Orbital Defense Platforms that actually move in Orbit

This would be Wonderful

from Sins Forums

The Static defense platforms in the game are always wonderful to look at and really have the feel of being proper planetary defenses, but it never seems fun when they are simply passed over.  you would think they would be able to reposition.  Now i understand in early game this would be a bit much, but i feel they should have the capacity to move and adapt to an attacking force.  A late teir ability in the defense tech tree giving the turrets the ability to shift orbit around a planetary body would be a god send.  Now when i say "shift orbit", i wasn't thinking that they could reposition themselves anyway they like, rather that they could change the position of their orbit and not the distance from the planet.  This would give them an activatible ability to circle the planet or asteroid  at the same radius or distance from the centre of the planet.  So if you placed your turrets farther out, it would take them longer to move around the planet as compared to a turret placed close to the planet that could move faster around the circumference because it has less distance to travel.  The defenses, would still keep a portion of their static position, but not completely useless, to planetary bombardments from the undefended side of the planet.  This may also make people construct the turrets closer to their planets.  The speed would be very slow of course, and this movement may or may not temperarily disable its weapon systems until it stops.  Also what would have to be worked out is that it doesn't stop right when something comes into the edge of range.  It would also have to be worked out if it were to be put on auto-cast, that they won't chase after scout frigates or how many would begin to move depending ont he incursion force.

 

I'm not sure if this point has been raised before, or if it clashes too much with what the developers had in mind or if its too over-powered, but imagine the look on someone's face when they see your easily out-maneuvered plantary defense platforms creeping around both sides of the planet in a pseudo-pincer movement. Hell even the death star could move.  I just love the feel and look of the defense platforms and wish they could adapt to the strategies of your enemy and ensure the safety of the populace they are supposed to protect.

20,233 views 6 replies
Reply #1 from Sins Forums Top

i definatly like this idea. it would be helpful in game and makes sense that they would try to develop this ability.

Reply #2 from Sins Forums Top

+1 Cool idea :-)

Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion
Reply #3 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting Bravenue, reply 2
+1 Cool idea

I don't mind free karma.... but really... i haven't seen in any show or movie that showed orbital platforms that actually move... star trek, etc, and how would it move? thrusters, too slow.

Reply #4 from Sins Forums Top

Orbital defense platforms great against AI since they plow head on into them. Against players their poor coverage means they're rarely, if ever useful. The first race to have mobile platforms would gain a HUGE advantage in planetary defense.

Reply #5 from Sins Forums Top

they would move in a similar fashion to modern day satelites which set up a geocentric orbit around the earth and simply go around the planet much like the moon (thruster's would be used to simply start the platform moving as well as making corrections).  I understand that it would be a large advantage to have this ability, but i think your over estimate the speed in which this things would move.  Slow enough not to be able to match the half the speed of any ship, but enough that they would be able to move into position during a large battle and provide fire support before it's over.

Reply #6 from Sins Forums Top

It is an interesting idea. The question is more of an in game cost of such an item. And then you have to look at how long this game already take to play. I enjoy a long game, but adding such a feature you add even time spent on just destroying defeces before you even get to trying to take over the planet.

I think that if you add such an option to the research options in the game it would be a great advanatage. It would then be like choosing between torrets or hanger defence.