Heavy Turret GFX suggestion

[HitmanN]

I need to test these some more, but from a quick glance, they lack the range I originally thought they should have. I'd recommend upping the range by 3-5k, just under the range of dreadnoughts 'n such, so you can still bombard the turrets from afar, but otherwise they'd outrange other turrets. At least mk2 and mk3 should go beyond laser turret mk3 in range, so that the heavy turrets kind of pick off from where the traditional turrets end, range -wise. This way they're not just many turrets in one, but also provide the turret you need for firing long distances, when sniper is overkill in range, and meaningless in damage.

So... perhaps trade some of the damage for extra range?

[XRsyst]

Damage is fine but I would up the range too, they are static emplacements after all.

Slightly off topic, I remember reading a sci-fi book called "Death Ground", one static wormhole defense they used was called a "Nuclear pumped X-ray laser" which was basically a nuke that would go off and have all of explosions energy channeled into a single coherent beam that was more than enough to destroy any single starship.  Needless to say this was a one shot item.

[keith.lamothe]

I'll just up the range, and see what people think of the damage.

-upped heavy beam cannon range from 10500/11500/12500 to 15000/16000/17000

[HitmanN]

Alright, let's see how that does.

[orzelek]

From what I can see I would prefer a bit more cap per mark level with dps reduction per turret - maybe up to about 10 turrets per mark level.

[HitmanN]

From what I can see I would prefer a bit more cap per mark level with dps reduction per turret - maybe up to about 10 turrets per mark level.

Although I'm yet to decide on the current ones (busy, busy...), the original idea was indeed for the heavy turrets to have a two-digit cap. I think we do need 'very heavy' turrets like these too, but I guess I was thinking more of 'just-a-bit-heavier-than-the-standard' turrets as well.

Anyhow, seems like a decent thought. AI War does kind of lack those middle-ground units, especially for turrets. Things are either really powerful and come in packs of up to 5 or so, or fairly weak and come in hundreds. In-betweeners are rare.

I still think the heavy turret line should increase considerably in firepower and range and decrease a lot in cap with each level. That way each level is more unique, and may fit better for different roles, rather than being more of the same as previous level.

[keith.lamothe]

For 3.083:

-Heavy Beam Turret MkI/II/III ship caps changed from 4/4/4 to 12/8/4, with corresponding balance changes (not exactly 1/3rding and 1/2ing, actually moderate buffs to all marks).

If desired I can increase those caps still further, just trying to do this incrementally.

They're probably somewhat overpowered right now, on average, but that's ok for introducing them so people actually use them and give feedback   Balance suggestions are quite welcome.

By the way, I'm considering a mk IV version with a ship cap of 1 but simply stupid amounts of attack power (still balanced numerically, of course, but that will be pretty high).  Do you think that would be fun/useful/worth-making-a-mkIV-graphic-for?

[HellishFiend]

Sounds like a great idea! Could be the X-Factor someone needs to defend an impossible position or to assist with a beachhead on an impossible attack.

[XRsyst]

Like building a BuzzSaw or Vulcan Cannon in Total Annihilation, takes forever but once you've got one...

[Ozymandiaz]

Or like the Mavor from SupCom1. Took for ever to build (on my slow ass comp anyways), but oh boy was it awesome when I had one .

Might as well add a Mk IV (if OP wants to make a new model) as an option. I like having options .

[RCIX]

Or like the Mavor from SupCom1. Took for ever to build (on my slow ass comp anyways), but oh boy was it awesome when I had one .

Might as well add a Mk IV (if OP wants to make a new model) as an option. I like having options .

Mavor's more of a long range arty, Fatboy is probably better.

[HitmanN]

Cool idea about the mk4 version. I think the cap should be maybe 2 or 3 though, but with very high K cost. I mean, if you unlock one for a ton of knowledge and can only defend one planet with it, most likely not needing it after couple of captures anymore, it doesn't seem worth it, no matter what the firepower. Well, except if it's kinda like ion cannon, but insta-kills anything. Sure you can scrap it, but seems annoying to have to do that constantly while you advance in the game.

Btw, how about these having bonuses against starships? It would finally add a defense that's good for downing starships, both on defense and on offense (if you can establish a beachhead and build one quickly enough). Just a thought.

Might as well add a Mk IV (if OP wants to make a new model) as an option. I like having options .

Can do. I'll get to it in a bit. In the meantime, it'd be nice to decide whether it's a superweapon type of thing or more along the lines of the current. A superweapon version might need some extra spicing on the GFX.

[keith.lamothe]

I'm thinking of it as an end-of-tech-tree demi-superweapon (I have an idea for a genuinely super-weapon version but that would be gotten via other means more tied in with some endgame ideas).  Not *quite* as insane as the buzzsaw/vulcan but provides a good bang-for-buck ratio and with the amount of K+m+c+e spent on this thing that's a lot of bang.

The sort of thing that might be the "MVP" in a CPA-stopping defensive array (well, short of a golem), but it wouldn't stop said CPA by itself.

What I could do is implement it using the MkIII graphics and then you could see what it did before art thinkering.

[HitmanN]

Not *quite* as insane as the buzzsaw/vulcan but provides a good bang-for-buck ratio and with the amount of K+m+c+e spent on this thing that's a lot of bang.

Vulcan and Buzzsaw were actually pretty poor units. The range was quite subpar to what you paid for, and you average bomber run downed them too easily. Just send a bunch of peepers/finks (or hawks/vamps if you're up against lots of other defenses) in and drop couple of dozen bombers on the vulcans/buzzsaws you find.

But if we're talking about fire rate, then yes, those were fairly insane. But they did eat energy like crazy too. I usually preferred a bunch of Big Berthas instead. More range, fairly accurate, much quicker to build.

Ahem... but this ain't a forum for TA talk. Sorry about that. Fond memories...  

What I could do is implement it using the MkIII graphics and then you could see what it did before art thinkering.

Or you can try these. I did make it kinda quick, so I hope it doesn't look half-assed.

[keith.lamothe]

TA is worth talking about   Yea, the buzzsaw/vulcan wasn't all that great cost/benefit wise, but against the Korgath and other super-heavy mechs that came in later mods it was one of the truly fearsome things.  Seeing some gigantic robot of death that took whole armies of normal units to take down start taking 3-rounds/second of artillery projectiles that could tear down entire buildings by themselves... good times

It's stuff like this that makes me wish there were some good way to work the whole "firing lasers costs energy" concept into AI War, but that's a battle for another day. 

Thanks for the graphics, will work those in