Missiles

[Aedolaws]

(NOTE: "Missiles & Interceptors" should be the title of the post, but interceptors ARE missiles, so...)

[A] Purpose/Details: More battle dynamics, more ticks of possibly changing the outcome of battle, both in the def or in the off, AT A COST. First of all, it adds a fleet, for $ (another way of looking at it is like hiring mercenaries or thugs). Second, it adds 1 or 2 ticks of extra fun after launching an attack, and 1 or 2 ticks on defensive fun as well around tick 5 to 3 [3 being the new 5 if planet has gone 100% missile]. It would add a complete branch of research, new scan, new cov op, more population specialty, and it substantially adds to the number of possible constructions. I guess it would move resolution of the battle to tick 4, perhaps even 3 (3 being the last tick the planet can launch missiles/interceptors in self-defense, again, if they went 100% and probably after mid-round).

1. One extra fleet. Separate from the base and 3 fleets.
2. Kamikaze defensive/offensive fleet made up of extremely cheap “missiles” (i.e. cost 2, 2, 2), that can be launched as per the number of missiles in stock + the number of launch pads.
3. One way mission. Where travel time is -1 the player's fi/co TT. Keeps the ally -1 standard. (NOTE: self-defense HAS to launch).
4. NOTE, the catch is: once launched missiles are committed, if host/def. fleet recalls, missiles are lost! And there is only one fleet. So once launched u are committed both in terms of resources and time.
5. This might look like the old turrets, but they are not. They ARE NOT only self-defense, but they can also be launched as defensive and offensive fleets. Moreover, they cannot be targeted by any ships, except that, when raiding the structure killers will target the factories/launch pads, and in battle the primitive missiles and the interceptors will target other missiles.

[b] Research:

1. Torpedoes [1000]
(allows primitive missiles factories and launch pads, which produce/launch Torpedoes, which target all missiles and classes of ships, but are extremely expensive and have extremely low efficiency, and eta+1 outside the galaxy. They can be used eta 5 for in galaxy defense. But in a nutshell, they are useless. Unlocks Adv. Launch Pads. & Mass Production of Missiles)

2. Advanced Launch Pads [2000]
(unlocks research of any/all of the advanced Ballistics theories)

a. Ballistics Theory I [3000] (Interceptors & Missile Shield)
(allows interceptor factory/launching pads for missiles targeting all missiles. Interceptors are the best value missile to stop other missiles, but they do not target ships. This theory also allows construction of Missile Shield facilities, which allows apportioning population to launch missiles at battle time.)

b. Ballistics Theory II [3000] (Piranas)
(allows missile factory/launching pads for missiles targeting fi/co :: improves cost/efficiency)

c. Ballistics Theory III [3000] (Barracudas)
(allows missile factory/launching pads for missiles targeting fr/de :: improves cost/efficiency)

d. Ballistics Theory IV [3000] (Sharks)
(allows missile factory/launching pads for missiles targeting cr/bs :: improves cost/efficiency)

e. Ballistics Theory V [3000] (Contractors & Missile Shield)
(allows missile factory/launching pads for missiles targeting pods. This theory also allows construction of Missile Shield facilities, which allows apportioning population to launch missiles at battle time.) :: NOTE: Contractors are a lot more effective than other missile classes, but a lot more costly.

f. Ballistics Theory VI [3000] (Nukes)
(allows missile factory/launching pads for missiles targeting structures) :: NOTE: the ultimate inter-planetary missile and the only missile that can target structures. They are a lot more costly, almost prohibitive, few will have them and use them. But it will take many interceptors/fire to stop each of them, and they might prove a deterrent (for fear of retaliation).

3. Mass production of missiles [4000]
(missile cost & production time -50%)

4. Advanced Missiles [5000] [Both Launch Pads & Mass Production must be completed first. Unlocks Light Speed Missiles.)
(Travel time for missile = -1)

5. Light Speed Missiles [6000]
(Travel time for missile = -2)

[C] Construction:

1. Primitive missile factory [500]
2. Interceptors factory [500]
3. Anti-fi/co missile factory [500]
4. Anti-fr/de missile factory [500]
5. Anti-cr/bs missile factory [500]
6. Anti-pods missile factory [500]
7. Anti-Structure missile factory [500]

8. Primitive missile launch pads (each can launch 1k missiles) [500]
9. Interceptors Launch pads (each can launch 1k interceptors) [500]
10. Anti-fi/co missile launch pads (each can launch 1k missiles) [500]
11. Anti-fr/de missile launch pads (each can launch 1k missiles) [500]
12. Anti-cr/bs missile launch pads (each can launch 1k missiles) [500]
13. Anti-pods missile launch pads (each can launch 1k missiles) [500]
14. Anti-Structure missile launch pads (each can launch 1k missiles) [500]

15. Missile Shield Facilities

[D] Scans

New scan for missile#/missile research/factories/launch pads

[E] Covert OP

Sabotage missiles/factories/launch pads

[F] Population :: upon building missile shield facilities, a planet can assign a % of the population (say 5% per facility) to launch missiles at battle time. Each facility acting as a launch pad for tick 0.

[G] Maybe all ships should be made to target missiles as their last target, extremely inefficient.

[H] Somehow make it XP relative. There is more time to cover calls (both Off./Deff.), so more opportunity to score XP. Even if fleet recalls and missiles find no target and are lost, still there should be an XP gain, proportional to the resources invested/wasted. And no, it would not be an XP farm system, make it so that it hurts.

[i] The missiles/interceptors should show at different colors in the gal status.

[J] I guess one big concern would be an entire alliance sending missiles to one planet. But perhaps the key is to make it that the larger the number of missiles against the value of the opposing fleet(s) at any given tick, the less effective they are, and the more effective the interceptors are, somehow. So the more you send, the less effective they are.

So where 10 will kill 1
50 will kill 3
100 will kill 4, etc

or conversely

Where 10 interceptors will stop 1
20 will stop 5
50 will stop 50, etc

Especially since there should be swarms of interceptors to stop them. Indiscriminate missile attack will be extremely expensive. Although I guess u can always go for carpet bombing, if you/ally don't mind burning a lot of resources. The planet being attacked should gain a lot in salvage by mas producing interceptors to meet the threat, the more missiles, the more interceptors, the larger % efficiency gained from each interceptor (after all, is all debris left in the planet's orbit :P). Notwithstanding this scenario, missiles could be used effectively. I guess it would take a lot of fine tuning. After all, its quite something new.

Lube, pls!!

[Remy]

The idea is not without merit, and you certainly have put much more thought in it then some other ideas i see posted here.

Main problem is they die, no matter what. It will result in mass fake launches to just get ppl to commit and thus suicide their missiles for nothing. And that in turn will make them pretty useless, and noone will build them.

[Aedolaws]

Glad you like it.

I agree. This branch/strategy is meant to further support def/off at a cost. Further, that is why I noted that somehow XP should reward launching (blowing up ships would grant even more).

I agree about the multiple possibilities, many ending in missiles committed getting blown seemingly for nothing (although to be fair, they had a purpose and maybe they accomplished it by forcing the recall [of either off/def fleets]). If you think about it, **it adds a 4th fleet, AT A COST*** and it doubles the number of ships/combos available. This is not a small change, forget about whether it costs $$$.

My guess is that it would take a lot of fine tuning, and players/alliances would take a few rounds to get around how to best use them.

Whether a large % of the universe goes for this branch/strategy that is another story. Keep in mind, it would be one thing to stay simply with primitive missiles, another to rush to get interceptors and build a couple of factories and a few launch pads and a very different one to go full steam into missile technology research/production/deployment. Given the high level of specialization required and the likely commitment to spend resources on missiles the second half of the round, probably it is unlikely that the majority will go for it. In my opinion, it would most likely be sort of like going scanner or cov op. ***But do not forget that it is an extra fleet, even if at a cost***. And like scans and espionage, certainly I can foresee a game where all serious players cannot simply disregard this branch/strategy, they will HAVE to research/build missiles, even if at a cost...

[Monroe]

I agree a well thought out post, but attacking is already hard enough in this game without something new that makes it harder, and on this argument alone I would say pass on this idea.

[Aedolaws]

Monroe, tell me about it, before last night (scored 400) I did not land a fleet for a week. that is, 12 recalls. So I know. I would like to see more landings.

But what I like about this concept, and this is why I mentioned the old turrets, is that missiles would not just be for defense. And remember, even when used for defense, they cost $$$.

Indeed, missiles might be even get used as pre-launch bombardment (if they wanna take the risk the base fleet will be inactive or stay put and fight, or just for the sake of destroying a few buildings... or, more importantly, to force commitment of ally/gal and more imp. the def planet interceptors). But, they can also be used for attacks, and the allies can send a few a well, one tick after launch (remember this is an extra fleet just for the missiles), thus possibly sealing the deal. Then again, there will be the ally missiles... but they will cost $$$ too.

Moreover, even if not launched before ships, "in time" (I predict lots of critics, naturally) players would get used to the idea of launching, waiting one tick, scanning, checking whether there is defense, which would probably be ships from an underclass, and then deciding whether it is worthy to send missiles to neutralize even destroy that fleet. Here again the alliance comes into play, m8s can join and send (again with the caveat that the larger the number the less effective each are, but still you can over power... at a cost). If the defense then decides to commit as well, well, that is their business. The ultimate winners should be the planets getting attacked, if they build enough interceptors, and also alliance/galaxy team play.

Yes, it is a gamble, and it costs resources. That is the beauty and the catch.

I guess another big concern would be the top planets then becoming the missile battle sites by default, since they would benefit the most from the salvage as proposed. Atm I can only think of a cap relative to the value of the planet, for simplicity's sake (the larger the value, the smaller the % of the salvage :: thus the larger you grow, the less meaningful missiles become for self-defense, instead they become offensive weapons). Nonetheless, this problem implies that the top planets researched/produced missiles, and therefore, that they are likely use them, at least every now and then to support allies/gal m8s, def/off, even if ultimately the opposing fleet recalls (in which case, again, at least there is a raw XP gain) ***More important is the fact that we get to use one extra fleet, again, at a cost***. This solution to the problem also suggests that alliances will avoid big missile battles at big planets, since they would get a smaller % salvage gain, and instead will try to defend smaller members with missiles.