Modify the orbital laser to become a stronger but much slower killing machine

The "other comments" was addressing your gameplay changes to the sat. At the time, I didn't feel like commenting on them. I just commented on the visuals.

The damage increase and rate of fire decrease is something that you just now brought up since in your original post you wanted a continuous beam.

So bringing up something new, I may or may not support it. I can't really address something you haven't mentioned yet or take the time to say all the possibilities of the things I may or may not support.

You know, if you bold my name and don't use the reply feature, I don't get a notification. If you want a response, you should use the reply feature. The only reason why I saw your post is because FrozenLord use the reply feature.

It rewards players for spending time managing a single unit. It rewards them for keeping track of a single unit and its recharge time.

That rewards players for micro managing a single base by seeing the designation laser. We're not supposed to be intently focusing on a single spot on a single planet.

The whole premise of these changes are to make the laser sat require a lot more work to use and reward players for managing it intensively.

That makes the game a lot similar to Starcraft where the game is determined by how well you click around a single unit.

That's not what PA is supposed to be about.

I think we have a different definition of what is "micro oriented".

It doesn't really reward players for microing so much as it rewards players who are paying attention to the battlefield. Those are two completely different things brian.

I am not sure where all the hate comes from, but I appreciate that you actually took the time to word a comprehensible post this time

From my first post:

That is the thing I wanted and still want: one large laser with huge damage.
It should shoot one continuous beam (being: one beam, for say 3 seconds? then it would have to recharge) instead of several beams in short repetition.

I have absolutely no hate. If you think that, I'm sorry you've misread my intentions.

I know you've always wanted a continuous beam. I oppose a continuous beam. Especially a continuous beam that moves around a base. That's a micro intensive unit and that's the opposite of what PA is supposed to be about.

If it isn't a continuous beam, then that means it's pretty much only viable against Commanders since they destroy buildings fast enough as it is.

Well, let's play the game again, shall we?

Where do I state that the laser should move around?
And what do you mean by "continuous"?

I've stated above:

In my opinion that is quite clear, but to lay it out (hopefully) even more comprehensibly:

For me there is this laser sat.
It shoots several lasers in short repetition - which is what I do NOT like.
I would like it to shoot ONE laser - just ONE.
Seeing that this ONE laser does heavy damage and is only visible for half a second makes it utterly difficult to spot, that's why I suggest it to be ONE continuous beam.
Therefore, the beam should stay there for a few seconds (dealing the huge damage over time - for example instead of doing 10.000 damage at once, it could do 3.000 damage per second for 3 seconds).
This is important as it allows players to actually spot what they have just been hit with.

I have never stated that his laser should move
And I don't want it to shoot indefinitely - like I stated several times (in my first post, in the post before this one and several times in between):
It should shoot ONE laser for a short time and then have to recharge.
No movement while shooting involved!

I find it funny that Nanolathe hasn't jumped back in to explain how this new direction doesn't increase micro.

Game? What game? I simply don't like your idea.

I know you didn't say move around. I was simply extrapolating that direction for clarity sake since you didn't like my shorter answer. What do you want? More of my opinion or less? Make up your mind.

What do I mean by continuous?

Continuous: forming an unbroken whole; without interruption.

I never said indefinitely.

So now you're saying you want a damage reduction? Earlier you said more damage.

I'm done with this thread. There's too much hostility when I have none. I simply don't like the idea. And since you keep on changing what you're saying about your idea, it's difficult to discuss.

I don't like the idea. There's nothing wrong with that. I have no ill intentions or hostility to you. I simply don't like your idea.

Now let's all calm down and I'll see you elsewhere on the forums.

My name was spoken. I have arrived.

Changing the idea slightly due to feedback should be celebrated, not condemned. Also, I'm relatively sure that Frozenlord is throwing out numbers that shouldn't be taken as if they are set in stone; he's using the numbers as a guideline, not as a fully formed final balance suggestion. Lastly I'm still pretty certain that you're confusing the difference between the rewards of "micro intensive" units and units that reward the player for paying attention.

Joining in.. Would really like to see small AOE damage added as it would solve problem someone noticed with killing air factories (kills just air unit that is being produced).

The other thing is a bit smaller dps and longer "burst" of laser.

Finally the cost of energy when shooting similar to Commander Uber cannon usage since that might be interesting

Cheers!

If I remember right, the ion cannon, was a ground installation that used the satellite as a reflector dish to redirect the ion beam pulse towards the target on the earth.

If u downgraded the laser sat, for example made it cheaper and less powerful, but kept it as a laser firing sat. Introduced a second Orbital satellite and used the ion installation and reflector dish I just mentioned, you could have both. A giant powerful ion beam, capable of hitting a target anywhere on the planet, and would not be vulnerable to umbrella because, it fires at angles and not overhead on the target.

we do have two of everything at the moment, no reason why can't have two attack Sats.

It rewards players for spending time managing a single unit. It rewards them for keeping track of a single unit and its recharge time.

That rewards players for micro managing a single base by seeing the designation laser. We're not supposed to be intently focusing on a single spot on a single planet.

The whole premise of these changes are to make the laser sat require a lot more work to use and reward players for managing it intensively.

That makes the game a lot similar to Starcraft where the game is determined by how well you click around a single unit.

That's not what PA is supposed to be about.[/quote]

Just fyi I totally micro the laser sat now then.. and if that's what is considered micro I guess the only way to change it to your liking would be to spam out hundreds of laser sats and steamroll them over a base. So I'm curious as to what you think of the current state of this unit and I still fail to see how changing the beam to look a little more impressive and last for a second longer or so would drastically change how the unit is already used.

I would like to suggest making orbital cannons similar to uber-gun. It would drain vast (much more than commander one, decreasing it's firing rate and made spamming this unit not very viable) amounts of energy to recharge (need on-off button to avoid energy starvation) and had splash damage, making it much more powerful against blobs of units, but not able to one shot most buildings.

Also uber-gun firing from space would be just awesome from visual side .

Edit_1: Besides, orbital gun model could be up-sized a bit (cosmetics only, not damage), it looks rather small compared to other orbital units, and its footprint should be bigger from anchor and advanced radar array.

How does adding a short firing delay change anything in terms of micro or effort? The only difference is that it can no longer successfully attack moving targets.

When thinking about micro involved, please stop thing of a badly implemented change. You should assume it will get implemented in a sensible manner that doesn't add extra hassle.