Question

[Platinum Knight]

I have played Alpha Centauri briefly, and have gotten frustrated with it. Could someone please tell me on what difficulty level the computer is equal to you? Not in terms of strategy, but in terms of weapons and armor. Basically what I want is a fair fight.

[Capt Dizle]

PK,

There is no difference in weapons and armor based on difficulty level. Please tell us more about the difficulties you are having and we will be glad to help you along.

jt

[big_canuk]

Oh what the heck, I might as well do a "Googlie", as I am waiting for a turn, and refuse to go back to that CGN Morgan SP challenge.

From the Prima Guide(and I know it is a dinosaur and full of mistakes, but it's useful as a reference):

Combat Effects

An important principle is that you never receive a disadvantage in combat because of difficulty level. Sometimes you get a special advantage at low difficulty levels against native units, but never a disadvantage.

You are eligible for a combat handicap at Citizen and Specialist levels. You can also get one at Talent level when you are defending against native (alien) Units (but not mind worms controlled by another faction, for instance).

Assuming you are eligible for a handicap, then:

Assign a value to your difficulty level: 0=Citizen, 1 = Specialist, 2 = Talent. Call if DIFF. (Remember that these effects don't apply to higher levels.)

If you're defending, then reduce the offensive strength of your attacker as follows:

OFFENSE = BASE OFFENSE X (DIFF +1) / 4

If you are attacking, then increase your offensive strength as follows:

OFFENSE = BASE OFFENSE X (4 - DIFF) / 2

(Again remember that this doesn't reduce your offensive strength at Trancend difficulty level; this formula doesn't apply at the three higher difficulty levels.)

Note that combat handicaps never apply against other Human players in a multiplayer game, regardless of relative player difficulty levels.

bc

[Maniac]

I hope you weren't waiting on my turn!

[Platinum Knight]

Basically what happens is that I build an excellent unit which always seems to be taken out by an inferior one. For example, 4-4-2*2 unit tried to attack a 10-1-16 unit and failed.

[big_canuk]

Platinum Knight:

Well there are combat modifiers.

There is an option under game preferences to pause before battle, or show odds before attacking, something like that. Turn it on. Then a little screen shows at the bottom of the screen giving "odds". They are not really odds, but the relative strengths of the attacker versus the defender.

Your 4 attack, may be modified down to say a 3. His 1 defense, could be modified as high as say a 4. Now you are at 3:4 odds. In your example you have 20 hit points versus his 10, so the odds would be stated as 6:4 or 3:2, but you can easily loose such a battle, because each mini combat resolution is fought at 3:4 odds. You need to loose 7 such resolutions, and he only needs to loose 4 (resolutions usually occur in 3 hit point chucks, but not always).

Combat multipliers, are multiplicative, not additive. Examine the display at the bottom of the screen carefully a few times, and please ask again, if you need more info.

Attack and defense may be modified by morale, by terrain, by base facilities, by sensors, and by special abilities(did I miss any?)



SMAniaC:

Yup, and I attacked you too, because you were so slow!! (j/k)!!

bc

[Method]

Originally posted by Platinum Knight
Basically what happens is that I build an excellent unit which always seems to be taken out by an inferior one. For example, 4-4-2*2 unit tried to attack a 10-1-16 unit and failed.

i'm pretty sure that needlejet would have a fusion reactor. fusion power is prerequisite of organic superlube. your impact rover must have been horridly expensive; armour on mobile units is double the cost IIRC.

i do find it odd though that an impact rover would lose to a fusion needlejet on the attack. that sounds civ3 combat-ish. the tank losing to spearman thingy.

back on topic, i use the battle odds all the time. its helpful to see the odds and it gives you a chance to check the little screen at the bottom for an aerospace complex, naval yard, sensor, the defender's morale and if he has AAA, ECM, trance or something.

[Capt Dizle]

b_c

I wish you would go ahead and finish that challenge. Seems that Buster won't start a new one until you do.

jt

[Mongoose]

Are those stats right? 10-1-16 ?

Something is missing in that. Basic nj chassis has only 10 movement points with fission reactor, 12 with fusion, 14 with quantum, 16 with singularity.

Nanocells and the CBA each add 2 MPs to range.

At the least, what you have described should be 10-1-16*2, assuming both nanocells and the CBA.

More probably, it's a 10-1-16*3 with one or the other of the above.

Sometimes the reactor designator gets truncated in the various displays, I think on accoubt of too many digits being used for attack value and movement value.

Combine the effects of a possible Quantum reactor, morale, plus any other defense modifiers and a 4 level fusion reactor attack isn't a sure thing at all.

[johndmuller]

You guys have essentially covered it, but just to simplify it a bit . . .

B_C had it mostly covered, except for the infuence of the Reactor level, which doesn't specifically modify the combat, but instead determines how many hit points you start out with, so if the defender is a level 4 reactor that would be 40 hit points to your 20. Previous wounds could also be carried into the combat, giving you a lesser starting point.

Morale is also a big deal, so if you were green and they were elite, that would also explain a lot.

Beyond those major elements, if you were attacking the plane in a base (which I think is the only way you could be attacking it with a rover) it could be supported by an Aerospace complex (I don't know if AeroComplexes apply to being attacked by land units - if not, a perimeter defense would apply). A Tachyon Field could add additional defense too.

[Adalbertus]

Is it possible that the air unit is equipped with SAM? In this case, the plane defends with its attack value ... at least for air-air combat. Anybody knows if it is different for land-air (SAM rover against SAM noodle)?

[Maniac]

Originally posted by big_canuk
SMAniaC:

Yup, and I attacked you too, because you were so slow!! (j/k)!!

bc

Yeah right, like that was the reason. Anyway, you have my answer on ACOL. Some bragging about my superior skills. Anyway, if there will be a third series of forum wars started, I'd really like to play a rematch against you!

[Maniac]

What does (j/k) mean btw? Joke?

[Mongoose]

Originally posted by M@ni@c
What does (j/k) mean btw? Joke?

Yes.

[big_canuk]

just kidding. I did attack you, as you know, but not really because you were slow.

As I said in the thread, I only added that reason because of your first post in this thread.

bc

[Platinum Knight]

My rover did have SAM abilities.

I don't know exactly how many movement points the needlejet had; I just assumed it had 16 because all my needlejets do.

Is it different for SAM units?

[Maniac]

Originally posted by Platinum Knight
My rover did have SAM abilities.

I don't know exactly how many movement points the needlejet had; I just assumed it had 16 because all my needlejets do.

Is it different for SAM units?

Oops! Sorry for hijacking this thread.

By the way, I thought you couldn't equip your aircraft with nanocells when you have the CBA...(??)

[Adalbertus]

SAM needlejets (=Interceptors) have two (or so) movement points less than those without (=Penetrators).
Interceptors defend in air-air combat with their attack value, but on ground strikes (air-land or air-sea) they have only half the attack value. When fighting non-SAM air units, they attack with double strength (which is usually useless because there are rarely air units with a high defense value.)
I usually add SAM to noodles and not to copters. Makes the distinction easy and is practical: An interceptor hanging in the air (what it usually does after a successful attack) is well defended, even as 10-1-8 (or so it comes out), and I need this earlier in the game. The copter for attack has the chance to attack several times in a turn and to retreat to a base, so the defense is usually untested.