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The Land Transport, long championed by Ogie Oglethorpe, has never caught on with the greater SMAC(X) Community, primarily because a) the unit is restricted in movement by -1, and b) the AI never used the units well.
After much experimentation I have come up with a version that is very useful, both to the AIs as well as human players. The following is the form as I have entered it into the #UNITS Section of the alpha(x).txt file:
Troop Transport Mk1, Speeder, Laser, Synthmetal, 1, 0, 1, Mobile, -1, 000000000000000000000000
AI Observations
1) In the hands of the AI this unit works much better now (as opposed to other versions where the "Weapon" is the transport module) because this unit is given the "Combat" Plan, as well as an offensive weapon. This then means the AI will direct the unit to wherever combat is occuring. And if the unit encounters another non-transport unit along the way, then because this unit has the ability to "carry" one unit, it will then transport the unit along with it. If the Land Transport doesn't encounter any units on the way to the front, then the AI utilizes the Land Transport as it would a regular Combat Rover. Finally, because the unit isn't categorized as a "Land Transport" by the game (it considers it an offensive unit), then it is not inhibted by the -1 movement penalty!
2) There is an algorhythm that governs AI unit movement that goes something like this:
- if an AI unit is in sleep mode (such as a unit on a transport) and its movement comes before the transport, then the AI will pass that unit over for movement for the remainder of the turn, even if the transport then places the unit next to an attackable target.
- if the transport moves first and it stops next to an attackable target, then the AI units in sleep mode will be awakened and will be able to attack that turn.
Thus sometimes you will see an AI controlled Land Transport appear beside a base, but the unit its carrying won't attack. Other times it will.
Paradox?
If a Land Transport attacks something and the transport is destroyed, the unit it is carrying is destroyed as well. However if the Land Transport is attacked and destroyed, then the unit it was carrying will not be destroyed.
Land Transports and the "Cost" function
The AI loves to build cheap units, and will select these over more expensive units. However because transports can't carry transports, the AI then tends to create a glut of transports and not enough units to be carried by the transports. Thus it is better to "cheapen" a different combat unit that isn't a transport.
Land Transports versus map size
A unit that can move two squares and carry an additional unit is significantly overpowered on Small and Tiny maps (this is probably the reason that the developers gave the -1 movement to land transports in the first place). On Large and Huge maps this is probably more in line with being a balanced unit for the environment.
What tech to associate Land Transports with?
This is a very good and tough question. The unit I posted above is from a scenario where I am trying to tempt human players away from the traditional beeline to Ind Auto, so having a Laser Synthmetal unit (i.e. abilities associated with other Level One techs) is simply additional enticement, and is not very realistic for a balanced unit in the early game. Perhaps make the unit a 4/2/2 (cargo 1) available at Nonlinear Mathematics?
D
After much experimentation I have come up with a version that is very useful, both to the AIs as well as human players. The following is the form as I have entered it into the #UNITS Section of the alpha(x).txt file:
Troop Transport Mk1, Speeder, Laser, Synthmetal, 1, 0, 1, Mobile, -1, 000000000000000000000000
AI Observations
1) In the hands of the AI this unit works much better now (as opposed to other versions where the "Weapon" is the transport module) because this unit is given the "Combat" Plan, as well as an offensive weapon. This then means the AI will direct the unit to wherever combat is occuring. And if the unit encounters another non-transport unit along the way, then because this unit has the ability to "carry" one unit, it will then transport the unit along with it. If the Land Transport doesn't encounter any units on the way to the front, then the AI utilizes the Land Transport as it would a regular Combat Rover. Finally, because the unit isn't categorized as a "Land Transport" by the game (it considers it an offensive unit), then it is not inhibted by the -1 movement penalty!
2) There is an algorhythm that governs AI unit movement that goes something like this:
- if an AI unit is in sleep mode (such as a unit on a transport) and its movement comes before the transport, then the AI will pass that unit over for movement for the remainder of the turn, even if the transport then places the unit next to an attackable target.
- if the transport moves first and it stops next to an attackable target, then the AI units in sleep mode will be awakened and will be able to attack that turn.
Thus sometimes you will see an AI controlled Land Transport appear beside a base, but the unit its carrying won't attack. Other times it will.
Paradox?
If a Land Transport attacks something and the transport is destroyed, the unit it is carrying is destroyed as well. However if the Land Transport is attacked and destroyed, then the unit it was carrying will not be destroyed.
Land Transports and the "Cost" function
The AI loves to build cheap units, and will select these over more expensive units. However because transports can't carry transports, the AI then tends to create a glut of transports and not enough units to be carried by the transports. Thus it is better to "cheapen" a different combat unit that isn't a transport.
Land Transports versus map size
A unit that can move two squares and carry an additional unit is significantly overpowered on Small and Tiny maps (this is probably the reason that the developers gave the -1 movement to land transports in the first place). On Large and Huge maps this is probably more in line with being a balanced unit for the environment.
What tech to associate Land Transports with?
This is a very good and tough question. The unit I posted above is from a scenario where I am trying to tempt human players away from the traditional beeline to Ind Auto, so having a Laser Synthmetal unit (i.e. abilities associated with other Level One techs) is simply additional enticement, and is not very realistic for a balanced unit in the early game. Perhaps make the unit a 4/2/2 (cargo 1) available at Nonlinear Mathematics?
D
Anyways, bwe interesting to see if we can make this a reality, eh?
). Units do lose their movement points after hitching a ride on a drop transport. Regardless, this still makes the drop transports good units to move non-drop defenders from base to base.
And of course since the game doesn't allow you to drop units where enemy units are already positioned, then this is a good intel gathering tool as well.
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