Split the main weapon research from the fighters

Creation, discussion, and balancing of game content such as techs, buildings, ship parts.

Moderators: Oberlus, Committer

Post Reply
Message
Author
Ophiuchus
Programmer
Posts: 3433
Joined: Tue Sep 30, 2014 10:01 am
Location: Wall IV

Split the main weapon research from the fighters

#1 Post by Ophiuchus »

I think we should split main weapon tech from fighter tech. Currently if you want fighters you have to research the main line, if you go for short range weapons you get fighters mostly as a add-on.

Fighters techs would become a straight line (basic fighters/hangars, laser fighters, plasma fighters, death ray fighters).
Laser Fighters tech would become e.g. 60 RP more expensive, only prereq basic fighters.

If you wanted to mix different techs for robustness, for the same RP your techs would have lower damage levels, but this could pay off depending on your enemy. This extra cost makes more focussed fleets more likely and so designing a fleet against an incoming death stack more effective.

Fighters have the heavy bombers available (anti-planet), bombers (anti-ship), fighters (anti-ship, anti-fighter), and interceptors (anti-fighter). So these are self-sufficient.

Main line has the short range weapons available (anti-planet, anti-ship), and flak (anti-fighter). Later weapons are more effective against shield. So also self-sufficient.

Arc disruptors (anti-fighter, anti-planet, anti-ship) lack something effective against shields. So probably needs to invest some research into the other lines (fighters being a good match). I think that balancing arc disruptors gets easier if we split fighter tech from main weapon tech.

On a sidenote, species skill for fighters should probably be applied in a multiplicative manner (e.g. 25% more effective per skill level) so the damage levels can be balanced.
Any code or patches in anything posted here is released under the CC and GPL licences in use for the FO project.

Look, ma... four combat bouts!

User avatar
Oberlus
Cosmic Dragon
Posts: 5713
Joined: Mon Apr 10, 2017 4:25 pm

Re: Split the main weapon research from the fighters

#2 Post by Oberlus »

That's how I have it in the themed tech tree, so it makes sense to start testing it and making necessary AI adjustments.

Ideally, fighter upgrades should get their own names, instead of laser, plasma, death ray...

We still have to see what happens to an empire focused on fighters when it bumps into an enemy fleet of direct-damage+flak, gets all its fighters down at the end of bout 2 and then play sitting ducks. IMO, too risky to go for it from start, only worth the risk if you know your fighters are the right choice against your enemy (i.e. enemy has good shields and bad point defense).
I think it is cool to have those choices: do I specialize to get faster to a nice weapon tech level that could give me the upper hand? do I diversify to be better prepared for anything my enemies could throw at me? So I am totally in favor of splitting cannons and fighters.

User avatar
Vezzra
Release Manager, Design
Posts: 6095
Joined: Wed Nov 16, 2011 12:56 pm
Location: Sol III

Re: Split the main weapon research from the fighters

#3 Post by Vezzra »

Seconded.

Ophiuchus
Programmer
Posts: 3433
Joined: Tue Sep 30, 2014 10:01 am
Location: Wall IV

Re: Split the main weapon research from the fighters

#4 Post by Ophiuchus »

put up a pull request PR-3251 with some tweaks:
  • 1st Fighter tech costs 50% more than researching Mass Drivers 2
  • 2nd Fighter tech costs 10% off from researching Lasers+Laser Fighters and takes a turn less to research
  • 3rd Fighter tech costs 10% off from researching Plasma+Plasma Fighters and takes a turn less to research
  • 4th Fighter tech costs 10% off from researching Death Rays+DR Fighters and takes a turn less to research
Pilot skill effect gets upped 50% to give fighters more reason - this should be on par
  • 2nd Fighter tech costs about 90% of researching Lasers+Laser 2
  • bomber damage gets increased about a fourth by a skill level
  • shortrange weapon (level 2) damage gets increased about a fourth by a skill level
Any code or patches in anything posted here is released under the CC and GPL licences in use for the FO project.

Look, ma... four combat bouts!

Post Reply