Native life forms

[Kirov]

Is it possible to hit wild Mind Worm with Planet Buster?
One can then nuke even pactmates...

[Main_Brain]

you cant use Missiles in pactmates/neutrals territory I thnik at least you cant with Tectonic/FungusMissiles

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

Originally posted by Main_Brain
you cant use Missiles in pactmates/neutrals territory I thnik at least you cant with Tectonic/FungusMissiles

Not quite true. I've detonated a planet buster in my own territory moving the cursor too fast across a patch of fungus that was hiding a worm.

The same could happen for planet controlled natives in a pact mate or treatied territory.

The mere use of the planet buster caused all factions to vendetta against me in the above case. I wipe something like 4 bases each complete with infrastructure and the majority of SP's. Planet rape ensued. It wasn't a pretty sight.

[Mongoose]

LOL @ Ogie!

You gotsa be VERY careful when moving PBs! Didn't you have confirm odds on? Or doesn't that apply to PBs and/or native life?

[Earwicker]

Originally posted by Mongoose
LOL @ Ogie!

You gotsa be VERY careful when moving PBs! Didn't you have confirm odds on? Or doesn't that apply to PBs and/or native life?

It's been a long time since I've launched a PB, but don't think there's a confirm odds window beforehand. I would love to see the odds if there were (annihilation: 1). Or maybe a 50's style fail safe: "You are about to wreak an untold hurtin' on somebody. Continue?"

Or a voiceover "It's not nice to fool mother nature."

[Straybow]

Hmmm, never thought to release worms that way… must ponder. I have thought of releasing a supported worm/IoD in territory close to another faction and attempting a recapture to create a support-free unit.

[johndmuller]

If you are playing the PlanetCult, the NL units serve as police - i.e., an otherwise pretty useless independent green Spore Launcher that you captured will pacify two drones for free, assuming you can use police.

It is possible to pick up a reasonably large supply of NL (along with some spare change) simply by cruising the fungus with MWs with very little little risk. You have to be a little more careful at sea, since IIRC, the wild IoDs will attack your domesticated IoDs, unlike the wild MWs. I believe that it is necessary to have at least 1 turn of movement remaining for a unit to make a capture attempt, so it is sometimes necessary to spend some time 'herding' wild NL around so that you have that full MP available - sometimes it helps to have a rover around too, but they are subject to attack and need to go to a base or monolith to get fully healed, unlike the MWs and other NL, which can get fully healed in fungus.

I have heard that having a NL unit in your base will insulate it from the nasty population hit of a nerve gas attack, but I try not to let things come to that, so I have not had direct experience of that effect .

Probably most people already know this, but I didn't see it mentioned - that NL units that would otherwise require support from one of your bases are support free when in fungus.

[Main_Brain]

Planet buster in my own territory

In your Own Territory you can do what you want? :P

[Flubber]

Originally posted by johndmuller I have heard that having a NL unit in your base will insulate it from the nasty population hit of a nerve gas attack, but I try not to let things come to that, so I have not had direct experience of that effect .
.

Its true and better still nerve gas is totally ineffective -- the 50% attack modifier does not work against the worm as the entire battle is determined by psi combat-- its not perfect defence but it can certainly slow down an attcker who might otherwise be taking out 2-3 defenders per chopper

The remainer of Johnd's comments are also totally on the mark-- Native life are a useful addition to an attack force and are best when captured of course

But the one terrible thing about native life is that they are incredibly susceptible to artillery barrage-- So unless the natives have a spore launcher or other arty along, they die easily ( or take such huge damage that they are easily killed by even the lowest moral units)

I used to be a HUGE proponent of the strength of an IOD, figuring that a high morale IOD was about the most survivable ship on the ocean ( not a huge claim given the weakness of SMAC naval power). Then I saw what arty does to them-- ouch !!

[Earwicker]

Originally posted by Straybow
I have thought of releasing a supported worm/IoD in territory close to another faction and attempting a recapture to create a support-free unit.

Ooooh, good plan. Saves the support either way - if you can't recapture, just take the 20-30 EC!

I like leaving spore launchers roaming the fungus to drum up new worms to capture/kill, parked on fungus squares next to formers/ crawlers so that wild worms can't pop up and disrupt my operations. Captured native life is also good to send along as escorts for colony pods, since they can check ahead in the fungus squares.

[Straybow]

Mmmm, planet pearls!

[Main_Brain]

whole economies are based on Pearls