Internal Playtest – Econ Balance Changes and New Teleporter Model - 3/27

You would seriously rather have less units go through the teleporter than lose your model?

The new model is TONS more functional and can even be easily converted for naval use. Less room taking up a base. No issues placing it on small planets. More units going through faster.

Just an all around improvement.

Got to be honest, I preferred the old model as well. Something about the units walking up that ramp was just awesome.

yes I really really really really do.

thank you!

The old model was cool, but big and glitchy and the new model is small, but not as cool looking.

It's much more practical – which is more important.

Aha, you can't be serious. You should watch the game-play trailer at least once, Scathis

Ahhh, what dreams may come.

The other thing to consider is 2,000+ radius planets. They're gonna be so large that invasions will be a necessity.

Yep, that Unit Cannon sure did help out in an invasion.
Oh wait, it's just reinforcing a fight between two armies that started on the same planet.
I've said it before and I will again, how does everyone seem to know that the Unit Cannon will be an invasion weapon? Because it can fire 5 units/shot (presumably doxen) at a planet?

Oh hell yeah, I got 20 T1 units that die by the dozen in every confrontation on my enemy's planet. Damn, better break out the bubbly for that epic accomplishment, enemy commander must be horrifi-- what's that alarm sound?

Even IF it'll actually let us load up any units into the cannon, what's a few units, even stronger ones like Shellers, compared to a fortified planet with nuclear missiles and artillery ready to destroy any ground forces that get within 100 miles of the commander?

Maybe it'll help invade and takeover a planet that's been stricken by asteroids once asteroids don't insta-kill a planet, but even then, what's the point in taking a planet that's 40% crater?

That's one unit cannon, in a dramatic representation. More importantly, a unit cannon is actually a one way teleporter, so yes, it helps with logistics for the same reasons that the teleporter helps with logistics.

But what if you built more than one? And Vanguards start raining down in the middle of their base? Actually now that I think about it that sounds like it could be unbalanced...

Oh god, I hadn't thought about that...
The fiery horror...

The new Vanguard motto: Mind if I drop in?

to bad if we just take from the video alone... its a dox cannon not a unit cannon... so to meet the kick starter thing that everyone(well most, I don't really think its going to change the whole invasion of planets like everyone else does xD) is so up in arms about... ya they could just make a dox cannon....

That could be expensive.
Each vanguard has 62.5 times the health of a dox, 200 times the damage of a dox... And 8.5 times the cost.

So what you are saying is we should buff everyone else's hp?

Good call Dementiurge.

i'm... not entirely sure where i stand on the issue.

t2 does indeed have direct upgrade units- leveler is the direct of the t1 tank, slammer is direct upgrade of the doxen. ten the whole t1 -t2 fighter thing.

t2 also contains specialists - the sheller, your go-to for base assault at range. the vanguard, because duh, vanguard drops. then your good ol' gunships and t2 bombers. though the sniper bot seems to fill the same role as a sheller, with a few key differences. like it's actually better at general combat - if microed.

i can understand the presence of direct upgrades - sometimes all you need is just a bigger gun. but there is still use in many smaller guns. the big guy does more damage - but can he kill all 20 of his inferior attackers in time?

suppose the following, hypothetically:

two guys are about to square off. one has 50 levelers. the other has 500 doxen. two different divisions, two different weight classes. but it's 5 against 1. who will win?

on one hand, many doxen will die. however, their speed and sheer numbers means they can bring a lot more of their guns to bear alot faster. the tanks, on the other hand, can effectively one-shot the doxen, and have a range advantage. they shoot first. the battle could swing either way if either player swings his weight properly.

the tanks could win if they are positioned well. a solid defensive blob, or reposition to favorable terrain, where numbers would mean nothing.

the doxen could win simply by rolling over them - but at what cost? better to surround the tank blob so that the are not all firing in the same direction.

as for economy, i can understand the need to delay T2 - the tech rush wins many battles. but make it too long, and there may come a point where its impractical to get it at all.

and i'm definitely a supporter of T1 remaining usefull at all times. in certain ways, though, it already does.only t1 gets access to mobile AA - however crap-tacular it may be. t1 also has acces to the scouts, vital for early recon, or where radar may be impractical.

orbital is definitely in flux. yes, it fills certain roles quite nicely. but it's still in need of work.

and oh lord, the unit cannon. though i patiently wait, i am eager for its arrival. but please stop harassing the devs about it. it only makes them hate us a little more (if they hate us at all...)

Being able to send units directly into squishy targets should be one of the more obvious uses of the unit cannon
Even if we can only send bots or have some other limitation, defending against fifty slammers who can land inside your base will require either laser turrets positioned all over the place, having a large patrol of units throughout your economic buildings, or tons of air units. Assuming we get T2 anti-air, the last option there isn't feasible anymore.

nuking / artillery works when the enemy has to set up a teleporter a ways away. Nuking yourself or firing artillery shells at yourself isn't exactly an option though (assuming artillery eventually has self-damage enabled, as it should be).

Perhaps the Unit Cannon could just launch bots? After all, you need a bit of agility in order to land with grace on your feet.

That's what I had always assumed. The Unit Cannon could launch all bots.