Snake maps and core shield generators

[Tim James]

I wanted to play a 20 planet snake map for fun. I started on one end and one of the homeworlds was generated in the middle instead of both of them at the opposite end. It's still protected by 3 core shield generators.

Is there any trick to get across the two Mark IV planets and the AI homeworld so I can start a new beachhead to look for the other shield generators? Otherwise I guess I'm stuck. I didn't think this map type through very well. Next time I'll start in the middle, even though I think that'll be easier.

[chemical_art]

Let me go down my mental checklist

-Can you EMP warhead...No
-Can you use transports...No
-Can you distract the enemies away from the transports...no
-Can you use cloaker starships to bypass it...probably not
-Can you brute force beat down the defenders until one of the above options work...would be hard

[Tim James]

I cheated and checked the other Mark IV guard planet. It has a black hole machine. This one is probably hopeless. But that's okay, I was just warming up so I could try the LotS stuff.

[chemical_art]

The mark IV black hole you CAN get around. EMP Mk III warhead will buy you two minutes to destroy the black hole generator with your fleet. After that, you can flee and whittle down the planet by destorying the guard posts one by one.

[Tim James]

The Mark IV planet with the black hole generator is on the other side of the homeworld. I don't think I can get an EMP through that.

These guard planets get angry so fast that even if I can get through to destroy the core shield generator, it's going to take a miracle to whittle them down again. All the Mark V ships are annoying.

It'd be nice if there was a quick cheat code to use here.

[chemical_art]

Did you allow cheats within the Lobby? I don't remember if it defaults to "on" or "off" but you can give it a shot. Look here.

http://www.arcengames.com/mediawiki/index.php?title=AI_War_-_Cheats

I assume core guard worlds have some sort of tachyon guardians or some other form of cloak detection? If you can *somehow* remove them, you can use the cloaker starship to escort your warheads to their destination, along with other ships. Even if you do another game, these are VERY handy on snake maps.

[Tim James]

The Sentinel Frigates emit tachyons. They're too much of a pain to get rid of because they come back, unlike the Tachyon guardians.

Hold on. The fifth time looking at the cheats page, I finally saw the "Military Takeover" cheat. I can use that on the planet that has the last shield generator, and kill it real quick. Alerting another Mark IV planet (not a guard planet) with it will be enough punishment to offset the cheat code. Let me try that.