Space Station With Last Resort Enough?

from Sins Forums

Sometimes, especially when I play the fast expanding TEC Rebels, I just put a space station in a gravity well and upgrade it with Last Resort. Kills entire fleets when it goes pop. Is this a sensible alternative to upgrading the stations armor and weapons? I mean, why do all that when last resort is essentially a small fleet killer? I can see building them for the long haul if I'm TEC-L, but with TEC-R, it's like all I need is a damage soak with a big boom. It especially comes in handy when I've expanded too fast (which tends to happen with TEC-R, especially with Goafan's mod) and I'm not sure if I can defend huge swaths of space. It frees up fleets.

Plus, its not all that expensive, and unless I'm mistaken, the base laser damage is like 100 per second.

 

strategy
9,741 views 11 replies
Reply #1 from Sins Forums Top

I suppose u play vs ai and vs Ai last resort is viable because the Ai is so stupid it always run into starbases.

Anyway vs a human it's only situational and it isn't a viable alternative to fleet.

But I guess if ur playing Sp only it's an ok choice but using starbases vs Ai is lame and boring imho.

Reply #2 from Sins Forums Top

AGainst a smart player you're less likely to kill their fleet with said starbase.  Experienced players get a bit suspicious when you're being defended by a TEC starbases with minimal weapon & hull upgrades(that has "rigged to blow" written all over it).

In this case experienced players will probably just attack the starbases with a  small detachment of their fleet(it won't take a very large detachment to kill a starbases without any weapon/hull upgrades), while their main fleet stands back at a nice safe distance while the small attack squadron forces you to settle for less and press the big red button early.

 

It's rather situational against players because it generally only actually works if they don't expect it- make it obviou and it won't work period.

Multiplicity - Control multiple PCs using one keyboard and mouse
Reply #3 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting bilun, reply 2
AGainst a smart player you're less likely to kill their fleet with said starbase.  Experienced players get a bit suspicious when you're being defended by a TEC starbases with minimal weapon & hull upgrades(that has "rigged to blow" written all over it).

In this case experienced players will probably just attack the starbases with a  small detachment of their fleet(it won't take a very large detachment to kill a starbases without any weapon/hull upgrades), while their main fleet stands back at a nice safe distance while the small attack squadron forces you to settle for less and press the big red button early.

 

It's rather situational against players because it generally only actually works if they don't expect it- make it obviou and it won't work period.

 

Yes, that is quite true.

 

Your only reasonable change against experienced player is to rush it really early..... they might not think about it by that stage of the game....

Reply #4 from Sins Forums Top

Thanks guys.

 

I don't think its so lame against AI. They cheat anyway. Besides, its a smart military tactic. Low cost, high damage.

Reply #5 from Sins Forums Top

I also thought Ai was fine etc but the stimulation you get from playing vs other humans is alot greater. It's more fun and enjoyable because you have to adept alot more. Vs ai U could just put up a starbase where u dont want them to get past and they won't get past it coz they will suecide into it for example.

There are so many downsides with the Ai imo. 

Reply #6 from Sins Forums Top

you can tell if a starbase is 'rigged to blow' by its exp value, which is no longer set, but dependent on upgrades.  You can use some upgrades to fake the exp value into suggesting the existence of big red button, but i dont think you can hide a big red button.

 

Unless 'waiting to upgrade at last second' counts as hiding.

 

in any case. players are not stupid usually.

Reply #7 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting Codexehow, reply 5
Thanks guys.

 

I don't think its so lame against AI. They cheat anyway. Besides, its a smart military tactic. Low cost, high damage.

 

I am not so sure if the crew of your starbase would agree... :P

Reply #8 from Sins Forums Top

Well since only capital ships require crew, I just assumed everything else was ran by robots...or computers...or rabbits...

Reply #9 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting Seleuceia, reply 9
Well since only capital ships require crew, I just assumed everything else was ran by robots...or computers...or rabbits...

 

Naw, just drafted grunts from the nearest friendly world- You know, the same thing they put on frigates.  Capitalship crews are just exceptionally well trained crews capable to utilizing Capital ship's advanced tech-systems.  By contrast for the untrained knuckledraggers that are necessary to run a starbase/frigate are so plentiful that life is cheap- so cheap that the human element isn't even listed as part of the cost.

The only "unmanned" ships in the game as far as I know are Advent strikecraft.

Reply #10 from Sins Forums Top

Well....I'm sure the dem bots aren't piloted by people....

Reply #11 from Sins Forums Top

LOL. No, I solved that. It's quite simple. The engineers do all the work and then retreat back behind the lines. The space station otherwise goes unoccupied. Who would blow up a bunch of soldiers or civilians?!?!!

It's a ruse. No, it wouldn't work often on real people, but it sure is fun watching the AI fleet blow up, and on Vicious, its a welcome advantage because it cheats like a mug.