Author Topic: Hidden PDCs  (Read 1679 times)

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Offline Steve Walmsley (OP)

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Hidden PDCs
« on: March 05, 2008, 04:20:03 AM »
I have always thought that a fortress deep inside a mountain shouldn't be easily detected. Therefore in v2.6, PDCs will default to Hidden. In other words, you won't be able to detect them on sensors unless they give away their position. If they fire or use active sensors then they become visible to sensors during the following increment. Because they can't move, once detected by a particular Empire they will always be detectable in the future by that Empire. This should make approaching potentially hostile planets a little more interesting. It also means that with the new missile ranges, PDCs should be quite good at ambushes.

Steve
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 06:00:00 PM by Steve Walmsley »
 

Offline sloanjh

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Re: Hidden PDCs
« Reply #1 on: March 05, 2008, 08:49:50 AM »
Quote from: "Steve Walmsley"
In other words, you won't be able to detect them on sensors unless they give away their position.

Can ground units search for them?  If not, native ground units could hide even during an occupation (waiting for the bulk of the invasion force to go home).

John
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 06:00:00 PM by sloanjh »
 

Offline Bellerophon06

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« Reply #2 on: March 05, 2008, 12:56:10 PM »
Maybe you could allow a certain number of ground forces to be "hidden" prior to an occupying force taking over the planet.  That way they could be used later as guerilla forces to "convince" the occupying empire to leave.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 06:00:00 PM by Bellerophon06 »
 

Offline Steve Walmsley (OP)

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Re: Hidden PDCs
« Reply #3 on: March 06, 2008, 12:00:51 PM »
Quote from: "sloanjh"
Quote from: "Steve Walmsley"
In other words, you won't be able to detect them on sensors unless they give away their position.
Can ground units search for them?  If not, native ground units could hide even during an occupation (waiting for the bulk of the invasion force to go home).

That's a good point. I will add some rules along those lines.

Steve
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 06:00:00 PM by Steve Walmsley »
 

Offline Steve Walmsley (OP)

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« Reply #4 on: March 06, 2008, 12:03:43 PM »
Quote from: "Bellerophon06"
Maybe you could allow a certain number of ground forces to be "hidden" prior to an occupying force taking over the planet.  That way they could be used later as guerilla forces to "convince" the occupying empire to leave.

A possibility. With the Hidden PDCs plus an ability for Ground Units to search based on time and the number of units searching, it might be possible to create some barracks-only PDCs to try and keep some ground units hidden until they can emerge at an opportune moment.

Steve
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 06:00:00 PM by Steve Walmsley »
 

Offline Steve Walmsley (OP)

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« Reply #5 on: September 21, 2008, 09:44:49 AM »
For v3.2, I have simplified Hidden PDCs considerably. All PDCs start out hidden and cannot be detected. Once they fire or use active sensors, they lose their hidden status and can be detected normally. This is over-simplified because it means races that didn't see them fire can now detect them but it makes life much easier. I guess we can assume that firing leaves obvious traces.

An attacking ground force now has a chance to detect hidden PDCs equal to its attack strength, with a maximum of 50%. This is checked every 5 days, after ground combat. Also, only PDCs that contain ground forces can prevent a surrender.

Steve
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 06:00:00 PM by Steve Walmsley »
 

Offline Steve Walmsley (OP)

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« Reply #6 on: September 21, 2008, 10:06:24 AM »
I have reduced the armour bonus of PDCs from 8 to 4 in v3.2, mainly because the old bonus was set before the new armour rules came into force and now gives PDCs massive armour belts that are extremely difficult to penetrate. They are still very hard to destroy under the new rules but at least there is a chance.

Steve
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 06:00:00 PM by Steve Walmsley »