Prerelease 3.100 (Transport balance, AI reinforcement nerf, AI home planet nerf)

[superking]

why not make the slowdown with distance gradual and expodential rather than several sudden bands of change? or is this another case of it being too costly?

[ShadowOTE]

Yeah, tracking each ship's distance and relative resulting speed would probably be a huge performance hit

[Draxis]

It looks like shot reflection is broken, we were attacked by a horde of zenith mirrors, and none of the shots from our teleporting battle stations or laser gattlings were reflected back at us, despite being right next to the mirrors.

[Draxis]

Also, distribution nodes are missing the 'x+ right click to attack' text, and I cant actually attack them when I hold x and right click.  Their contents are sealed for eternity

[keith.lamothe]

Yea, I'm getting reports from some people who can get x+right-click to work and others who can't.  Unsettling.  I believe I've already changed those back to not need the X for 3.101, but will make sure.

[RCIX]

It looks like shot reflection is broken, we were attacked by a horde of zenith mirrors, and none of the shots from our teleporting battle stations or laser gattlings were reflected back at us, despite being right next to the mirrors.

I can't quite remember, but i know missile and melee attacks are not reflected. Perhaps lasers aren't either?

[keith.lamothe]

It looks like shot reflection is broken, we were attacked by a horde of zenith mirrors, and none of the shots from our teleporting battle stations or laser gattlings were reflected back at us, despite being right next to the mirrors.

Yep, found the bug just now, thanks.

[Alex Heartnet]

If we can load starships into transports now, does that mean we can load other things as well, that we couldn't before?  Like the Advanced Science Lab?

The advanced science lab is the slowest science lab, but it also has a good deal of HP and can collect knowledge in systems that are out of supply.  Normally its speed of 8 is too slow to do this, but you could pack it into a transport (along with warships to provide cover), send the transport to a planet just out of your supply, and do knowledge raiding that way in a system where it would normally not be possible.  Transport loses some HP, sure, but it still has 2/3 of its health left.  (Bring alone spare, empty transports if you think you might lose a few to AI warships)

[x4000]

That's why the advanced research station can't be put in transports, it's waaay to exploitative.

[Kjara]

Pretty sure ARS's can't get knowledge in planets out of supply(if they can, is that a recent change?).  That being said, its still a great knowledge raider for the planets near where you first got it.  Dunno if I want them to be able to be put in transports, once you got 2 or 3 of them you wouldn't bother with normal science vessels at all.

Oh look, I got ninja'ed by chris.

[RCIX]

What about MRSes though? it would be great seeing as it's a quasi-starship....

[x4000]

What about MRSes though? it would be great seeing as it's a quasi-starship....

Good point, that would certainly contribute to their usefulness.

[x4000]

New version now out: http://arcengames.com/forums/index.php/topic,4906.msg34089.html#msg34089

[Alex Heartnet]

If we can load starships into transports now, does that mean we can load other things as well, that we couldn't before?  Like the Advanced Science Lab?

The advanced science lab is the slowest science lab, but it also has a good deal of HP and can collect knowledge in systems that are out of supply.  Normally its speed of 8 is too slow to do this, but you could pack it into a transport (along with warships to provide cover), send the transport to a planet just out of your supply, and do knowledge raiding that way in a system where it would normally not be possible.  Transport loses some HP, sure, but it still has 2/3 of its health left.  (Bring alone spare, empty transports if you think you might lose a few to AI warships)

Just tested this myself.  No, the Adv. science lab cannot enter a transport.  It CAN collect knowledge in a planet out of supply!  But, it does not appear to be able to do so if under attack.

[Kjara]

Interesting.  Well combine those with the new scout starships and a decent fleet and we have deep knowledge raiding alive again .