An alternative military production scheme

[Vev]

I have a proposal for military production. The PB/crawler production method can be also applied with good effect to normal military units. This is done by taking advantage that crawlers are converted at 100% efficiency to prototype units.

To make this work, each or most of the bases needs to have spare crawlers within easy reach. When extra military units are required, all those cities who requires that unit will switch to the prototype design and the crawlers are cashed in. One unit will pay full cost and builds the unit, all the others are around halfway. Situation may arise when building cheaper units that the cost of the crawlers may exceed more than 50%. This may result in some slight inefficiency so either some minerals are lost or the rest of the unit cost is rush bought to full prototyping cost. But for costier units, this is less of an issue. Remember that prototype units have one better moral.

To achieve fast response time a good road network is essential. It also may be worthwhile to build rover crawlers simpler to allow crawlers to crawl further away from the city, that can still reach it within one turn.

The advantages of this method is that military units do not need to be built straight away. Also the cost of this unit can be prepared earlier, the crawler built can help towards the economy and the crawler requires no upkeep. It is like carrying cash that can be readily converted into unprototyped units or SPs. Also that cash may also accumlulate compound interest too.

By having less garrison units around, it reduces upkeep and it gives a false impression to other faction of false impotence (well not in 2-3 turns anyway).

The problem with this is that there needs to be designs that we want that haven't been prototyped yet. So the numbers of units built is limited to the number of participating bases. That's why we need lots of bases. Also the window when cities can participate depends on how urgently the units are needed and how easily the bases begin the new production.

An example is that the 2-1-1 infantry costs 3 rows. Using a normal crawler which costs 3 rows too, this unit can be rush built with crawlers in 1 turn and since the full price is paid, they will have better moral. Next unit upgrade session, one city could cash in more crawlers and after it has been built, the other units may upgrade with energy credits.

[Rokossovky]

This would be an excellent method to use to produce units in the event of an invasion. We could keep the synth garrison units down to a minimum, ie 1 per base (shouldn't be hard to produce over the next 20 years). However, I think the general attitude is to use the garrison units as police to deal with the massive drone boom we are going to get in a while. I believe Kody was saying something along the lines of we will have bases with 2 pop and 2 drones. But, we could make up the rest with scouts and then use your method to produce the offensive units we'd need alongside more synth garrisons in time of war. This would allow for sufficient defence as described in the white paper (1 synth defender), and keep us ready to lauch our second line even quicker than before, which is perfect for the plan as well.

- Rokossovky

[Snowflake]

Use crawlers to aid prototyping of high cost units is always a good idea.

[Vev]

If the prototyping is done incrementally, a few waves of units can be mass produced if there are enough crawlers. For example, 1-2-1 defenders followed by 2-1-1 or 4-1-1 attack teams.

[Rokossovky]

Perfect.

- Rokossovky

[Jamski]

Warmongers! You're all EVIL warmongers! When will the killing stop so that we can all live together in heavily nervestapled into submission brotherly harmony?

-Jam

[Vev]

So the Hive is going for the "World Nervestapling Domination" Victory?

[Rokossovky]

"Citizens of the world! Bow before me so I may Nervestaple you into oblivion lead you in a happy life!"

- Rokossovky

[Jamski]

Its the Nervestapled Cooperative Victory condition...

-Jam

[Vev]

Sound good