Drones: Base Defect Ability?

[pangloss]

I seem to remember reading, in the SMAX materials regarding Domai and the Drones, that any base undergoing drone riots on Planet belonging to a rival faction had a chance of joining the Drones... i.e., that there's a certain percentage chance that a University base, for example, will defect to the Free Drone faction whilst in drone riots.
However, I've played the Drones a great deal - and I've never ever seen it happen. Has anyone else? Have I misunderstood the faction description?

-pan*

[sjkane]

I've seen my bases defect to Domai when in drone riots. Only in SP games, though.

[Archaic]

It'll only ever happen if the base has been in riots for more than just 1 turn, so it's not something you'll see very often, if ever, in MP, or even in SP. I only had it happen to me once personally (Size 1 base with the first citizen a drone.), and then only in SP.

[Chowlett]

You will almost never see it happen, because both humans and AI tend to keep their bases out of riots, and correct any riots that do occur one turn later. For a base to defect, as has been posted, the base needs to have rioted for at least two turns.

Btw - Pangloss, good name. I'm chorus in a production of Bernstein's musical adaptation of Candide next week.

Hmm, I suppose it is actually possible it's your real name, so I'll leave the syphilis references out...

[GeneralTacticus]

I've only ever seen it happen when I set up a whole game for the purpose of trying it out. After about 5 turns of rioting a size one base defected to Aki.

[vitamin j]

I've seen this happen once in all my SMAC.

A possible tactic for the Drones would be extensive use of the "incite drone riots" probe ability. Though as others mentioned, it can be nearly impossible to affect bases this way. And by the time the base defected, all the facilities might be destroyed anyway. Alright, nevermind...

[Flubber]

I actually lost a base to another faction in a MP game. I was the drones and had around 60 bases and got sloppy. The size 3 defected to the gaians who was suprised by the event. I simply re-captured the base the next turn but it was quite a shock.

I have wondered if you could do this tactically. You could create a new base and then allow it to go into riot and HOPE is defected so that you could probe your opponents base for infiltration and tech. Its probably too hit and miss to be viable but it would be an interesting thought.

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

Flubber,

I suppose you could but if your in that frame of mind you could always empty the base gift it to the faction in question and then probe and retake to your hearts content.

This tho' SMACs of the terrible base trading bug that unbalanced the game in early versions of the game.

Og

[Flubber]

Ogie

I was thinking of having it go to a human player (even though you have no control over who it defects to). I was aware I could gift a base to the AI but that seemed too easy and its rarely hard to probe the AI in any event. IN SP I would avoid even some of the normal tactics to make the game harder.

I was just curious if anyone thought to attempt this in MP

[Blake]

I've only seen it in IP MP games, where I often played turns very quickly to keep the pace going. Occurances:
One of my large bases defected to AI Drones after being in drone riots for two turns. It took 50% of my crawler fleet with it. I took it back at considerable cost and loss of reputation.
I (pirates) was playing against my friend (pirates), my friend built a base at a disputed base site (where I was about to build a base). This increased tensions considerably. Many turns later when size 7 it defected to me(!), despite my protests that the inhabitants obviously liked my empire better my friend made me give it back. (seeing it was full of drones it was almost more trouble than it was worth, anyway.)

I've also seen one of my bases defect to Miriam (which was darn inconvient because I had very few military units in the area)

[Earwicker]

I've seen it twice - once to Lal and once to Domai.

I play the Drones all the time and have never received a base this way, try as I might. I've watched desired AI bases sit in drone riots for 5 or ten turns (with me helping those buggers along), to no avail.

There might be something in the code along the lines of "bases don't defect to the strongest faction" or "bases don't defect to the human faction".