Any point to using "obsolte" tech?

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Steve
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Joined: Fri Jun 11, 2010 9:10 pm

Any point to using "obsolte" tech?

#1 Post by Steve »

Is there any point to building ships with "obsolte" tech? That is, once I can make Lasers, is there ANY reason to retain Mass Drivers in my new designs? Same with Plasma Cannons: do I ever keep Lasers or MD's? And Death Rays... I just abandon all 3 older tech's, right?

What about the "level" of the tech? Is "Mass-Driver 4" inferior to "Laser 1"?

Same question for shielding ("Deflector Shield" vs. "Defense Grid"), though in this case I'd wonder if using both, simultaneously, gives any advantage...?

And for detection-tech (Optical Scanner, Neutron Scanner, Sensors)...

Thanks!

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eleazar
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Re: Any point to using "obsolte" tech?

#2 Post by eleazar »

Steve wrote:Is there any point to building ships with "obsolte" tech? That is, once I can make Lasers, is there ANY reason to retain Mass Drivers in my new designs? Same with Plasma Cannons: do I ever keep Lasers or MD's? And Death Rays... I just abandon all 3 older tech's, right?

What about the "level" of the tech? Is "Mass-Driver 4" inferior to "Laser 1"?

Same question for shielding ("Deflector Shield" vs. "Defense Grid"), though in this case I'd wonder if using both, simultaneously, gives any advantage...?

And for detection-tech (Optical Scanner, Neutron Scanner, Sensors)...

Thanks!
It depends. Read the descriptions in the 'Pedia.
For any tech distinguished only by a number (i.e Lasers 1 vs Laser 2) the tech with the higher number will be in all ways superior. Plasma Cannons are more powerful than lasers, but they cost significantly more. The same pattern holds for all weapons.

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Steve
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Joined: Fri Jun 11, 2010 9:10 pm

Re: Any point to using "obsolte" tech?

#3 Post by Steve »

eleazar wrote:
Steve wrote:Is there any point to building ships with "obsolte" tech? That is, once I can make Lasers, is there ANY reason to retain Mass Drivers in my new designs? Same with Plasma Cannons: do I ever keep Lasers or MD's? And Death Rays... I just abandon all 3 older tech's, right?

What about the "level" of the tech? Is "Mass-Driver 4" inferior to "Laser 1"?

Same question for shielding ("Deflector Shield" vs. "Defense Grid"), though in this case I'd wonder if using both, simultaneously, gives any advantage...?

And for detection-tech (Optical Scanner, Neutron Scanner, Sensors)...

Thanks!
It depends. Read the descriptions in the 'Pedia.
For any tech distinguished only by a number (i.e Lasers 1 vs Laser 2) the tech with the higher number will be in all ways superior. Plasma Cannons are more powerful than lasers, but they cost significantly more. The same pattern holds for all weapons.
Hmm. So, until rebalancing happens (either by intent, or because change-of-balance things happen in dev that aren't worried-over because "rebalancing happens later"), it might be worth building cheap (i.e. fast-to-build) "obsolete" units as part of the "swarm" strategy...

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