Gas - the ultimate probe solution

[Mr. Harley]

I've only just gotten into PBEM this last year. I took over the Pirates in one game, managed to fix an utterly mangled start, and ended up pacted with an adjacent University - it was that or fight it out, and I was being set up to be killed afterwards by the Hive by a fourth player. Typical Kingmaker politics.

Well, I was indecisive and ended up accidently stringing along the set-up (fourth) player, so when I made the pact the University and I did a tech leapfrog, and now we have about a ten year tech lead with air-power and choppers. Here's the problem - note, this is my first PBEM to get this far.

We are operating accross a channel, so transport, etc. is a pain - yes we are using drop troops, but we don't have forever. Plus that fourth player we are conquering is all spread out. The problem is - probe teams, humans use them MUCH better than the AI. The other two players have plenty, and if we do a blitzkreig we can quickly lose our tech advantage. Part of me simply wants to nerve gas everything (something I've only tried once to see how it works), and now I think I'm beginning to understand the reason enemy bases get destroyed in PBEM - enemy probe teams. No city, no vulnerability. Is it just me, or is this a common problem? (note - somehow nerve gassing cities is just creepy, if you know what I mean - sort of like channeling Hitler?)

[Illuminatus]

Re: Gas - the ultimate probe solution

Originally posted by shawnmmcc
(note - somehow nerve gassing cities is just creepy, if you know what I mean - sort of like channeling Hitler?)

This is a game, not reality. You are gassing sprites, not real people.

[Darsnan]

I've only used gas via Probe Teams once in a PBEM, and that only after the UN Charter had been repealed. Essentially Googlie had set up the AI Morgans to corner the Energy Market, and so right after Morgan initiated this why ALL human players agreed that Morgan had to go. I had my probes go in and gas him to oblivian, and then my Very Green Impact Rovers marched right in! (In retrospect its too bad from a CMN's perspective that I didn't get to observe if the AI Morgan would have retaliated in kind, had he been given the chance). However, I had no qualms doing this.
As far as when attacking human players is concerned: I guess I would have to take into account terrain in order to answer your question. Essentially if the terrain is a long penninsula or causeway type landmass (i.e. you don't have to worry about land attacks from every direction) then I think I would be more likely to keep the cities. Conversely, if the landmass is a large spheroid or block of land (or worse, unexoplored by me), then I would probably be more inclined to destroy cities rather than capture them.


D

[GeoModder]

Or else simply let your troops be accompanied by drop probes as well. Don't take over a base unless you are sure you have two surplus probes (drop or otherwise) to move in with the troops.

[Lazerus]

Inferior citizens need to be wiped out and not allowed to dilute the purity of your higher race !

ah it's so much more fun being the bad guy, i love scorched earth

From a purely strategic point of view, even if he does fight you off he'll have lost alot of population and facilities and you'll have guarded your tech lead while at the same time reducing his research capability thus allowing a more swift easier victory in the future so go for it

[Chaos Theory]

I've fought defensive battles in which, even though my opponent destroyed or permanently captured cities, the price was so high I came out ahead. Do this with 3 or more sides, and you really become a poison pill, since whoever attacks you becomes vulnerable to the others.

[Googlie]

GGLIE

[GeoModder]

The... badge... doesn't really fit in with the rest of the picture, Gglie...

[Mr. Harley]

Just for clarification - not gassing the probe teams, gassing entire cities rather than trying to take them when you have the danger of as many as four probe teams ganging up on it the next turn.

[Lazerus]

Yeah we all know what you mean, and thus the answer is still the same, go for it.

[Natalinasmpf]

Nerve gas is a rather decisive thing I use. Its rather horrific, even if it IS just a game. I wiped out entire peninsulas of Usurpers with them, where hordes of size 14 cities once stood, it became all barren of bases, with only the farms and terrain enhancements remaining.

I ended up using it because I needed to eliminate the cities quickly from taking my own, and I couldn't hold the cities, so I ended up gassing them all. The problem is that after a while, the distance started to get longer and longer, but this enabled me to snake a long supply line of an army to take *one* base of size two.

The problem is that they started responding in kind. They ended up mind controlling one of my bases, stealing the plans for a Plasma Nerve Gas Wave Chopper....then using tons of them....

Yes, and everything became barren. The worst part is, I couldn't use the excuse of the UN charter to try to get them to be penalised for all of this when I wanted to stop gassing. And they didn't even get overwhelmed by Planet.

[Lazerus]

hahahaha die human !

Thats the most amusing thing i've heard the AI do in awhile