Drone and Anti-Drone Tactics?

Q · #1 January 30th, 2002, 07:40 PM

Mac this depends if you play a turn based or simultaneous game.
In a turn based game you can launch any number of units you want. In a simultaneous game you have to launch all units (at least this was true for Version 1.49. I did not make a simultaneous game with the gold demo yet). Of course there are tricks to get over this limitation if you have two carrier ships or a colony and a carrier ship: load the units you want to launch in one ship and give the order only to this ship and not the colony or the other ship.

Baron Munchausen · #2 January 30th, 2002, 08:13 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Q:

That's not what I,ve seen.

The AI however tries to find new attack targets for the launched drones that survived the first combat.

Again one more question to those with the full beta Version:
Is is possible to "cheat" on the lifetime for drones by giving them solar panels or even quantum reactors to prevent the exhaustion of their fuel?

Yes. Putting solar panels in will greatly extend their operating time. The QR is awfully expensive for a drone, but I'd presume it would work. Now if only there was an 'explore' command for drones.

Q · #3 January 30th, 2002, 08:26 PM

Thank you Baron for your answer. That opens interesting new possibilities.
I think the vote to introduce a "explore" "move to" "warp" order for drones are unanimous. I hope MM hears us!

Puke · #4 January 31st, 2002, 06:04 AM

since drones are supposed to get only one order then stop (right?) move to and warp would be of limitied utility.

however, if you wanted to guard a location with drones, i suppose that move to and warp would be usefull. you should probably not be able to give them new orders after they have launched (even though we can do this now with cruise missiles) to be in the spirit of the design.

maybe there is a problem where if they have move-to or warp abilities, the hard code in the game will allow them to recieve multiple orders, and the only way to keep them one-shot items was to remove those commands?

Phoenix-D · #5 January 31st, 2002, 06:21 AM

"since drones are supposed to get only one order then stop (right?) move to and warp would be of limitied utility."

Not really. See, with a move-to order you could send them off to attack a location, even if there wasn't an enemy ship there (say, you couldn't see a system but wanted them to attack a enemy planet you knew was there). I'm not sure this can be done currently.

Phoenix-D

Puke · #6 January 31st, 2002, 07:37 AM

quote:
Originally posted by Phoenix-D:
(say, you couldn't see a system but wanted them to attack a enemy planet you knew was there)

that sounds almost unscrupoulous, knowing where a planet is in an unexplored system? or did you mean an explored system that you had no current telemetry from?

PvK · #7 January 31st, 2002, 08:10 AM

Yes, currently you have to be seeing an enemy colony to attack it, so you can't attack ones that you've seen in the past and could assume haven't vanished.

Also, currently, if drones destroy their first target, they can be given new attack orders on the next turn.

PvK