Would you like Metal Makers in PA...?

Really? Everytime I try to turtle in FA I get my behind handed to me in a jiffy. I must be doing something wrong then My games are often over far before we even get to T3.

In standard FA, yea. Turtling to T4 is relatively easy even against Cheating AI.

FAF is a different matter.

I think they would make an interesting addition, since they provide a different way to focus on economy.
I am definitely in favor of testing them out.

Ah, that would explain it then. I only play FAF these days.

I like turtling but without shields, turtling itself will need to be done on a large area so you can build anti-air and other defensive units far away from your main area. That way everything that attacks you dies before it can make damage to your main area.

Turtling itself means that you want to cocoon yourself and long range kill the enemy with him dying every time he tries to attack you. Without shields that is nearly impossible so the game itself will encourage expansion and some smart positioning.

Metal makers really do encourage turtling but other than that, they could give extra metal to people who are not doing very well with expansion and proper way of building up. That being said I do not want them. If you can't properly expand yourself and your economy, then either destroy your enemy's production or simply wait to die. :ugeek:

Here's a suggested trade-off. You need to build fusion reactors in order to build metal. Fusion results in LARGE explosions like a small tactical nuke when destroyed. So if you build some too close it could start a chain reaction.

So whilst metal makers are a valid tactic you have to seriously defend your fusion reactors t make them beneficial as they become a huge juicy target.

Maybe as well you can have a cool down for turning metal makers off. So if someone's power is taken out it make take them a few seconds or so for them to turn metal makers off in the meantime their economy stalls slightly...

Does that sound like a reasonable compromise?

What's your justification for them not being able to run off "general" Energy Generators? (if I have enough)

I always found the idea of power plants that aren't running off of anything horrid. I like the solar panels and wave and wind generators in TA. Even the geothermal. But then the fusion plant just runs off of magic or something.

This is one area where supcom grinds me, magical power generators.

Indeed you have to wonder, where does the power and metal that the commander generates come from.....

I know it's necessary to let you start off without running out of resources but....

Quantum Entanglement.

If that doesn't float your boat; Wormholes.

That doesn't even mean anything. You might as well have said a banana did it.

A banana did it.
Happy now?

If you understand that it's a necessary evil... they why are you so opposed to an explanation that makes as much sense as any?

Please don't make anymore stupid posts.

I don't think my posts are stupid. And if they were I'd like you to try and stop me bmb.
:lol:

You're not saying anything helpful. You're not adding anything, you're just obstructing the discussion by saying that the discussion doesn't matter.

The "fluff" reasons for why a Commander creates Mass is rather unimportant actually. You yourself admitted that it was nescessary. If you are unable to rationalise the 100% fluff reasons for that being so then I humbly suggest that is your problem.

I have given you a reason, 3 in fact;

Quantum Entanglement: The Commander is able to have a steady stream of energy and mass on hand because raw materials are constantly teleported to him through the same technology that allowed him to Gate in the first place.

Wormholes: The Commander has a linked singularity within his ACU that is constantly fed resources from the other end of the Wormhole. Where that end is, and why it keeps getting energy and mass is your call. Maybe it's Stardust from a remote part of the Galaxy.

Bananas: The Decay of Radioactive Potassium within specially cultivated Bananas creates enough Energy and new metal isotopes that the Commander has a constant supply. These Bananas are very rare and hard to grow in any great number. Hence the short supply of ACUs.

If you don't like any of these reasons, Make up your own. They'll be just as valid. Point is it's Fluff that has NO impact on the game necessities.
The exact reverse is in effect.

Orrrrr the Commander just has a small Mass Fab built in that runs off it's internal Reactor.

Mike

I like my Potassium Decay, Banana Theory more

Well that still begs the question what powers said reactor? Again it's the same as a fusion reactor running off of magic.

Reactors run off of nuclear ANYTHING. Since the half life of most materials are measured in YEARS, decay and fuel are irrelevant to the game.

Works for me.

Mike