Reverse engineering ?

[SmartFart]

What is it? I am about to start my very 1st PBEM MP game and one of the rules is 'No reverse engineering'.

Can someone please explain this to me?

Thanx.

SF

[big_canuk]

When you steal (buy) a unit from another faction with a probe, that unit is added to your Design workshop. You can then build that unit without having discovered the tech to do so.

You can also modify the unit. This modification is termed "reverse engineering." So if you steal a fusion unit, you can modify that, say, rover to be a fusion infantry, or a fusion noodle, or any fusion unit for which you have the tech. Very powerful. Somewhat contentious. I think most think reverse engineering is great from a gaming standpoint, but a little far-fetched from a RL, or historical standpoint. But remember, this is a *game*.

[cbn]

To follow up on big_canuck . . .

One of the first places it could be used is in the early game if you get the probe team ability. Since a probe team has a "rover chassis" it is possible to go into the workshop and remove the probe team ability and insert a weapon. Voila . . . instant rovers without researching Doctrine Mobility. Depending on the riules of the game this can change how you research.

Some people think that reverse engineering is a cheat while others do not so its just something to get cleared up at the outset. Its good that whoever set up the game addressed the issue so everyone is clear.

[johndmuller]

There seems to be a limitation to the reverse engineering ability in that one can only apply the reverse engineered weapons/armor/chassis from one bought/stolen/gifted unit into a new unit design. In other words, if you reverse engineered (underlying techs not in your possession) aspects of two different units, say a missle artillery and a silksteel defender, you cannot create a unit combining the two new aspects - i.e. no missle/silksteel brigade. You can, however, graft any aspects for which you do have the underlying tech onto any unit defined in your array of designs, including the acquired designs. You are prevented from combining separately acquired aspects because the reverse engineered weapons, armor and chassis are not selectable from the respective, armor and chassis boxes in the workshop; you have to start the workshop session with a unit containing the acquired weapon/armor/chasis you want to use and there is no way to bring in additional acquired stuff.

I'm reasonably confident, but not certain that the reactors and special attributes work the same way; I think that especially the reactor very likely follows the pattern above, but I have room for at least a little doubt concerning the special attributes.

I haven't really made much of a living reverse engineering, but the last time there was a thread abouit this, I happened to be playing a game where I did have two captured units with different (unresearched by me) captured aspects, so I paid attention and found that I was unable to make the combined unit, but otherwise able to use the new aspects individually as outlined above. This limitation gives me a reason to question whether the designers really intended the reverse engineering to be possible, but I still like the idea whether intentional or not.

[SmartFart]

I got it now.

Many thanx.