Nuclear Command

[Varone]

Hi, I'm currently playing a 40 player map, 2 Diff 8 Ai ( Special forces captain and mad bomber ) with CPA, No wave warning and Nuclear command. I'm thinking that having the Nuclear command option ticked is making the game easier than it should be, what are your opinions on using this option.

For people who don't know, the Nuclear command option destroys all ships and non-capturable structures when the Ai command station is destroyed.

Basically i have scouted all nearby systems and when the threat level shoots up i identify which planet got all the wave ships and promptly strike at the command center and destroy the wave and my ships then and there. So far its been a relative breeze apart from the opening hour.

Does anyone use that option or does it make the game too easy?

[Fleet]

I'm thinking if you stay in the game longer with that strategy, it will get harder soon. The opening can be easy against most AI Types and difficulties. Although with only 40 planets, I'm not sure how high your AIP will get.

You also have some options enabled that really up the difficulty, which I expect will make the game that much harder as you progress.

But the game is nothing without a good challenge, and playing a close, but losing game can be more fun then a push-over winning one. Good luck, and let us know how this game goes!

[rubikscube]

it makes you really have to tactical plan more than regular games , but executing them is much easier

[Lancefighter]

doesnt 'the nuclear option' remove all resources on a planet?

[rubikscube]

yes, and supply too, so that's why you need to plan more.

[Lancefighter]

well duh supply, its a nuke..

Otherwise - i wonder how much effort it is to sustain a 'knowledge raid' scenario with harvestors? a harvestor costs 800m/c and builds 12/s(of the opposite type).. 800/12 comes out to about a minute - if you can hold a system with harvestors in it for a minute you start turning profit (on the bare harvestors themselves..)

Is that feasable for running an empire? obviously harvestor forcefields are a must for that.. sounds interesting, but many systems are of low resource value in singleplayer.

[rubikscube]

neuter all planets and destroy planets with lots of ships, that's the plan

[Frozen Critical]

Nuclear command makes the game harder :

On the destruction of the Command Centre , All , i mean , ALL fabricators are gone forever

ARS and research centres are also destructed on the destruction of the CC , which means that....... well , you know what

that means that the Nuclear CC option should be used with care and not carelessness , and should be attempted only if you are prepared to use your basic three(or four) ships and know how to use them efficentally


TRIPLE EDIT : also , Nuclear Command doesn't cut off supply , it only cuts off supply when the planet is in pieces

[Varone]

Just a quick update, I did manage to capture an advanced research ship - it says they're immune to insta-kill so i guess the CC nuke has no effect.  I've also managed to get my own little bit of the system with only two entrance points so i've got those well fortified. I guess the game is pretty much in the bag now. Ai progress is at 200 and i have around 8-12 systems i think.

Not sure if fabricators are immune to insta-kill so will check on that when i come across one.

I've come to the conclusion that the Nuclear Command option makes the game way too easy, just attack the command station and watch the 1000+ enemy ships get obliterated and then you've got an empty system to colonise. No penalties or drawbacks at all. Think i'll actually Nuke the rest of the AI systems one by one since i'm heavily entrenched and finish this game. Just need my ships to handle the core ships at the Ai homeworlds, can't nuke those!

[Frozen Critical]

Fabricators ain't immune to insta-kills :

Before :

1 CC , 1 C.FAB , 1 Guard post

After destruction of CC :

0 CC , 0 C.FAB , 0 Guard post

[RCIX]

I've come to the conclusion that the Nuclear Command option makes the game way too easy, just attack the command station and watch the 1000+ enemy ships get obliterated and then you've got an empty system to colonise.

Till you do that on a core world, then you have thousands of angry Core ships streaming at you with you having no ships to defend with.

[Varone]

You only do that once did that on my first try at playing AI War. Thought i'd nuke a core world. Watched in horror as 700 Core bombers and stuff rampaged through my worlds one by one and then destroyed my home command station. I'm sure everyone has made that mistake.... Just once.