What custom units do you use?

[Jasonian]

The design workshop is fun. What custom units do you make for yourself on a regular basis?

I make foil/destroyer probe teams, which make no logical sense at all (a ship that slips into a base and steals tech?!), but are still effective. Foils cost 40 and are easier to rush, but Destroyers can handle long-range missions easier.

I also make supply foils, and send them out to special resources in the ocean to collect. Occasionally the AI or a sealurk destroys them, but they're cheap so it's allright.


What about YOU? What do you make that the autodesigner doesn't?

[Googlie]

Jasonian:

You can add supply foils to the predesigned units list, and the AI will actually build them (altho less often than it builds regular supply crawlers)

G.

[Misotu]

Googlie, which file do you do that in? (Apologies for the ignorance )

Can I do it so that it only applies to a scenario?

[Misotu]

Jasonian, just to answer the original topic

I build quite a few custom units. The two key ones I build - apart from the ones you've already mentioned are:
Supply needlejets, specifically for rushing secret projects.
Drop scouts - dirt cheap and upgradeable.

[Sarxis]

I don't use the auto-design feature at all. The one unit that I don't use alot, but really like is land transport- either on an infantry chassis or rover. They come in handy as defense units, and you can put defensive special abilities on them, while keeping their 'hidden surprises' purely offensive. This helps to keep your offensive force mobile while retaining attack initiative. A neat special to put on land transports is Drop Pods: their cargo won't be damaged, but both units end their turns after being dropped, meaning they cannot move or attack. However, combined with orbital insertion ability, this can still be a fierce combo.
[This message has been edited by Anunikoba (edited January 23, 2001).]

[Googlie]

Mis:

It;s the alpha.txt and alphax.txt itself that needs editing

Change the alpha.txt and alphax.txt as follows:

Add this line to the #UNITS list (p12 of Alphax.txt):

Foil Supply, Foil, Supply, Scout, 10, 0, 0, IndAuto,DocFlex, - 1, 00000000000000000000000000

As well, the # units (23) needs to be changed to 24 in the text.

And to be honest, I don't really know how scemarios are affected. Formal scenarios, with their scenario files (eg battle for the Boreholes) carry with them their own alpha.txt But if you create, e.g. a PBEM game as a scenario, I don't know if your .txt version is the overriding one or not.

Interesting test will be to see if in any joint games the AI in my turn builds a foil supply and if it appears on your map on your turn (as I aid in the other post re locusts, the preassigned graphics suck)

I'll e-mail you a copy of my alpha.txt so that you can compare the changes.

G.

[Blunderdog]

I added a foil supply and a foil probe team to my alphax.txt. Unfortunately, the AI doesn't seem to want to make use of these swell new units. Haven't caught sight of an AI trawler yet, but I have seen a few foil probes (Angels and Usurpers).

Hmm, maybe I should try a game with Morgan in it, as the AI actually seems to use probe teams with that faction.

[Sprayber]

I create foil probe team, rover probe team, and the foil supply. I usually rename them Sea harvesters, just to be different. Sometimes I experiment with different types of transport. Play around with different abilities and different chassies. I really love the ability to customize my units like that.

Anunikoba-I'm going to try your unit the next time I play. I must say I never really thought of putting drop pods on a land transport.

Googlie-I keep meaning to change the alpha text to include the foil supply but I just never get around to it so I end up going into the workshop to do it.

[DogberryMan]

Have any of you ever tried to use Gravship transports? I built one, and it regestered as having one empty slot, but I couldn't get any units to board it. Maby it has to be an air unit hmm...well just wondered if any of you had any experience with this.

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"Are you good men and true?" Much Ado About Nothing, Act III, Scene III

[Jasonian]

The AI will build foil probes and supplys? That's simply awesome! I think I'll add them right away! (and maybe give the Pirates a free supply foil)

On another note, has anyone turned on the ability "Heavy Transport." I know the thing works, so why do you think Firaxis left it off? And why aren't antigrav struts allowed on jets when the manual says that they are? Why why why?!

Another unit: drop probe teams with synthmental. The synthemetal makes them "combat units", so they can drop within enemy zones of control, making them ideal for quick operations.

[Googlie]

Sprayber:

The advantage of putting it into the alpha.txt is that the AI will occasionally build them too.

Blunderdog:

Did you remember to actually change the number of units from 23? If you didn't, the .exe will only read the first 23 of the (25?) that you actually have .txt lines for

[Skanderbeg]

one of my favorites:

Mosquito: hand weapon nor armor gravship.

Pretty cheap and very useful: Very mobile, can kill formers, crawlers and even your enemies best weapon nor armor rovers, destroy terraforming enhacements, hunt native life - and can be upgraded to the really nasty things.

[Myronides]

I also use all the above, and drop defenders as well. Sometimes I only use chopers to empty an enemy base and then drop some defending units to take it over, and save the energy of rush-building a defensive unit in it next turn.

Googlie and Misotu: I 'd expect you to share a few more original ideas that you surely have in this thread. Come on, you being such experienced players, you can afford to tell us a few of your secrets

[Blunderdog]

Yup, I did. I also learned to put the new units at the END of the list, not in the middle. Doing it the wrong way gives you weird stuff like fungal towers in your headquarters.

quote: Originally posted by Googlie on 01-22-2001 12:11 PM Blunderdog: Did you remember to actually change the number of units from 23? If you didn't, the .exe will only read the first 23 of the (25?) that you actually have .txt lines for

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

My few custom units.

Transports, transports, transports

Not so original: Foil and Crusier transports trance armor configured for pod popping.

Drop transport Armored and tranced. Ideal for popping pods in far away areas (ie. other continents). Load up with a former and drop both then discharge your former to build an airbase. Then pop your pod hopefully yielding an AA (transports make AA finds more likely in my experience). Former completes airbase for your return trip with AA intact.

Chopper transport. Two turns outbound unload a probe team over enemy territory for an otherwise nasty surprise. Range is limitted per turn outbound at but half the normal range. If you decide to suicide your chopper then range is twice the normal range of a chopper (minus one square else you crash).

Late game Drop probe/psi armored for nasty interdiction missions with subversion ability to boot. Especially helpful to have Nueral Empath SP.

More standard units include drop colony pods.

Have even tried clean colony pods for pod booming.

Hmmm scratching my head for a few others....

Og



[This message has been edited by Ogie Oglethorpe (edited January 23, 2001).]