Some PDS ideas

[DrNick152]

K I've been thinking about PDS and heres some ideas I've had.

4 classes of PDS which each require another level of research to build:

Class 1: Projectile Cannons - This class of PDS is cheap, fast but causes little damage. Much like a glorified machine gun these only affect fihter classes. They have the highest initive of an PDS (1-3) but their damage is low.

Class 2: Lasers - These PDS strructures are also quite fast but pack a little extra punch. There are 3 types of laser:

(a) Eon lasers - These are the fastest, cheapest & weakest of lasers, they only have a n effect on fighters (int of between 1 and 4)

(b) Cryen Lasers - These are the mid range laser, slower than the Eon lasers and thus not able to hit the faster fighters. These lasers will bring down a frigate resonably easy. They could bring down a lightly armoured cruiser class with several hits

(c) Tachyon lasers - A huge but slow laser platform that will cut through anything but the hardest of armour with ease. These lasers are too powerful to waste on frigates and thus will only target cruisers and battleships

Class 3: Heavy defense constructs (HDC) - These are the most expensive and effective offensive PDS. There are 4 classes of HDCs

(a) Seeker misiles - These missiles are streamline in order to catch their targets and as such do not carry much of a punch. Hoiwever they almost always hit their target. They will seriously hurt a fighter, wound a frigate, scratch the paint of a cruiser and tickle a battleship.

(b) Torpedos - These weapons carry a medium sized warhead and as such are slower than a seeker, they also lack guidance equipment so fly in a traight line, meaning that fighters can avoid them easily. They are most effective against frigates and cruisers

(c) Tactical Projectile Weaponry (TPW) - TPWs are very large, very high explosive warheads that will seriously damage even the hardest armour or shield. They are too slow to hit fighters or frigates. If they hit cruisers the ship will be destroyed and splash damage will occur to nearby ships. They are feared even by the awesome battleships.

(d) Race specific PDS -

Terran: Orbital defense platform (ODP) this is the pinnicle of Terran PDS, a huge platform that has multiple weapons systems and thus can target any class or ship above fighter class. Can be attacked by anti battleship weapons or anti structure weapns.

Cathaar: EMP generators. These devices generate EMP waves and thus temporariyl shut down a ships weapons systems

Xandrill: Orbital mines - Using their cloaking technology the xans have designed mines which explode in proximity to enemy ships (they are single use and thus must be replaced, but are cheap to manufacture) Would prolly have to add another fighter/drone class ship - the mine sweeper.

Zikonian: Weapon Systems Hacking Centre (WSHC). Using the WSHCs the Ziks can take control of enemy weapons systems and use them against the attackers.

Defensive PDS:

Class 1: Structural Defensive Systems - These shields do as it says on the box

Class 2: Ship Defensive Systems - Add extra armour to your ships

Class 3: Planetary Tractor technology - This technology holds those precious roids tight, doubles their 'armour'

Well thats a lot of writing but those are my ideas.

[Gerbie]

Hmm UltimateNewby asked for ship stats already put some fear in my hart. I bet they will ask you for PDS stats.

[Ripur]

sweet sweet pds
PDS + Cathaar efficientcy+ hacking = turtle
fear my 100 roids and 1mil score

[Ultimate Newbie]

Originally Posted by Gerbie

Hmm UltimateNewby asked for ship stats already put some fear in my hart. I bet they will ask you for PDS stats.

aww - i'm not that bad am i mate?

Those PDS designs are interesting. I'll need more time to think them through first though :\

heh

[Appocomaster]

I pity everyone who has to learn the new pds system if its ^^ heh. complicated isnt the word! :-) fun tho, i guess

[mist]

it's not as bad as it looks, 'cus people would (i assume) only get access to small parts of it at once

-mist

[Gerbie]

It's nothing personal. But I'm just an idiot. I can't handle that kind of complex stuff.

[xtothez]

Personally I'd condense them to a single PDS structure targeting each ship class, along with the 'roid tractor' and race specific building. Then do a four-stage tech tree:
Anti FI/FR
Anti CR/BS
Roid tractor
Race Specific

Treating shooting PDS as structures wouldn't work with the current setup, the variable cost immediately causes balance issues vs ships. Instead I'd have a PDS Factory structure. Then the produced PDS units would be treated as immobile ships in either FR or Structure class (dont want to treat them all as Structs as they'd be too efficient as construction flak, and people would need many more siege ships).
Roid tractors (or why not just bring back holoroids...) would be very cheap and protect a small number of roids each (say each one costs 5000 res, secures 5 roids, and has 1 armour).
Mines would be a good idea only if there was an effective counter, say they can't hit FI/CO.

Of course all this would take way too much balance testing to actually pull off before r14 or the end of PA.

[Ultimate Newbie]

Originally Posted by DrNick152

stuff

Right, so what you are saying is that you want 3 classes of 'offensive PDS', with a total of 11 types (4 race specific, 7 common). You also want 3 classes of 'defensive PDS' - making a total of 6 classes.

Now, considering that there are only 6 classes for all the ships in the game, do you:
a) want to make the Ship and PDS classes seperate, requiring alot of ships that target the various types of PDS, or
b) give the PDS the same class as ships, as it was done in the past (ie, Projectile cannons would be of FI class, and get targeted just like all other FI).

b) would be alot easier to fit into my stats btw

[Appocomaster]

b) is obviously far better. I vote b). twice.

[DrNick152]

I gathered there were going to be more ship classes than six in round 11?

(b) does make more sense in terms of a stats pov

[Gerbie]

Originally Posted by DrNick152

I gathered there were going to be more ship classes than six in round 11?

(b) does make more sense in terms of a stats pov

I guess that has not yet been decided on. The game will be made flexible, so they can change that at the last moment.

[Ripur]

So which do guys think worked better
Old school PDS that fired first, excellent damage and good armour?
or round 4(5?) PDS that fired last, had good damage and AMAZING armour?

[Gerbie]

Originally Posted by Ripur

So which do guys think worked better
Old school PDS that fired first, excellent damage and good armour?
or round 4(5?) PDS that fired last, had good damage and AMAZING armour?

The latter type of PDS was best. It saves us from invulnerable fortresses.

[Ripur]

Yes round 3 Legion's laser turret strong hold was impressive
what was the final count at end round? 3 mil?