Matrix Games Forums

ORIGINAL: Kayoz

A few questions:

Tractor beams:

[b]1.[/b] Do tractor beams interfere with hyperspace? Or do you still need a warp disruptor field to stop it? [b]2.[/b] Do tractor beams apply vector force? If, for example, your ship is in front of the other ship, will you be increasing it's speed? [b]2a.[/b] Do ship settings apply, such that the presence of tractor beams in a combat will affect their ability to determine the range of the engagement? What happens if both ships have tractor beams, but different preferred engagement ranges - say, one is armed with blasters and the other with missiles - what happens here? [b]2b.[/b] Does size/thrust of the ships apply? If a tiny escort ship uses a tractor beam on a ship the size of a world destroyer, is it similar to a flea trying to stop a Clydesdale?

*edit*

[b]3.[/b] Are tractor beams "pull" only, or "push/pull"? [b]4.[/b] Do tractors apply to "wildlife"?

Boarding actions:

[b]1.[/b] What influences the number of defending boarding parties? Is it purely based on the number of habitation modules? [b]2.[/b] Do any unused boarding pods of the defender contribute to the defender's force? [b]3.[/b] Do ships with troops loaded benefit from the troops they are carrying?

Tractor Beams

1. If I understand you correctly, a ship that is getting "hit" by Tractor Beams can escape via HyperSpace.
2. I believe so, or even decrease it if the push aspect is being used.
2a. Each level of Tractor Beam has a Range, Pull Power, Rate of Fire, and of course decreasing value per 100 .
2b. I believe this is factored in somehow with the Pull Power rating, but I don't know the details.
3. As Bingeling said, there is Push/Pull.
4. I'm pretty sure I've seen some of my ships pull Kaltors in.

Boarding

1. Each Habitat Module adds a certain amount of Boarding Defense.
- Assault Modules add on top of that, and there are various levels of Assault Pods.
2. I believe Bingeling has this, but there is also a cooling/recharge value too, not sure how that factors.
3. This I don't know.

ORIGINAL: Spacecadet
Boarding

1. Each Habitat Module adds a certain amount of Boarding Defense.
- Assault Modules add on top of that, and there are various levels of Assault Pods.
2. I believe Bingeling has this, but there is also a cooling/recharge value too, not sure how that factors.
3. This I don't know.

On #1, Hab modules, Ready assault pods (that are still on the ship, not launched), Troops on the ship, and Tech
On #2, Yes
On #3, Yes, very much

ORIGINAL: Erik Rutins
On #1, Hab modules, Ready assault pods (that are still on the ship, not launched), Troops on the ship, and Tech

Bugger.

I thought it might be possible to nick a troop ship and take possession of the troops on board - and thus gain the ability to invade planets.

I guess I'll have to go through the laborious process of becoming a planet-controlling empire in the usual manner (it was mentioned that at some point, pirates can fully control planets, allowing them to colonize, invade and such).

Question - can pirate factions acquire colony ships ? (find abandoned one // or perhaps even capture from empire factions) ?

If so can they use it actually start a colony under their faction control and then use it build more colony ships from there ?

ORIGINAL: peddroelm

Question - can pirate factions acquire colony ships ? (find abandoned one // or perhaps even capture from empire factions) ?

If so can they use it actually start a colony under their faction control and then use it build more colony ships from there ?

Ooohhh! Hadn't thought of that - instant pirate colony!

ORIGINAL: peddroelm

Question - can pirate factions acquire colony ships ? (find abandoned one // or perhaps even capture from empire factions) ?

If so can they use it actually start a colony under their faction control and then use it build more colony ships from there ?

They for sure can find them, but I am not sure if they can use them. I killed a pirate colony ship in my AAR, and it appeared to be just 'sitting there'.

ORIGINAL: Bingeling

ORIGINAL: peddroelm

Question - can pirate factions acquire colony ships ? (find abandoned one // or perhaps even capture from empire factions) ?

If so can they use it actually start a colony under their faction control and then use it build more colony ships from there ?

They for sure can find them, but I am not sure if they can use them. I killed a pirate colony ship in my AAR, and it appeared to be just 'sitting there'.

They can capture them just like any other ship as well.

About tractor beams. I was watching an automated empire quite far into the game (high tech levels). My boys attacked a large spaceport.

They were hanging back, lobbing torpedoes at it (the typical ship setting for stronger target). Not completely parked, one of them edged too much forward. A tractor beam shot out from the spaceport, dragged the cruiser in fast, and annihilated it quickly.

I found that way too cool when watching it [:D]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZseSGsAxpD4

ORIGINAL: Bingeling
A tractor beam shot out from the spaceport, dragged the cruiser in fast, and annihilated it quickly.

Hrmm - I wonder if who wins the tractor contest is determined by size or number of tractor beams? It can't be thrust, as the port has none at all. Perhaps a combination of all?

ORIGINAL: Kayoz

ORIGINAL: Bingeling
A tractor beam shot out from the spaceport, dragged the cruiser in fast, and annihilated it quickly.

Hrmm - I wonder if who wins the tractor contest is determined by size or number of tractor beams? It can't be thrust, as the port has none at all. Perhaps a combination of all?

Thrust would not make sense. They reel stuff in, they don't just drag them along. I figure tractor tech and size matters. There are also two different tractor lines. One is a bit longer range and less powerful.

I must admit that new gizmos (or pirates) is not what I have spent the most time on.

Does race play a part in boarding power.100 Mortalens would be more effective than a 100 Teekans, one would think.

Regarding font size, apart from the option to increase the detail screen size in the lower left, are there other areas where the font size have been increased ?

Just when I thought there were a lot of changes already...the additional details are juicier! Keep 'em coming! [:D]

ORIGINAL: ASHBERY76

Does race play a part in boarding power.100 Mortalens would be more effective than a 100 Teekans, one would think.

I don't think so, but I'm pretty sure it affects Raiding parties on planets, as "Planet Type" is one of the factors used in Force strength calculations.

I haven't played Pirates, but I've been on the receiving end . . . many times [:'(]

ORIGINAL: peddroelm
Question - can pirate factions acquire colony ships ? (find abandoned one // or perhaps even capture from empire factions) ?

If so can they use it actually start a colony under their faction control and then use it build more colony ships from there ?

Yes they can, but pirates don't have the population to completely control a colony without building up to that the hard way. As a pirate, finding a colony ship before you've transitioned to a planetary empire allows you to start a new independent colony whereever you choose. You can start that colony right near your main base and then set about gaining complete control over it, but you don't start out owning it outright the way a planetary empire would.

Regards,

- Erik

ORIGINAL: Bingeling

ORIGINAL: Kayoz

ORIGINAL: Bingeling
A tractor beam shot out from the spaceport, dragged the cruiser in fast, and annihilated it quickly.

Hrmm - I wonder if who wins the tractor contest is determined by size or number of tractor beams? It can't be thrust, as the port has none at all. Perhaps a combination of all?

Thrust would not make sense. They reel stuff in, they don't just drag them along. I figure tractor tech and size matters. There are also two different tractor lines. One is a bit longer range and less powerful.

I must admit that new gizmos (or pirates) is not what I have spent the most time on.

Is there any benefit from having multiple tractor beams on a ship? Or is it like repair modules, in which any past the first only offer benefit in redundancy?

Is there any benefit from having multiple tractor beams on a ship? Or is it like repair modules, in which any past the first only offer benefit in redundancy?

It's redundancy as far as I can tell. When adding more than one to a ship there is no indication that the pulling power stacks.

ORIGINAL: hadberz

Is there any benefit from having multiple tractor beams on a ship? Or is it like repair modules, in which any past the first only offer benefit in redundancy?

It's redundancy as far as I can tell. When adding more than one to a ship there is no indication that the pulling power stacks.

It might make it quicker to fire it a second time (if it uses one at a time), but I have seen ships shoot out multiple Tractor Beams before.

I am confused by gravitic and tractor stuff. So I am not sure if large ship fire many gravitic, or many tractors. But why would they fire gravitic weapons at many targets at once? That makes sense for tractor beams (get the little buggers close).

I had an alien design capital just annihilate some 10-ish destroyers. Drag them close and kill them. Capitals used to be deadly in the early game, but I think escaping was easier.

ORIGINAL: Bingeling

I am confused by gravitic and tractor stuff. So I am not sure if large ship fire many gravitic, or many tractors. But why would they fire gravitic weapons at many targets at once? That makes sense for tractor beams (get the little buggers close).

I had an alien design capital just annihilate some 10-ish destroyers. Drag them close and kill them. Capitals used to be deadly in the early game, but I think escaping was easier.

The Tractor Beams are a lighter Blue, the Gravitic weapons are more a Green/Blue.