The Unit Cannon.

As you said, aa usefulness is dependent on the UCs fire rate. If the descent time of a unit is sufficient that say 5-6 flak cannons (t1 aa would be fine against anything else) can destroy a vanguard and the fire rate is low enough that each vanguard is descending through the atmosphere alone or more or less alone then you'd be fine. If the rate of fire is high enough that you have 4-5 tanks descending at any given time then aa would become less useful. But even still we're talking needing a unit cannon and 5-10 vanguards for a comm snipe. For a similar metal cost (assuming unit cannon cost is close to halley or catalyst) you could put enough fighters above your base to 1 shot literally anything the enemy could fire.

I don't have a specific issue with inaccurate landings. They just bring some issues depending on the terrain, units would have either only land on pathable terrain or be destroyed if they landed somewhere they could leave (ie landing on lava, or tanks landing in the water), plus avoiding buildings and other units (though if units that hit unit blobs or buildings became a ballistic missile with damage proportional to HP that would be pretty cool).

well thought out.

I don't think it' would be too hard to use land pathing to designate valid landing zones. And I think that too slow fire rate would also be immediately modded right out by everyone.

we have to take into account the fun factor here

I'm not saying it has to be painfully slow. 2-3 units per second fire with a 1-2 second descent time would look impressive and be enough to get a decent force on another planet if you can find an undefended spot (or nuke yourself one), but not enough to get through a decent air force.

After some quick maths based on the numbers on pamatches wiki, you would need 63 fighters to 1 shot a vanguard, or 100 spinners (I rescind my earlier comment about static aa, there's simply not enough space, though they would still shred anything else except levellers and slammers). Assuming the unit cannon costs somewhere between a holkins and a catalyst you would be able to field 2-5 times as many fighters as needed for the same cost (with late game eco you could probably build the necessary army while units were in transit).

Land pathing with the excuse that "they can steer the drop pods a little" would be fine to avoid things. I wouldn't want too large a drop zone though, random enough that you aren't guaranteed to land within vanguard range of the comm is fine, but nothing like half planet size. The spread shown in the KS trailer is ok, big enough to be interesting but not so huge that you can't expect to land them in a gap in the enemies defences.

Not exactly, you're able to move planets/moons with halleys into other planets orbits.

If the unit cannon could fire all across the system it would look ridiculous, why even make it look like a cannon and not a generic rocket launchpad at that point?

it seems evident to me that with a little love the unit cannon could indeed be balanced.

but implementing that "drop zone" mechanic must be an absolute necessity.
without it the whole possibility of balance falls apart.

I'm a bit scared, the game already had such glaring balance issues without something like this.

it's not like we don't know what those are or how to fix 'em

Well however the unit cannon is introduced balance changes would be necessary, that's pretty much guaranteed. Not that a few more balance changes aren't already needed without it. If it's introduced in some form or another sooner rather than later then it can at least be included in balance testing from the start rather than potentially messing up a new well liked balance in a couple of months time.

So I have (Finally) just checked on the thread and oh my... Well the UC is confirmed and (Hopfully) will come out by December 18th. I have a new question, will it be a factory for like "Special Forces Dox" or will you still haave to put in the units. Thanks again! ~ The Desert Fox

answered by everyone as a no.
https://forums.uberent.com/threads/the-unit-cannons-going-to-be-a-factory-no.54300/

Answered by Uber as yes.

No it's going to be a factory and can build a wide array of t1 units and a couple t2 units, check out the new unit cannon thread again.

the undoing of the good news is upon me.......

Actually you should change a unit based on the current balance and not change the balance on a new unit.

Squishy, the current orbital balance revolves around teleporters. That needs to be fixed and we need to focus heavily on making the unit cannon intrude into parts of the teleporter's role in order to fix it.

Wat? That post had nothing to do with our discussion.

So I am still puzzled greatly so far.... Because ZaphodX says "It's intended as a factory which builds units, then fires them as you want them to" but tasujb(?) as a no I am so confuzzled!
()

This was a thread from a year ago. =P

Tatsujb is saying what it should be, not what it is.

This is juts hurting my head! In one thread it says "yes" in another they say "no way!"
And squishypon3 the thread is from Tuesday (Yesterday) at 10pm-ish