Simplicity123

Join Date 09/2006

+10

Defense specializations are a false choice

Why should I care whether armor has less mass vs is more effective? Less mass IMPLIES more effective as I can simply add more armor modules.

The specializations all make me go... meh. I'll take the mass option.

Here's a better idea:

1) Armor specialization:

a. Explosive armor (armor modules now provide +2 missile defense)

b. Shielded armor (armor modules now provide +2 shield defense)

c. Armor takes less mass.

Now that's a choice I'd think about.

This has the added benefit of letting people get a little defense in other categories without spreading out their tech.

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Pretty much all of the "specialization" choices are false choices.

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It actually matters...

Less mass are the best option for getting the highest efficiency but you will get more expensive ships who are more difficult to upgrade.

Better quality is the middle of the road selection.

Reduced cost means you can get more ships out faster but your full fleets will be weaker.

They all have different results...

I like really tough fleets so I usually go with as much capacity and as much miniaturization as I can but those ships will be super expensive and filling up just one fleet take some serious dedication in shipyard production.

A human player in multi-player who choose lower cost ships could easily swarm my empire and destroy me if I have not pre-made a huge fleet. Lower cost make you far more dynamic and quicker to respond to losses, new technology or specially made ships to counter a specific enemy.

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erischild

Join Date 01/2012

+136

The capacity versus cost decision is a wonderfully subtle decision. I have dealt with that consideration in many situations, both in real life and various gaming situations, and it is always a tricky decision much less obvious than it seems. I do not agree with the decision that strategic decisions need to be so in-your-face obvious. I like the subtlety.

I guess part of the subtlety is the ability to spark fervent discussions on the forum. I like the idea of a cross-over of defense types, but not enough to replace the present setup.

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I don't think there's anything subtle about it. More expensive, better ships, or cheaper, weaker ships.

That choice is repeated over and over through out the tree. It's not interesting, and that's a game development sin.

I've seen another tech that either increases manufacturing 15% or reduces cost 15%. Is that also subtle?

I think it's just easy to implement and unimaginative. Maybe that's all we have time for now.

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