Enjoyable Basecracking

[F50]

I was blowing up the fortress of the charon pirates and realized that I was really enjoying the battle. Here is why I think that is:

1. My shields were having a hard time taking the hits, requiring me to move.

2. The Fortress of the Charon Pirates has out of depth weapons mounted on the base.

3. The way it was set up, it defended itself against all long-range missiles (bombardment).

4. I could move around (pop in and out) without having my shields (S500) burst too quickly.

Many late-game bases don't have weapons at all despite their massive hp. So why not make bases pack a punch, so to speak? Sitting on a base on autopilot is not fun. The Kobol bases are a nice late-game and non-unique example of this. Unless you have particle reflect they will hit hard at long range and close up unless the target is moving around (eg. circling). I would like more bases to be like this and every light-armed base to be more like this.

[(name here)]

Eh, the fortress and the warlords are just way too well armed, I fear the Kobol with anything i bring against them except for an over enhanced veil. The fortress is the same, with the added bonus of a massive support fleet and more range than every other weapon in the game.

[F50]

Learn the art of circling to reduce damage...Really, it should be *tough* to destroy bases. The weak armament at Ranx Fortresses is so poor it is laughable. Uneven circling should reduce the amount of damage you take so you can survive ten seconds to get some shots in and then use the slalom technique to dodge while regaining shields. While the Kobols armament even with scaling is somewhat more dangerous than the Charon fortress, the kobols are xenophobic (they shoot anything that comes near, say that group of particle resistant luminous drones that you have been leading around for the past minute or so).

[(name here)]

Learn the diffrence between "tough" and "I'm glad i only have to do this once." Not everyone likes Omni weapons. Or needing over normal for level shields to beat an opponent.

[F50]

But kobol camps don't have much hp. And really they are not that hard. You just have to move around (which is the whole point, sitting in one place is boring).

Give howitzers to the more resilient bases to muck up long-range blasting and a powerful, short range weapon that imparts great momentum to ward off base-campers. Not all have to be as strong as the kobols but I want to have to keep on my toes.

I generally don't use omni weapons myself. The last time I used an omni weapon extensively was when I got an Omni-TeV early before I got a Katana. The next most recent was the IM90. Both of those were the most powerful weapons at the time even without their omni-ness.

Furthermore, you shouldn't be able to defeat *everything* you come across.

[(name here)]

Even with the veil? It's annoying because you need gear that is unfindable when you meet them, and for a while after, in order to beat them. This is also why i hate slave camps and heliotropes.

[dvlenk6]

I think the base should be at least twice as powerful as any ship that is defending it. At least as long as you can simply sit on top of an unarmed base and fire at will until it is destroyed (that is the biggest, IMO, exploit in the game right now).
The Fortress of the Charon Pirates seems about right to me. It's tough, but not impossible, to beat.
Isn't it realistic that a 'fortress' has numerous and powerful weapons to defend itself?
If it doesn't, then it isn't really a fortress.

If the defending ships could hit you while you are sitting on the base, then it would be not needed to have heavy armament on the base itself. The base could be defended by the ships, which it can't be now unless the ships have the tag to not hit friendlies. I don't like that tag; but it is the only way to let the bases a chance. Otherwise they are just sitting ducks.

As for forcing certain set ups on the player...
It doesn't. There is nothing saying that you have to kill the base to progress in the game; but the loot does help. So you should have to work for it, instead of it being a given that almost any base can be easily (risk-free) destroyed.

[OddBob]

I'm of the opinion that bases should hit hard, and be hard to approach, but destroy fairly easy once you get there. There should be minefields, turrets, or patrolling ships to keep you from getting in visual range but once you do there is no reason to sit on autopilot.

I also like the idea of powerful (or numerous) short range weapons to keep you off the base. I also believe that a station should be transparent to the shots of it's own defenders.

[(name here)]

I supported that idea every time it's come up, however the fortress is not my idea of fun. the bases should not be like that.

[F50]

If I have time I may mod weapons onto bases. One question though, Is there any way to make universally force imparting weapons (that is weapons that impart momentum to anything they hit) that impart lots of force without dealing much damage?

[Fossaman]

damage="kinetic: 1; momentum9"

Momentum is completely seperate from the actual damage dealt.

I too enjoy the Charon pirate fortress.

I think lots and lots of turrets with momentum weapons could be interesting. Area weapons could also be fun, as could 'tripline' weapons that EMP you as you cross them, or something. Anyway, traps, mines, turrets, and patrolling ships are the way to go.

[F50]

Can momentum9 be increased without bound? Do you know offhand how much force is momentum9 in comparison to the wolfen's thrust (experimenting with this should be easy if you don't)?

[(name here)]

Momentum9 is, I believe, the highest possibility.

[F50]

After some testing I have found the game responds to numbers as high as momentum999. momentum1000 doesn't generate an error but doesn't do anything either. You can get an effect similar to larger numbers for bases only simply by putting more of them. Since the projectiles end up right on top of each other, the effect is greater. I have worked a small mod with a number of momentum cannons and put one on the charon pirate outpost for testing (guaranteed one right at the beginning of the game). it isn't much use to the player until you make something with a decent range though. right now it just pushes you to where the defending ships would be able to hit you. I should have a working (but possibly incomplete) mod my next free (ish) weekend.

[F50]

Is there any way to impart negative momentum? (such as a tractor instead of a pressor)