.com.unity Forums
  The Official e-Store of Shrapnel Games

This Month's Specials

The Star & the Crescent- Save $9.00
winSPWW2- Save $6.00

   







Go Back   .com.unity Forums > Shrapnel Community > Space Empires: IV & V

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old April 7th, 2003, 01:29 AM
Q's Avatar

Q Q is offline
Colonel
 
Join Date: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,661
Thanks: 0
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Q is on a distinguished road
Default Combat in systems with sight obscuration

In systems with sight obscuration a combat will only occur if you have sensors to see the enemy and enter a sector. No combat will occur if the enemy enters the sector where you are present (unless he himself has sufficient sensors).
There are situations where this is o.K. but if you have defences on a warp point you would like to combat the entering enemy (as a surprise to him!). The only way you can do this is to attack when its your turn (if the enemy is still present and has not already warped) and then the enemy gets the first shot! Not very reasonable in my opinion.
On the other hand if I enter a sector where he is present the combat will always occur, even if he does not see me and I would like to sneak past him e.g. with a colony ship. In this situation my sensor ability becomes a disadvantage!
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old April 6th, 2003, 05:27 PM

Baron Munchausen Baron Munchausen is offline
General
 
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Ohio, USA
Posts: 4,323
Thanks: 0
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Baron Munchausen is on a distinguished road
Default Re: Combat in systems with sight obscuration

Yep, this is a problem with the overly-simple detection system for SE IV. If the other guy can't see YOU, why should you have to attack to move by him? For that matter, why should he see you even if you DO attack? Shouldn't you be able to just bLast his ships without any return fire?

Hopefully these problems will be fixed in SE V.
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old April 6th, 2003, 06:19 PM
Slick's Avatar

Slick Slick is offline
Brigadier General
 
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Kailua, Hawaii
Posts: 1,860
Thanks: 0
Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post
Slick is on a distinguished road
Default Re: Combat in systems with sight obscuration

Quote:
Originally posted by Q:
In systems with sight obscuration a combat will only occur if you have sensors to see the enemy and enter a sector. No combat will occur if the enemy enters the sector where you are present (unless he himself has sufficient sensors).
There are situations where this is o.K. but if you have defences on a warp point you would like to combat the entering enemy (as a surprise to him!). The only way you can do this is to attack when its your turn (if the enemy is still present and has not already warped) and then the enemy gets the first shot! Not very reasonable in my opinion.
On the other hand if I enter a sector where he is present the combat will always occur, even if he does not see me and I would like to sneak past him e.g. with a colony ship. In this situation my sensor ability becomes a disadvantage!
Great info. *Click* Snapshot taken for the Newbie FAQ.

Slick.
__________________
Slick.
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old April 6th, 2003, 07:05 PM
Suicide Junkie's Avatar
Suicide Junkie Suicide Junkie is offline
Shrapnel Fanatic
 
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 11,451
Thanks: 1
Thanked 4 Times in 4 Posts
Suicide Junkie is on a distinguished road
Default Re: Combat in systems with sight obscuration

This could probably be done with a three-way "do you want to attack" message box.

1) "No"
2) "Decloak and Attack"
3) "Sneak in"

If you choose #2, combat will always occur, and you will start a safe distance away as in normal combat.
If you choose #3, and the enemy has sufficient sensors to spot your ships, they will get to open fire at point blank range as if it were a warppoint battle. Perhaps make this dependent on the defender ship's strategies (ramming, point blank ships start at 1 range, while max range ships start at range 6-8, and "don't get hurt"ers start in the corners)
If you choose #3 and the enemy can't see you, both fleets end up in the same sector, with no fighting.

For simultaneous games, the game could give you the option when you give the attack order.

Quote:
For that matter, why should he see you even if you DO attack? Shouldn't you be able to just bLast his ships without any return fire?
Well, you have the fairly common SF "can't fire while cloaked" rule.
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old April 9th, 2003, 03:07 AM

Desdinova Desdinova is offline
Sergeant
 
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Dallas, tx
Posts: 391
Thanks: 0
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Desdinova is on a distinguished road
Default Re: Combat in systems with sight obscuration

actually if neither party has sufficient sensors to see thru the sight obscuring of the storm or nebulae then no combat should occur. if the ai has sufficient sensors then it should be able to attack the human without the human being able to defend or maybe defend with huge minuses (like only a 1% chance to hit [golden bb]). vice versa if other way around.

too bad that cloaking devices dont work in the combat screen. that could make for some nasty surprise attacks. question: can you fleet cloaked and uncloaked ships together and will the enemy see only the (helpless unarmed) uncloaked ships while the cloaked ships act as hidden guards? assuming the enemy does NOT have sufficeint ability to see that level of cloaking.

[ April 09, 2003, 02:13: Message edited by: desdinova ]
__________________
The vastness of space and time, and I end up here?
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old April 9th, 2003, 03:33 AM
Suicide Junkie's Avatar
Suicide Junkie Suicide Junkie is offline
Shrapnel Fanatic
 
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 11,451
Thanks: 1
Thanked 4 Times in 4 Posts
Suicide Junkie is on a distinguished road
Default Re: Combat in systems with sight obscuration

Yes. Once combat occurs, all ships in the sector will join the battle.

Have I ever told you about the time I sent one Dreadnought in to finish off a minefield-damaged Phong DN?

Turns out there wasn't just one
In fact, once combat started, I discovered the horrible truth, and I had to face down 11 enemy dreads, only one of which had lost its stealth ability.

After much heroic struggle, and the disabling of most of the enemy force, my ship went and ran right out of supplies. Shields, engines, everything shut down, and the remaining Phong ships lay down the beatings from just out of weapons range.
Just as the Last piece of armor cracked from the High Energy Magnifier beams, turn 30 hit, and a pair of battlecruisers arrived to save the day; they drew off the enemy fire, and finished off the crippled enemy dreads.

[ April 09, 2003, 02:42: Message edited by: Suicide Junkie ]
Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 07:52 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©1999 - 2024, Shrapnel Games, Inc. - All Rights Reserved.