[IDEA] A possible use for moons

Rohirrim · Post by **Rohirrim** » Mon Jun 12, 2006 6:39 pm

It's well known that gas giants and moons are basically worthless. With the exception of the few people who sleep on them because they think "dude i'm totally on a random moon nobody is going to find me". In addition to the multitude of pods that are flung into the edges of U.N. space because they can no longer afford the hourly tax. Now if all planet types (including moons and gas giants) were colonizable/usable, then there would be no place for these people to sleep/hide in on the borders of U.N. protected space. So for this idea I propose only allowing moons to be able to use this as to keep gas giants open for balancing reasons.

Well,hate it or like it, I have an idea to make atleast the moons usable. Now if you are a colony builder you are more inclined to like this idea but if you are more of an invader you will probably think this would make colonies overpowered and hate me for putting this idea on the forums. It's also a Star Wars reference so if anyone wants to start the bashing now go ahead and stop reading this post and bash away. And to the people who hate references from other movies/games get over it, the probability of coming up with a sci-fi idea that HASN'T been used is basically impossible now. With Star Sars, Star Trek, Stargate, Battlestar: Galactica (funny how they all have star in their names) and many other popular sci-fi series, they're basically all thought of. Now, onto the idea...

In the last movie of Star Wars (episode VI: Return of the Jedi) the emperor finally got pissed about tiny little fighters being able to take out his doomsday weapon of über-goodness. So he made a planetary shield on a nearby moon to protect it until its completion (or in this case an unfinished colony). Obviously you wouldn't be able to make your own deathstar but the same princible could be applied to a colonized planet. It would work like this.

At a starbase (maybe it could be for Chernyj Almaz only or for all 4 starbases we'll decide that later) you would buy a Planetary Shield Module. The price would cost probably a few hundred thousand credits. Now say you have a colony in Alpha Reticulii IV. Your planet also has a moon that orbits around it (Alpha Reticulii IVa). This idea would only be applicable to planets that have orbiting moons. Now on the moon orbiting your colonized planet, you would place the Shield Module on a defendable spot (mostly the same as you would place a biodome). Then you could place a limited number of defenses on the planet. Since there would be no solar cannon it would probably be better to find a moon with total coverage available on the warp zone with a limited number of turrets or just use mines.

Now when you place the shield module on the moon and it becomes activated (it could also have a timer for activation if this needs balancing), a message will appear on every invading captains chatbox "Captain, this planet is shielded, we'll have to remove the shield before we can invade!" and your planet can not be invaded unless the shield is destroyed (which would be fairly easy since it would be a small building with a small amount of shielding and no weaponry). Once destroyed the planet would could be invaded as normal.

This idea would not make it much harder to invade colonies but instead would just buy more time for the defender. Which is vital for the preparation of defenses. Please leave feedback on any blanks that I left open (i.e. cost, activation time?, hate the idea) Thanks.

EDIT: I'm not going to vote on my own poll because i'm bias since i spent an half hour typing all this.

Lancefighter · Post by **Lancefighter** » Mon Jun 12, 2006 6:42 pm

i like this idea, i think it might also be viable.
It make sence, but obvusly its not going to be like invading 2 colonys for one, i like it. the starwars refence kinda makes it all come togther too...

Rohirrim · Post by **Rohirrim** » Mon Jun 12, 2006 7:01 pm

Lancefighter wrote:i like this idea, i think it might also be viable.
It make sence, but obvusly its not going to be like invading 2 colonys for one, i like it. the starwars refence kinda makes it all come togther too...

Yeah i made sure i put emphasis on the limited number of defenses that would be available in addition to there not being a 2nd solar cannon. it would be fairly easy to take for any veteran player but like i said would just buy time if you had lots of cash but not enough preparation thanks for the feedback

EDIT: except for voting meh lol

Ralf the Dog · Post by **Ralf the Dog** » Mon Jun 12, 2006 7:03 pm

That was my vote. Even with a solar canon, the defences would be a cake walk because there would be no defence spending. Not a bad idea, I just don't think it would have much of an effect on the game.

Rohirrim · Post by **Rohirrim** » Mon Jun 12, 2006 7:06 pm

Ralf the Dog wrote:That was my vote. Even with a solar canon, the defences would be a cake walk because there would be no defence spending. Not a bad idea, I just don't think it would have much of an effect on the game.

as it stands i know it doesn't seem like it would have much of an overall effect but that's why it's here on the forums and not in the game

but i just want SOMETHING for moons to be used for. having something stupid and pointless is better than having nothing at all, unless it takes away the development of something more important, but since huge improvements to this game take pretty much an eternity i wouldn't expect to see this anytime within this year anyways.

Lancefighter · Post by **Lancefighter** » Mon Jun 12, 2006 7:13 pm

opps i forgot to vote...i looked at it..it said "is this idea good" or whatever, and i had to read the idea...then i forgot

i voted yes.

Rohirrim · Post by **Rohirrim** » Mon Jun 12, 2006 7:15 pm

maybe i should just remove "meh" lol

Rohirrim · Post by **Rohirrim** » Mon Jun 12, 2006 10:41 pm

5 yes. 0 no. 2 people who don't care. no opposition so far

kswisher · Post by **kswisher** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 1:48 am

i dunno if u relize this, but mostly only gas giants have moons... so would this work... say...if (system name) V is a giant and Va and Vb are moons and Vc is an earth type, would u be able to plant on Va and Vb, just one, or neither? if it is neither than ur idea is practically usless cuz not many planets have moons...

kswisher · Post by **kswisher** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 1:49 am

forgot to say that i love the concept, its very unique and i really hope it could be put into effect...

KUKA · Post by **KUKA** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 3:54 am

KUKA approves. Very clever.

One thing that would make it especially good is to make sure you get landing notification for the moon. Buys you time to go and defend, and/or to ambush them as they leave the moon.

As for it not having much of an impact, what if a planet has 3 or 4 moons? Especially if you get landing notices?

GrimReaper · Post by **GrimReaper** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 1:35 pm

Awesome idea my friend.. but again people have mentioned problems.. since I like this idea.. I'll help with the answers

Some planets don't have moons, then what?
No lunar defense for you.

The moon is orbiting a gas giant, but not my planet. Now what?
Have the code that is used for either the turret fire or ship weapon fire. If your planet is within that area then the lunar defense will protect it.

How can we tell if its close enough?
Have it to where it is like a turret. If it isn't close enough then pick it back up.

My system is awesome for this defense. I have a moon that is covering all my planets. But does this mean the lunar defense will protect them?
Yes it will protect any of your colonies, corporate or personal, with one lunar defense. If it gets blow up Then all of your planets are open for invading.

My system has 4 moons! Can I put a lunar defense on all of them so the invader has to blow each one up before he/she can invade?
No, You can only have one lunar defense. They will be able to tell if one is near when you go to place them down because it will use the same sensor code to find if there is a colony nearby to test if there is another lunar defense.

I think I worked out a couple of the problems...

Rohirrim · Post by **Rohirrim** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 2:37 pm

Thanks Grim. that solved a few things i hadn't thought of yet. I realize not all planets have moons, but that's why this would be such a tactical addition to the game is that people would (just as you look for good ports surrounding a system) also look for moons that were close by to colonizable planets. I guess you could somehow designate which planet you would like the lunar shielding to go to or it could auto-activate on the closest one colonized. Which ever works better. Thanks for the help guys.

And if anybody wants to help me fill in any of the blanks I have left still (like price, size of the planeted module on the planet, number of turrets that should be allowed on the tiny world). Anything that I haven't thought of yet either that needs to be.

GrimReaper · Post by **GrimReaper** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 5:15 pm

The price should be about 10x the dome.. so 400k sounds right to me.. I also think a max of 15 turrets.. my opionon though

Olterin · Post by **Olterin** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 6:15 pm

Sweet idea

Price at 400k sounds fine, the max of defences for it being only 15 doesn't

You know, you don't pay 4x as much for something that should buy you enough time to get to your colony. If at all, it should have at the very least a max of 60 turrets defending it. Those aren't reinforced by anything like military of the colony, so one nuke should sort out one turret.

Rohirrim · Post by **Rohirrim** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 6:35 pm

Yeah 15 is far too little if you're going to pay 400k although that seems a good price for it. Hopefully some of that guys' new turret ideas come through so a single turret space is more valuable. we can only hope.

Zavrith · Post by **Zavrith** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 7:39 pm

On the other hand, do you want to be using 120 nukes to kill 60 defences...and not even get a dome yet? Think of the noobs! 120 nukes is their lifesavings!

Not to mention, this thing is SUPPOSED to be taken. Fairly easily. It's just supposed to buy some time for the defender.

ahrenjb · Post by **ahrenjb** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 7:43 pm

I like this idea, but instead of your defense limitations, how about limit the colony to Biodome Upgrade one. Half the colonists of a regular colony. Half the size planet.

Zavrith · Post by **Zavrith** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 7:47 pm

I'm pretty sure that this is for tiny planets, which can't have a biodome...so...the limit of biodome -1 is already in place

Rohirrim · Post by **Rohirrim** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 7:48 pm

Zavrith wrote:On the other hand, do you want to be using 120 nukes to kill 60 defences...and not even get a dome yet? Think of the noobs! 120 nukes is their lifesavings!

Not to mention, this thing is SUPPOSED to be taken. Fairly easily. It's just supposed to buy some time for the defender.

I never said 60 was good. I said 15 wasn't enough. ANYBODY can kill/get past 15 lasers. 60 is a lot though i'll admit. medium ground plz

Rohirrim · Post by **Rohirrim** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 7:48 pm

ahrenjb wrote:I like this idea, but instead of your defense limitations, how about limit the colony to Biodome Upgrade one. Half the colonists of a regular colony. Half the size planet.

Um...why?

Olterin · Post by **Olterin** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 7:51 pm

Errr, guys, you do realise that those 60 lasers won't have the HP of a normal colonial one, right?? There's no military to support them.

As for middle ground, I'd say that 60 is pretty much the half of what a normal planet can have, 120

Rohirrim · Post by **Rohirrim** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 7:53 pm

Olterin wrote:Errr, guys, you do realise that those 60 lasers won't have the HP of a normal one, right?? There's no military to support them.

oh yeah...silly me

Zavrith · Post by **Zavrith** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 7:58 pm

Still takes two nukes doesn't it? Or at least, it takes more than 1 nuke (eg 1 nuke and 1 peashot to kill)

Olterin · Post by **Olterin** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 8:06 pm

Zavrith wrote:Still takes two nukes doesn't it? Or at least, it takes more than 1 nuke (eg 1 nuke and 1 peashot to kill)

1 nuke and a few more hits with a middle-damaging weapon. 60 nukes plus some reshielding isn't that much. You have to remember that the lasers should also have unmodified RoF, meaning you can evade one salvo, get one nuke off, evade another one, kill your laser etc. really 60 lasers on most layouts are slidable

Rohirrim · Post by **Rohirrim** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 8:08 pm

Olterin wrote:
Zavrith wrote:Still takes two nukes doesn't it? Or at least, it takes more than 1 nuke (eg 1 nuke and 1 peashot to kill)
1 nuke and a few more hits with a middle-damaging weapon. 60 nukes plus some reshielding isn't that much. You have to remember that the lasers should also have unmodified RoF, meaning you can evade one salvo, get one nuke off, evade another one, kill your laser etc. really 60 lasers on most layouts are slidable

When i was a noob, i thought having 8 nukes made me the baddest mofo on the block. then i found out that you can make them in bushels on volcanics and felt dumb.

MadAce · Post by **MadAce** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 8:10 pm

When I was a noob I placed 2 flaks on either side of the warp gate of a system and a beacon on the other side saying that this system was claimed by madace.

Sadly enough they got destroyed.

I was sad all day yesterday.

Rohirrim · Post by **Rohirrim** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 8:13 pm

MadAce wrote:When I was a noob I placed 2 flaks on either side of the warp gate of a system and a beacon on the other side saying that this system was claimed by madace.

Sadly enough they got destroyed.

I was sad all day yesterday.

rofl. good one ace.

Zavrith · Post by **Zavrith** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 8:18 pm

Rohirrim wrote:
Olterin wrote:
Zavrith wrote:Still takes two nukes doesn't it? Or at least, it takes more than 1 nuke (eg 1 nuke and 1 peashot to kill)
1 nuke and a few more hits with a middle-damaging weapon. 60 nukes plus some reshielding isn't that much. You have to remember that the lasers should also have unmodified RoF, meaning you can evade one salvo, get one nuke off, evade another one, kill your laser etc. really 60 lasers on most layouts are slidable
When i was a noob, i thought having 8 nukes made me the baddest mofo on the block. then i found out that you can make them in bushels on volcanics and felt dumb.

*sigh* I remember my first nukes. I fired two on a seth and was pissed that it didn't die. THEY'RE NUKES!

Later that day I'd built up 5 more. And I found the same NPC. I figured "Ha! Got you this time sucker!" and fired the five. He STILL lived, and I gave up on nukes altogether for a while.

And by "for a while" I mean "till I got my donkey handed to me by The Empire on perma1"

Rohirrim · Post by **Rohirrim** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 8:20 pm

Yeah I actually thought (before i fired them on npc's) they would be one hit kills or AT MOST 2 hits for super powerful ships. I fired half of them and he didn't die

Starport: Galactic Empires

[IDEA] A possible use for moons

Could this be a plausible use for moons?

[IDEA] A possible use for moons

gas giants

forgot to say