Preventing Probes

[22turbo]

I just recently started playing again after months of not playing so I forgot some of the strategies. I'm playing a game on Transcend difficulty and was winning it well into midgame until the Pirates started taking over my bases with probe teams. (IMHO way overpowered - they waltzed in and took a huge base with 3 wonders in it with a single probe team dropped on the coast all in one turn). Other than surrounding your base so they can't physically get to it is there a defense against this? I know about the H/S Alg that helps against probes but I got beat making it this game. Thanks in advance for any help on the matter.

[Rex Little]

Probes in your base defend against attacking probes. BTW, Hunter-Seeker doesn't just help against probes, it completely neutralizes them.

[NorthSwordsman]

Only in SMAC. In SMAC/X, if the probe team in question has the Algorythimic (however it's spelled, lol) enhancement, the HSA is pretty much useless. Just send in 3 or 4 probes with the enhancement, your base is toast. Just stick a defensive probe or two in there, that will help.

[mrdynamic]

Keep 2 of your own probes on alert in all of your bases to fend off enemy probes. 2 in each base also allows backup units for nearby bases under attack. Probes dont count against you for support minerals either. Then you can buy enemy unit also when your bases are under attack.

[22turbo]

Thanks guys... quick question about the defensive probes. Do they need to be sentried(L) or held(H) specifically or doesn't it matter? Thanks for the quick replies. I love this forum!

[Rex Little]

At least in SMAC, it doesn't matter; the probe just has to be in the base. If that changed in SMACX, someone else will have to tell you.

[NorthSwordsman]

Nope, it's the same in smacx as in smac. Doesn't make a bit of difference. Just setting it on alert wakes it up whenever ANYTHING gets close enough. Wish I could use one on needletjets.

[mrdynamic]

I always set it on alert 'cause sometimes the enemy probe will run out of moves right next to your base. Then your probe will attack automatically. It usually better to attack 1st to win.

[Rex Little]

If the enemy probe stops right next to your base, isn't it better to attack it with some other unit that's in the base (I assume you aren't defending it with just probes)? It's an automatic win, whereas you could lose a probe-vs.-probe battle.

[mrdynamic]

well, thats just to easy and obvious .....

[NorthSwordsman]

Rex, yep. Unless you have an infantry based probe in your base (if you have a regular military unit, that probe isn't doing much good being armored anyways), wipe it out.

If you have an infantry based probe in the base (only use armored infantry probes alone... if you lump it with a military unit, it's worthless as an armored unit...), use a rover or other such unit to take it out.

By the same token, if you use an interlocking defense (read Vel's postings on "creating synergy..." elsewhere around here), you should be able to get that probe before it even gets to one of your cities. If it pops up outta nowhere, chuck it out the door the hard way.

[Method]

ha ha ha! my bases are immune! i'm the pirates and the AI doesn't use sea probes!

also whilst we're on the topic of probes, howcome the AI probes don't have the little coloured square on them like the rest of the units that tells you what faction they are. ever since i got smac v/4.0 i havn't seen square things on any probes other than my own. same with smax v/2.0.

and on a completely unrelated topic(well almost completely) in the scenario with santiago yang and miriam where you have to kill yang as santiago, the native life and probes are screwed up. as in the images are different. e.g. the locusts are just grey swirls.

[EtheMind]

Try MP for some challenge. Pirates = easy victory in AI games. Not that it's your fault. AI is stupid anyway.

And don't worry about unflagged probes. That's how it's suppose to be, at least, according to Firaxis, and I agree. Probes usually don't wear flags indicating their ideological commitment while in covert operations.

[RedFred]

Other probe basics:

For defensive probes, go to the design workshop and whip up a single movement probe to save some build time or cost.

If unaccompanied by a probe team, make sure that your attacking force is always stacked to prevent subversion.

Your HQ cannot be subverted. Something to think about when you start building wonders and don't yet have defensive probes.

AI probe teams tend to follow certain paths. Part of the battle is to figure out where they will most likely come from.

Sensor arrays and a conventional unit with a rover chassis or faster will round out your defense. No sense risking a probe to probe battle if you don't have to.

In SMACX, in theory the HSA doesn't provide complete protection by late game. In practice, in my experience the AI will not subvert you even if it does get the tech for algorithmic enhancement. No reason that the AI should get that far in the tech tree unless you are feeding them the tech anyhow.

[EtheMind]

For defensive probes, go to the design workshop and whip up a single movement probe to save some build time...

Considering the attack is the best defense I'm not sure how well would this work. When probing invading enemy units, or probes incase you don't have possibility to use conventional units those movement points come into use.

This could be a good deal in the very early game when even building a probe takes forever and you have little chance to make an offense with the probes having no established transportation system or elite units. I still don't see much application in AI game unless you are seriously dangered by Datajack, in MP game this could work well.