Proportions mod 1.5 released

[PsychoTechFreak]

quote:

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Originally posted by tnarg:
I keep getting a Page Cannot be found. Bummer.

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I have noticed you got it already, but I guess to download something from the PBW server, you have to be logged in first:

PBW home

[E. Albright]

quote:

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Originally posted by PvK:
ealbright, did you figure out what (if any) random chance was involved in boarding combat results?

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My experience has always been that there is no random chance involved, just straight number checking. Perhaps there is, and I've not done enough playing/testing to see it, but if so methinks I'd have at least an inkling of the existence of randomness therein based on how much boarding I have done...

<shrug>

E. Albright

[PsychoTechFreak]

I do not get the idea behind self-defense cannons. They cost half as much as the according PDF cannon, all right, but would that be enough motivation to use them ? Or am I missing something, maybe with combat strategy improvements due to using this part ? Maybe they could be reduced in size ?

[Krsqk]

If you don't want a dedicated PDF ship, you could use these to protect important ships in your fleet. They probably won't go off at seekers targetting other ships, thus (theoretically) increasing that ship's chances of survival. Of course, the overlapping PDF thing probably isn't bad, either. These would probably work well with the bait and charge tactic of planet attack. Send one ship in to get WPs to fire, then send the rest in next turn. The self-defense Versions should deal nicely with any missiles left after two turns of good solid planet-pounding.

Oh yeah, I've also used these on WPs on new colonies. It's not worth the expense to get range 5 PD coverage when range 1 works just as nicely to protect a single target.

[Phoenix-D]

"It's not worth the expense to get range 5 PD coverage when range 1 works just as nicely to protect a single target."

Be careful about that. Planets are multiple squares in size; I'm not sure if WPs pick a square or just fire out of the closest one.

Phoenix-D

[Krsqk]

Judging by seekers fired by WPs, they are distributed equally around the planet. Of course, seekers fired at max range usually don't do any damage; they seem to have to reach the center of the planet. Which would mean the range 1 PDF would get a shot.

The max range seeker thing is true at least in my personal experience. I think the history.txt file with Gold mentioned something about changing the maximum firing range strategy so seekers would be able to target *all* squares of a planet.

[Edit] The problem with the seeker range is that targetting range is determined by the outer edge of the planet, while impact seems to be the center of the planet--one square further than the seeker can travel when fired from max range.

[ 21 March 2002: Message edited by: Krsqk ]

[PvK]

Oh, are seekers at max range vs. planets still not fixed in 1.60? I thought MM finally got that one. Let me check... looks to me like ships with range 8 missiles set to Max Range strategy are actually closing to range 5 of the planet, which is close enough from any direction.

The idea for self-defense cannon are as the description says, to protect the ship itself from seekers. As opposed to PD cannon, which protect everything nearby from both seekers and fighters. The idea of using SD cannon to protect planets with WP's is very good, because the range from a planet is one square from the surface, which surrounds the whole planet.

They are also good for ships that you want to protect only themselves. Also, since in Proportions, fighters are not always nailed by PD cannon, this helps avoid having all your ships taking pot shots at fighters instead of protecting themselves from missile salvoes.

Nonetheless, I think the suggestion that they should be smaller is probably very good.
Especially if I tweak their to-hit down a little more...

PvK