Armoured Mines, is this design to strong?

[HsojVvad]

I am only in the first few years of the game and when pirates attack me, they are either single escorts or cruisers or 2. I made an armoured mine. I put in 3 armour, and 3 shields 3 Maxos Blasters and 3 Epsilon Torpedos. This seems to work alot and I don't need to send in my fleet to take care of the pirates.

But is this too strong or is it because pirates are weak right now, and if an enemy race comes along, they will be stronger equipped to take the mines out?

[taltamir]

its because pirates are weak right now... but it still not a bad idea at all to include weapons on your mines.

[Kamonrius]

Pirates get stronger when they affiliate themselves with other empires..so it would be well thought to keep your armoured mines armoured

[HsojVvad]

Thanks for the feedback guys. I thought this was an exploit, but then I realized, I am paying about $300 more in maintence costs that a regular mine. So if I have to many of them, I am really paying for them big time.

[Cindar]

I've successfully (and easily) played a game where I did nothing but arm every single mine, space port, transport, luxury liner, and other ships to the teeth. We're talking small transports that can outshoot capital ships (and are configured to do so) and every station having over 9000 shields and at least 500 firepower. Costs a lot, but your defense is nigh impenetrable, which lets you focus all of your time and forces only on attack.

[freeboy]

how do you use  a mine? how does it move? Is it manned? like a staion? It sounds like it is an unmanned device... made by a space port? constructor ship ? other?

[Conflictx]

He's talking about an armoured and armed, (gas) mining station.

[taltamir]

ORIGINAL: freeboy

how do you use  a mine? how does it move? Is it manned? like a staion? It sounds like it is an unmanned device... made by a space port? constructor ship ? other?

a mine as in, mining minerals and gas... not as in "a device that explodes"
you build mines on planets to get their resources... the AI builds it automatically if you let it.

[freeboy]

DOH! right, I know there are unlockable stuff, as well as tech advances.. so I heard "minefield.. orbital defensive mines LOL!

[FerretStyle]

Sounds like you got weak mining bases. Could deal with one pirate but two at a time would probably kill it.

ORIGINAL: Cindar

I've successfully (and easily) played a game where I did nothing but arm every single mine, space port, transport, luxury liner, and other ships to the teeth. We're talking small transports that can outshoot capital ships (and are configured to do so) and every station having over 9000 shields and at least 500 firepower. Costs a lot, but your defense is nigh impenetrable, which lets you focus all of your time and forces only on attack.

Oh my god, how many trips did your constructors take to build those? [:D]

[Resan]

Wouldn't bases and ships like that bankrupt the private sector? Feel like it should...

I just give my mines heavy shielding, but still far from 9k shield. More like 1600 or so.

[JonathanStrange]

If one can afford it but it seems inefficient;shielding though sounds better. Survivability until the cavalry arrives.

[Cindar]

ORIGINAL: FerretStyle

Oh my god, how many trips did your constructors take to build those? [:D]

Doesn't seem like much difference really, they do it in one trip (my constructors are also a bit bigger, though). It only about doubles the overall cost of each mine, makes them invulnerable to pirate attacks and lets them seriously damage any mid size fleet that comes knocking. The advantage is that you can put them in high risk / high reward territories, so it pays for itself. I also have each of them loaded up with extra extractors above the default, so they bring in more of the resources.

It's the space ports that cost a pretty penny. My current large design has over 9000 shields, 1.5k armor and 2.5k firepower (all in 720 range torpedoes). Costs nearly 10k to maintain, but as long as I'm only building 1 per major system my income stays fine (currently around 300k). I do include medical and recreational facilities on all of them, though, and the small ones are pretty light weight and built everywhere.

[HsojVvad]

The reason I have 3 of each, is because the base picture has 3 prongs on it. So it's one per prong. Do you think I should have less to begin with?

[taltamir]

the picture has nothing to do with the base. only the components... optimize their values based on their value...

also, logically 1 armor plating means an armor plating covering the WHOLE base at thickness 1u (u is an arbitrary unit).. 3 armor platings means 3u thickness.

[HsojVvad]

Well I like them so far. Since I am paying in maintenance fees, I think it's worth it. In my other games, I keep loosing ships so I loose in maitencance fees and the cost to make those ships, so I find it better just to pay the fees for the mines only. At least they last longer. For now that is.

[Wade1000]

To improve game AI, any design that is adpated by players and is very beneficial should be used by opponent AI's also.