AI War Beta 5.091-5.092 "Apply MkII Sanding Machine" Released!

[keith.lamothe]

Does the entire CPA generally go after a single outlying planet?

Exos would do so some times, but if there's more than one battlegroup it should be picking different targets (most of the time) for them.

Anyway, I suspect this is currently just one of the consequences of playing high-difficulty right now.  Either you have to find a way to get your front line out in front of the irreplaceable or you have to deal with a high chance of losing it.

But I also suspect that a mil-III + 2xminifort in the next version (getting it out soon, just cleaning up some bugs) will hold off more than you're used to holding off that way.

[keith.lamothe]

New one

[Hearteater]

I do not have any trouble protecting Adv. Factories on 8/8 against Exos.  I seem to recall you've brought this up before, and I've explained how to do it, but I can't find the post.  Maybe it was someone else.  In any case, a simple solution to AF vs Exo is to take the AF between Exo waves and win the game, so you never even need to worry about it.  Also works against CPAs.  Fortresses also stop CPAs by threat balling them.  Even without that CPA and Exos can be handled in low AIP or 7-8 difficulty games.

[Faulty Logic]

CPAs: just fine.

They either attack your empire essentially everywhere, allowing you to respond with your mobile fleet and defeat it in detail (though outlying fabs will most likely be lost), or form up into a carrier hammer, allowing you time to prepare (build turrets/lightning warheads) on the single world (always the closest) that they will attack. Either way, this is not supposed to be an easy or routine thing to deal with, and they embody that difficulty very well.

As for defending fabricators, no, it is not possible to ensure their safety to anything close to 100% against a cpa. And it shouldn't be.

That said, losing a fabricator is not a big deal. You can still use the special ships when it really counts (the HW attacks), just not in your everyday fleet. Same for advanced factories.

Exos: also fine.
Fabricators/advanced factories are almost impossible to defend, but you have other ways to boost your mobile strength (whatever was causing the exo in the first place).

Warp jammers: already important, they should not ensure complete safety or anything close. To really defend a planet, you need turrets or fortresses, regardless of military command mark or miniforts.

Drifter defence: military IIIs and miniforts should beat a small (<100) threat fleet, or a dark spire spawn. Anything heavier should crack the system.

In conclusion: I see no major imbalances in player defences.

[KDR_11k]

Losing an Advanced Factory is same as losing 3000 knowledge (can't build MarkIVs), AIP increasing by a minimum of 20 losing resources and time without gaining anything except knowledge from researching the planet.
Losing a Zenith Power Generator is same as AIP increasing by a minimum of 30, losing time and resources without gaining anything except knowledge from researching the planet.
I could as well use the first 18000 knowledge to unlock MarkIV Neinzul Enclave Starships.
Mini-Fortresses wont do anything against 1500-3000 fleet ships and 5-15 all starships.

If you absolutely don't want to lose a planet then you should properly fortify it, don't expect miniforts and a command station to do that for you. No command station should be enough to keep a massive AI attack from crushing your planet. If you want more heavy fortifications then ask for those.

[Wanderer]

Losing an Advanced Factory is same as losing 3000 knowledge (can't build MarkIVs), AIP increasing by a minimum of 20 losing resources and time without gaining anything except knowledge from researching the planet.
Losing a Zenith Power Generator is same as AIP increasing by a minimum of 30, losing time and resources without gaining anything except knowledge from researching the planet.
I could as well use the first 18000 knowledge to unlock MarkIV Neinzul Enclave Starships.
Mini-Fortresses wont do anything against 1500-3000 fleet ships and 5-15 all starships.

If you absolutely don't want to lose a planet then you should properly fortify it, don't expect miniforts and a command station to do that for you. No command station should be enough to keep a massive AI attack from crushing your planet. If you want more heavy fortifications then ask for those.

I agree with the above and Faulty's evaluation.  In no way should your entire empire be secure unless you can completely chokepoint it (another benefit of the chokepoint) to force all assaults into a single attack vector.

[rabican]

You can already defend 5+ planets from regular attacks with (semi)static defenses only

On 7 diff yes.

On 10, try unlocking fortresses sometimes.