Top
I figured the Overlord replaced the Excalibur. The Excaliburs seemed to pack more of a punch, however. Their range was also a lot higher.
Reply #12 from Stardock Forums Top
One thing that is more o fa problem than I realized is that the war party gets a 100% increase in their hitpoints.

And the AI defaults to using the war party so their sihps are a lot tougher.

I'm not sure if this means that the war party is too tough (afterall, the federalists get 20% economic advantage) or whether it's jus tsomething we need to be aware of.
Reply #13 from Stardock Forums Top
Hmmm. I thought the AI ships were stronger because they concentrated more on the military side while I concentrate on the social/research side. The last few games I selected the war party, and it has made it easier to deal with the AI military. Maybe the hit point bonus should be reduced to 50% or less?

Another thing, shouldn't good civs choose anything other than war party? I would think that they should want peace above anything else (pacifists, maybe, or trade oriented?).
Reply #14 from Stardock Forums Top
The last several games I have played none of the other races were interested in attacking me, and I didn't attack them. I can only guess that there is some subtle difference in our strategy that causes this. I haven't used the war party for many builds. I expand early just as fast as I can without breaking myself. I try to keep the AI pleyers poor by trading my tecks and trade goods for cash (I seem to be able to drive their treasury into the red easily that way). Often they attacked each other, which was that much more help to me (no, I didn't ask them to do this).

But... I suspect that build beta 4 will be a different story.
Reply #15 from Stardock Forums Top
Lucky Jack,

My experiences of the last two games are identical to yours. If I want a fight, I have to take it to them.

s
Reply #16 from Stardock Forums Top
I always liked the name Excalibur. It reminds me of the sword and King Arthur. Most of my games end before I build Avatars so I haven't seen the Overlord.

The Defenders are useless after BC appear. Bring back the Corvettes. The are an incentive to be good.