I like the Pirates but....

from Sins Forums
I wish they did not automatically attack over and over throughout the entire game.

It is great in the beginning and mid game when they are attacking some far off planet but in the end game when you are finishing off the last civ they really get in the way.

A couple of times I have had them attack my enemy but than I end up being the one who has to destroy them just so I can get them out of the way and take over a planet.

When the enemy is down to two or three planets I tend to allow the pirates to attack me instead. Losing some back water asteroid is far less vexing that having them show up in the middle of what should be simple clean up job.

The worst is when I take a planet but then I need to leave my forces there waiting for the pirates because they do not change destinations regardless of whether or not a planet has already fallen.

Personally, I would like to see the cost of their services go up, maybe to 1000 credits or more, and if no one purchases their services they don't bother. To keep things more interesting though I think they should become more advanced as the game progresses (possibly by stealing techs or even ships from the civs they attack). Then if someone puts a boundy on your head in the late game you are really going to want to get rid of it.

I never played the beta versions so I am just voicing my opinions after playing two games...
9,496 views 8 replies
Reply #2 from Sins Forums Top
When they get to be too irritating, just go wipe out their base :)
Elemental: Reforged
Reply #4 from Sins Forums Top
I htought there was supposed to be an option to turn them off during map generation I cannot see it so far
Reply #5 from Sins Forums Top
A pirate base will generally have a lot of turrets (around 20 or so) as well a respectable compliment of ships hanging around (mostly Pirate Cutthroats and Corsairs, fairly beefy units, but also some Reapers and Pillagers). Overall though you can expect a good 30-40 pirate ships to respond to you when first enter the Gravity Well, and then the 20 or so Turrets stationed in a circle around the base. There can be more ships if you attack as a pirate raid is embarking, but all of the raids I've seen have been content on leaving their base and going to their target and not attacking my force.

The turrets are basically TEC defense turrets with good armor. They're pretty decent against ships but are easy to engage at range with strike craft.

The pirate ships as individuals aren't all that threatening. None have any shields except for the Cutthroat (and it only has 200 shield hit points). Basically all of their units have between 1,000 and 1,500 hull points, so around that of a Cruiser, although I'm unsure of their classification, most seem to fall somewhere around the Frigate or lighter Cruiser level. They're only really a threat as they mob you right as you enter the well, things can quickly become just a furball with units all over.

It's a formidable defense early game, but later in game it isn't that much to take out. As Advent I've not had much of a problem going in with just a small number of capital ships and wiping them out. The only thing to really remember though is that the Pirates never retreat, they attack until the last one is dead. I only really wipe out the Pirates though if they're in the way, since their constant suicidal attacks later into a game make for great experience for capital ships.
Reply #6 from Sins Forums Top

One amusing (!) thing is that if a pirate raid survives (i.e., wipes out its target), it goes back home to hang out. This can result in pirate bases having hundreds of ships in the late game.
Reply #7 from Sins Forums Top
Pirates also get no shield mitigation, which makes them pitifully easy to focus fire into oblivion.
Reply #8 from Stardock Forums Top
Also, if you have the super weapons...well, then pirates fall down even faster, if not outright die like they do when you hit them with the TEC Super Gauss Wave Motion Blaster Cannon of Doom.