Stupid H.I.

SITS · July 31, 2001, 09:57

I'm playing a SP game as the Gaians on DilithumDads Builder map and the year is 2309. A few years ago I got Global Garming Warning (Drones). So I've been trying to raise land in vulnerable cities. I'm playing this game as an experiement, trying things I've never done before to see I can use them in MP games.

So for the first time I used the Tectonic Missile. I tried to attack a base with it and it didn't work so I re-read the manual and it tells me why. Don't really see the use of it except maybe to create a landbridge. I try it on a bit of land near two pirate seabases to see if takes them out but no it just makes them into land bases. Hmm. Some tactical possibilities there as I could amass an army nearby and march on in....

Anyways when I get the Global Warming warning a light bulb goes off!

I know, I can use this missle to raise the land! Great! So I set a number of bases to build them and I start using them willy nilly at different parts of the map. I notice one of my cities has some eco-damage so I change the supply crawlers to energy instead of minerials. I also start building temples of the planet etc but I start to notice more and more of my cities are running a lot of eco-damage 20+ in some of them. Gawd what is happening? I get a second GWW which will really mess my empire up and I end up getting worm raped at three different cities! (The first time I ever experienced that!)

I suddenly have another bright idea

, just maybe the missiles themselves are causing the damage.

Doh!

So I try that out and find that these nice missles are actually terrible things!

So that is my Stupid H.I. story.....

BTW what I'm going to try is to assign them to one base and see how much damage can be done. Maybe assign them to a new size 1 base and then destroy the base after I've used them.... so I don't have the eco damage....

Maybe not too stupid after all! (well maybe not!)

Wiglaf · July 31, 2001, 10:41

Quote:

just maybe the missiles themselves are causing the damage

That'd do it

I don't use those missiles, and neither do most people around here, so I wouldn't know much about them. -- Except for the fact that they're costly, not very useful, and hardly a replacement for a good ol fashioned combat unit.

Creative, though

Earwicker · July 31, 2001, 11:41

I was under the impression that their ecodamage wasn't confined to thier home base but faction-wide, like a PB. So the size-1 base thing shouldn't work.

The tactial effectiveness of a tectonic missile is to leave enemy sea-bases high and dry, destroying their productivity and food production, stranding or sinking their navy. I have seen few instances, however, where this benefit outweighs their cost and eco-damage.

Nadexander · July 31, 2001, 14:16

How bout them fungal missles. Theyre lots 'o fun when your way ahead of the ai and you just wanna torture them some, or when you dont know what to do with 32000 ec and youve already researched the tech. Fungal missles should be way cheaper because they seem like so much fun.

Same thig with tectonics. More fun than a barrel of mindworms. If only they didnt cause eco damage..

-Nadexander

SITS · July 31, 2001, 16:36

You're right Earwicker - it does get spread about. But I can't figure out how it works it out. Also does the damage go away after awhile? Or do I have to permantly reduce my mineral count at affected bases?

SITS · July 31, 2001, 16:59

I've just re-read Ned's Column post a few weeks ago which answers my questions. It didn't register before as I hadn't come up against it. I have now!

SITS · July 31, 2001, 17:07

I've just re-read Ned's Column post a few weeks ago which answers my questions. It didn't register before as I hadn't come up against it. I have now!

Method · July 31, 2001, 20:07

last week after i just got SMACX i just did as scenario to test out the new missiles and all the sounds each weapon made (my game as the borgs was REALLY boring) anyway even thought a tectonic with a sing reactor will supposedly raise the land by 4000 m(?) i only raised it 2 or 3 levels.

also a fungal only made fungus in a 1 square radius around it. and yes it was singularity!

Fitz · July 31, 2001, 20:45

A singularity reactor on a fungal missile is suppossed to do 4 squares, not a four square radius.

Are you sure you didn't do the tectonic over water. Remember, a ocean will go to 2000+ meters with singularity, not 3000+.

Lastly, does anyone know if the fungal missiles actually cause eco-damage. I know the tectonic do (which sucks) but I thought the fungals didn't.

Ned · July 31, 2001, 22:27

Hey Fitz, No Fungals do not cause ED. Tectonics, however, act just like PB's - worth 5 minerals. (So, Folks, simply build 5 Centauri Preserves for each Techtonic.)

I've had some fun with Fungal missles, especially if I have the Xeno Dome. It really mucks up the enemy's lines of communication, especially if they are in FM. So, instead of blocking roads to a city that you just captured to prevent a counter assault or probe action, just lob in a Fungal.

Ned