Double fast worm mod!

[DilithiumDad]

In experimenting with the "#UNITS" section of alpha.txt I tried changing the mind worm chassis from "infanty" to "rover", and adding deep radar and ECM ability.

In play testing, this has a number of interesting effects! Typically, a worm will go up next to a base and sit there waiting to be killed. This no longer happens with the mod. They emerge from hiding and attack the same turn! Also, worms will hop off an isle and attack on the same turn without warning!

ECM ability applies to wild worms as well as the ones you breed. This makes them tough to kill with a rover unless you are Green or have Empath ability. Infantry, of course, can still kill the beasts fine, as can air units.

Interestingly, worms are now considered fast units so wild worms or opponent's worms are resistat to attack by your worms! Time for empath jets!

I think this a very good change that could be incorporated in future mods.

[Darsnan]

Re: Double fast worm mod!

Originally posted by DilithiumDad
In experimenting with the "#UNITS" section of alpha.txt I tried changing the mind worm chassis from "infanty" to "rover", and adding deep radar and ECM ability.

In the original version of my "Beta Lyrae" mod I changed the MW and spore launcher chassis to a rover (note that with the Spore Launcher the icon then becomes a rover). And yup, those units were zipping all over the place! However I found the MW units to be overpowering for a Green Faction, what with their moving 6 fungus tiles in one turn (and 9 for Elite units!). I experimented with reducing movement points from 3 to 2 ("simulating" a heavier grav planet), but that just slowed the game down.
What I have done recently, and haven't had a chance to really dig into, is giving the 8th Faction chemical weapons! I've never really been into building units equipped with the chemical weapon special ability so I really can't speak from experience, but I think this has some potential towards creating some real "mischief"!
I've also experimented with giving IoD's and Sealurks the cruiser chassis. This then allows them to disengage when attacked by Foils. Also giving them the Marine Detachment special ability can lead to all sorts of unexpected results! The 8th Faction will never build an 8/4/1 AAA Infantry unit, but I have seen them step of an IoD and attack my bases!

Originally posted by DilithiumDad
In play testing, this has a number of interesting effects! Typically, a worm will go up next to a base and sit there waiting to be killed. This no longer happens with the mod. They emerge from hiding and attack the same turn! Also, worms will hop off an isle and attack on the same turn without warning!

Yup! Badass enough to make Morgan quiver in his snakeskin shoes!

Originally posted by DilithiumDad
ECM ability applies to wild worms as well as the ones you breed. This makes them tough to kill with a rover unless you are Green or have Empath ability. Infantry, of course, can still kill the beasts fine, as can air units.

Right now I'm experimenting on Fungal Towers. I can give them ECM and AAA, but cannot give them arty!

DD: if you are serious about this mod I can ship you the files I've edited to date . It is really a Green mod, but I have done a lot of work with the text files as well. I am all done with the script.txt file, and about 80% done with the interludes.


D

[DilithiumDad]

Spore launcher rovers? Right now I am working on "truboSMAC", a SMAC mod, but when that's perfected I plan to create "turboSMAX". Spore launchers are annoying enough with one move point. If they lose their icon when sped up, that's an excellent reason to leave them alone. Fungal towers with AAA and ECM are formidable enough, I think. I usually use air units to take them out.

Overpowered Green factions? Green factions are too weak in the unmodded format. I have tested Gaians in turbo-SMAC and they are no stronger than the others. Double speed and ECM and deep radar abilities for mind worms, cruiser and AAA and deep radar abilities for isles, and blink and deep radar abilities for locusts just serve to make these decent units compared to conventionals.

Native units are still weak because they are subject to counter-attack, with the counter-attacker having the advantage. Also damaged units are easily destroyed --damaged units fare poorly in psi combat. This means your native can attack and win, but they are toast the next turn. Double speed at least gives them a chance to retreat.

The primary use for native units in turboSMAC multiplayer will be as counter-attack units. If you are the victim of a sneak attack, switch all your bases to breeding mind worms. I lowered the price to two rows of minerals, so even a small base can make one quickly. This will allow you to retake your bases and destroy the invading forces, although you'll need something else to defend your recaptured bases.

[Chaos Theory]

If mind worms

1) Cost two mineral rows
2) Have two movement
3) Resist fast units with ECM, including other native life (meaning ECM becomes ECM + trance)

then as soon as I can make mind worms, they become my garrisons, unless I want Police units. Even late in the game they'd really throw a wrench in chopndrop.

[DilithiumDad]

No, mind worms are still terrible garrisons under this mod, because of the advantage to the attacker in ground psi combat. This is true even though I increased intrinsic base defense from +25% to +50% and increased sensor bonus from +25% to +50%. I had to increase the advnatage of the attacker in psi combat from 3:2 to 7:4 or otherwise Trance units are unbeatable as base garrisons.

I should point out that any psi unit can be taken out by two attackers. First attacker dies, but always does some damage. Damaged defender is then taken out easily.

The differences between conventional and psi combat are fascinating, aren't they!

[Chaos Theory]

Basic odds: 7/4
Sensor odds: 2/3
Base defense odds: 2/3

Against a normal attacker, then, the odds are 28:36, the defender's advantage.

Empath or a high planet rating would tip the balance back towards the attacker, but the morale bonuses from a children's creche (typically ++ for a faction running Wealth) combined with the fact that native life ignores your Morale rating (so it seems) would tend to give the defender the morale edge.

Combine this with the fact that mind worms are cheaper than almost any unit that can attack them in bases (and they win defending against other mind worms when in bases) and you have an excellent garrison.

Now consider that conventional units, even in bases, are unable to survive more than a couple of attacks of equivalent tech level under most circumstances (that is, not AAA + Aerospace + Tachyon vs air) and the fact that mind worms have low staying power doesn't matter.