Thoughts on the Firepower Statistic

[Sunshine!]

Right now, Firepower is some arbitrary measure that nobody is sure how to calculate.  I propose normalizing it against unit caps, since there's an assumption that units have a certain balance of firepower at their caps.  This will be adjusted by mark level.

A mark 1 fighter, bomber, frigate, or any other ship with cap 98 at mk1 will be normalized to 1 firepower.  Higher mark ships will multiply their firepower by their mark level, so a mark 5 fighter will show up as 5 firepower.

Ships with a cap different than 98 will divide standard cap (98) by their cap, so deflector drones will show up as something like 2/5 of a unit of firepower each, so a mark 5 deflector drone will show up as 2 units of firepower.  Stealth Battleships (I believe their mk1 cap is something like 5?) will show up as 20 units of firepower, with mk5 showing up as 100 units of firepower.

In fleet engagements, this will allow players to more accurately gauge just how dangerous an enemy force is, since it's normalized to if a player were facing a certain number of mk1 fighters, bombers, and frigates.  The typical mk5 force will show up as 5 times more dangerous than the typical mark 1 force - which is exactly how much more dangerous it is, since damage, armor, and hitpoints are all scaled by (mark 1 stat)*(ship mark).

Starships will probably show up as 50 firepower * mark, spirecraft 200 or 250* mark, and golems something like 1500.

[x4000]

The whole point of firepower is that it's giving a representation of complex firepower, taking in a bunch of factors.  Making it more normalized would make it utterly useless to the AI, though it would be potentially more useful for players.  But rather a different sort of number.

My grand plans of making firepower of central importance to the player in the game are definitely gone -- it's a very side, small piece of info now.  But the accurate and appropriate valuables on this are critical for good AI decision making, so it's very important to the game itself still.

[TechSY730]

The whole point of firepower is that it's giving a representation of complex firepower, taking in a bunch of factors.  Making it more normalized would make it utterly useless to the AI, though it would be potentially more useful for players.  But rather a different sort of number.

My grand plans of making firepower of central importance to the player in the game are definitely gone -- it's a very side, small piece of info now.  But the accurate and appropriate valuables on this are critical for good AI decision making, so it's very important to the game itself still.

If it makes you feel any better, I still prefer to use firepower displays over ship counts. It really helps me distinguish at a glance when there are 100 Mk. I ships freed, or 100 Mk. IV ships freed. 

Also, it's nifty to get at a glance how well armed a planet is, without having to look up what types of ships are on there. How I would respond to 200 Mk. IV laser gattlings on a planet is much different than I would deal with 10 Mk. IV blade spawners, 20 Mk. IV Electric bombers, 10 Mk. IV Guardians, and 60 Mk. IV of various triangle ships. Despite having the same ship count, it is clear I should view those two forces very differently. 

[x4000]

Well, that's good to hear it's still of some use in the interface.  It's just very much one type of utility and not any other, I suppose.

[Shrugging Khan]

Hive Golems have about 50k of Firepower. It makes the interface hard to use :/

[TechSY730]

Hive Golems have about 50k of Firepower. It makes the interface hard to use :/

Is that when they are empty, or have a full stock of...whatever it is the they spawn ready?

[Shrugging Khan]

I have no idea. I think the number was something like 50000(25000), but sue me 

[TechSY730]

I have no idea. I think the number was something like 50000(25000), but sue me 

Hmm, does anyone know the firepower rating of the things the hive golem spawns?

In any case, if a fully stocked hive golem can reach 25000 firepower, that is a little overpowered, even for a golem. Either the things they spawn need to be nerfed, or the hive golem needs have a lower cap of them.

[BobTheJanitor]

Golem firepower ratings are off the charts, but that's there for the AI to determine that they shouldn't attack the planet, not really for anything else. Saying that the golem needs to be nerfed based on what would be an internal statistic hidden from players in any other game but this one just doesn't make sense.

[Shrugging Khan]

It's just a little exploitable, since you can move the golem to another system, promptly have all the AI waiting on the other side of a wormhole go in, then bring the golem back and turn them all into zombies. Wash rinse repeat, several thousand servant patrols with no danger whatsoever to oneself.

[BobTheJanitor]

It's just a little exploitable, since you can move the golem to another system, promptly have all the AI waiting on the other side of a wormhole go in, then bring the golem back and turn them all into zombies. Wash rinse repeat, several thousand servant patrols with no danger whatsoever to oneself.

That's separate from the firepower rating though. I mean whether it was firepower of 100 or 100,000 you can still try to lure the AI in from one world to the next by moving your firepower off. And a botnet golem with only a modicum of other support can already wipe out worlds. No wormhole trickery needed.

[Rainbow]

I actually use it also for things like keeping track of where my raid starships are.  Each mk1 raid starship is 6 firepower (at least if it hasn't changed since the last time I played), so if I have 18 firepower of starships on a planet, there they are..