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colony defence

Posted: Mon Aug 28, 2006 3:56 pm
by andrei901
I have a question, Whats better for defending colonies on permas, 125 lasers or a mixture of about 110 lasers and 15 flaks? i know that flaks dont do as much damage, but if you were to put them along the wall, they would repel sliders because of their splash, possibly?

Posted: Mon Aug 28, 2006 4:10 pm
by Crimson
I prefer all lasers by far. They do more damage and fire quicker - they also drain more energy from the target - preventing them from taking the dome as quick.

As for the splash damage of the flaks - maybe it does put off sliders - but when i slide it doesnt matter whether its flaks or lasers - if you can make the slide you can make the slide.

Posted: Mon Aug 28, 2006 4:12 pm
by Mua'Dib
I would much rather slide flaks or part flaks than all lasers.

Posted: Mon Aug 28, 2006 6:01 pm
by DarkLStrike
Mua'Dib wrote:I would much rather slide flaks or part flaks than all lasers.
same

Posted: Mon Aug 28, 2006 7:12 pm
by Nightmare
Only use flaks on rebang.

Nightmare

Posted: Tue Aug 29, 2006 2:36 am
by Manganator
I dont agree. Using 5% flacks on a ring can really improve the life-span of it substaintially against sliders, and it also helps when someone misses the warp. It creates an explosion cloud, so that people dont know which way they are pointed, and where exactly their ship is located.

The exploding sound scares the more timid invaders, and it also shakes the screen somewhat. Sure.. it takes away 5% of your basic firing power (lasers are basically the only thing that does damage), but a small spattering of flacks doesnt hurt.

Posted: Tue Aug 29, 2006 3:08 am
by Relentless
Manganator wrote:I dont agree. Using 5% flacks on a ring can really improve the life-span of it substaintially against sliders, and it also helps when someone misses the warp. It creates an explosion cloud, so that people dont know which way they are pointed, and where exactly their ship is located.

The exploding sound scares the more timid invaders, and it also shakes the screen somewhat. Sure.. it takes away 5% of your basic firing power (lasers are basically the only thing that does damage), but a small spattering of flacks doesnt hurt.
The only person who likes flacks ^

Posted: Tue Aug 29, 2006 10:35 am
by Crosseyed
Flaks can add a little splash to your defense, which can help a little, but lazors simply hit harder (and cause lazor lag!). Ultimately, I'd say the benefit of having a few flaks more or less is matched by the drawbacks of using them instead of lazors, on a ring.

Where flaks REALLY come into their own is "nuke fodder". Some cannons you place on a planet will never meaningfully menace an opponent, they're just there to slow him down. It doesn't matter WHAT you really use since your opponent will simply nuke them. A flak absorbs nukes just as well as a lazor and costs a hell of a lot less.

Posted: Tue Aug 29, 2006 10:37 am
by Furiae
Flaks might possibly lag more...

Posted: Tue Aug 29, 2006 12:47 pm
by Manganator
Relentless wrote:
The only person who likes flacks ^
Everyone uses flacks in the beginning of perms... I quit for a month or so after quitting SD, and that grouping was a fledgling empire. Only a few planets could afford lasers for the rate of expansion I had.

Posted: Tue Aug 29, 2006 3:32 pm
by Ralf the Dog
I like to put a few mines on sliding rutes. Mines are one shot, but very very hard to silde if well placed.

Posted: Tue Aug 29, 2006 7:36 pm
by Genesis
Sliding mines seemed to be a favorite pastime for waffle (or whatever his damn name was before he quit from the atmospheric patch, the best slider I've ever known :cry: ) and it's sad to see that noobs are attempting mine sliding as a career, and evading a mine just to brag about "sliding."

VETS COME BACK WE NEED YOU! WE'RE BEING OUTBRAGGED BY NOOBS!
Mine sliders I knew were, by far, the craziest invaders I've seen... The beauty of the takeover was unimaginable to those who didn't see it.

PERFECT!

I mean, they synchronously moved up the layout, in near-perfect symmetry, dodging mines, flaks, lasers, solars, and bravely taking hits before lodge_01 died... It was soulful invading!

God! Now we have noobs shouting crap to each other and sloppily taking over!


There's no feeling to invading anymore! Why? Why us?!
Lol.

Posted: Tue Aug 29, 2006 10:07 pm
by Nightmare
I still slide colonies everyday but I'm the rebang I love you man!/king so... .

Nightmare

Posted: Tue Aug 29, 2006 10:15 pm
by andrei901
so, 125 lasers seems to be the favorite here... and for the mine ppl, about how many mines should i use for a ring that has the opponent half surrounded?

Posted: Tue Aug 29, 2006 10:20 pm
by Moleman
andrei901 wrote:so, 125 lasers seems to be the favorite here... and for the mine ppl, about how many mines should i use for a ring that has the opponent half surrounded?
Dont mine rings or half rings, makes it too easy

Posted: Tue Aug 29, 2006 10:35 pm
by Genesis
Usually a nice mix of mines near dome, REALLY HIGH supply of lasers, and some flaks to stir up clouds and cause lag and lotsa explosions :twisted:

Plus, if you're on the planet when they're invading, I think your weapons will still work, so you can count as a defense if you're present.

Posted: Tue Aug 29, 2006 11:46 pm
by Manganator
If you're warding off a medium or low invader, mines are great. They shake the screen, and do 1k damage if you run right into it. However, if you get a great invader in that col, they'll blow it up at its farthest range (doing only 300 damage) Blowing up mines also creates a nice hole in defences without having to fire nukes. When I land, there is nothing I like more than to see mines near the dome, or in a ring.

However...! When you're fighting a big war with limited ports, and dont have many lasers/flacks, you can mine a planet up and make it COST. and I mean COST.

Posted: Tue Aug 29, 2006 11:57 pm
by Furiae
Hmmm... Wonder how well this would work, @ = mines * = turrets

@@@@@@@@@
*************
@@@@@@@@@
*************

etc. varied depending on layout, or even...

@*@*@*@*@*@*@
*@*@*@*@*@*@*@
@*@*@*@*@*@*@
*@*@*@*@*@*@*@

etc.

Posted: Wed Aug 30, 2006 12:00 am
by Manganator
@*@*@*@*@*@*@
*@*@*@*@*@*@*@
@*@*@*@*@*@*@
*@*@*@*@*@*@*@

You wouldnt want to do that specifically. Remember that diagonal gaps between turrets are passable.



@*@*@*/*@*@*@
*@*@*/*@*@*@*@
@*@*/*@*@*@*@
*@*/*@*@*@*@*@

"/" = slide route, only 4 mines exploded no more than 4,000 damage

The best place for mines is areas where flacks/lasers are easily photonable or nukable in chokes that must be passed.

Posted: Wed Aug 30, 2006 12:03 am
by Furiae
Hmm, the trick would be not getting stuck. >.<

Posted: Wed Aug 30, 2006 12:33 am
by Genesis
That would cause a hell of a problem :lol:

Posted: Fri Sep 01, 2006 2:42 am
by krazykat
Thx guys. I just got on the forums to ask the same question. I invaded my first colony on a large world (no solar) and wiped out all the flaks at long range with a vulture. It scared me, because I had a lot of flaks. Remember that flaks have a limited range.

Posted: Fri Sep 01, 2006 2:48 am
by DarkLStrike
krazykat wrote: Remember that flaks have a limited range.
So does lasers.

The only thing doesnt have limited range is the solar, and its rather an necessity than a defense.

no solar = no defense (most cases), in late rebangs as well.

Posted: Fri Sep 01, 2006 2:50 am
by Furiae
Solar has a lmited range, it is just a really, really, really long range... there are only a few layouts and dome placement combinations where you can get safe from it. :/

Posted: Fri Sep 01, 2006 2:53 am
by DarkLStrike
Furiae wrote:Solar has a lmited range, it is just a really, really, really long range... there are only a few layouts and dome placement combinations where you can get safe from it. :/
yup, thats why we have layouts that can be taken quite easily by a laser.

EDIT: yup, thats why we have layouts that can be taken quite easily by a vulture.

Posted: Fri Sep 01, 2006 2:30 pm
by Manganator
In all scenarios where the invader can get far away from the defences without having to pass through or by the defences, flacks are horrible, I'll give you that, but in moderation with rings (1 or 2 in each cluster) adds confusion, and takes away their view of thier ship. (like a beacon on the warp out)

Posted: Wed Sep 06, 2006 1:47 am
by andrei901
i know this is probably stupid but this is my defence layout: it contains about 7 flaks overall and about 3 mines near good slide routes

key
*-mine
#-laser
^-flak
0-wall
D-dome
X-cant put defences
W-warp
000000000########0000###########0000000
000000000######*0000000*###DDD###0000000
000000000^######000000#####DD###00000000
000000000000^###XXXXX^#########000000000
000000000000XXXXXXXXXXXXX#####*0000000000
00000000000XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX00000000000
0000000000XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX#^00000000
000000000XXXXXXXXXXXWWXXXXXXXX^^00000000
00000000000XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX^^00000000
00000000000000XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX0000000000
00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

i know that putting my defences up is stupid because ppl can plan attacks now, so i didnt say server there is a solar. once i figure out how to post images ill give more detail-any hints/tips?

Posted: Wed Sep 06, 2006 9:31 am
by Furiae
That is actually a pretty good layout and the person who put the dome actually thought about where to put it, most people get real stupid and put it in the very back in the little cavity there which makes it extremely easy to take, ie, vultureable like there is no tomorrow.

I wouldn't use any flaks or mines on that personally.

Don't worry about posting your defenses, as long as you aren't showing the location it isn't giving anymore information than can be easily got just by landing and screen shotting it.

Posted: Wed Sep 06, 2006 3:17 pm
by Furiae
Flaks and mines have their places, there just really aren't many places on that layout they would benefit.

Posted: Sun Sep 10, 2006 1:57 am
by krazykat
DarkLStrike wrote:
krazykat wrote: Remember that flaks have a limited range.
So does lasers.

What I meant to say was that flaks have a range which is less than a vulture's missle. If you can get away from enemy fire, a vulture can kill everything on the planet if it's all flaks.