Aurora 4x

New Players => The Academy => Topic started by: LizardSF on October 20, 2011, 09:33:23 AM

Title: Planetary Bombardment
Post by: LizardSF on October 20, 2011, 09:33:23 AM
In my prior game, I gave up and began anew because Earth was constantly being bombarded by an unknown foe. How can they slip into my home system, get close enough to Earth to bombard it, and escape detection? What do I need to do make sure if anyone sticks their nose into Sol, I can see them? I know Deep Space Tracking is part of it; anything else?
Title: Re: Planetary Bombardment
Post by: LoSboccacc on October 20, 2011, 09:45:07 AM
may be that the foe is far and you don't have anything that could pick the enemy incoming missiles?

to detect their ship you can build a 1000 ton pdc that's almost a single active sensor (res 20 or 50 will do)
and build from your planet factories.

to detect the incoming missiles do the same but with a res 1 sensor.
Title: Re: Planetary Bombardment
Post by: Charlie Beeler on October 20, 2011, 09:54:21 AM
Are you sure it was an NPR?  The most common form of "bombardment" without detecting a ship(s) is a players own use of mass drivers to deliver minerals without the receiving planet having a mass driver to catch the packets.  This is usually because of removing the last MD after setting up the sending side of the set.
Title: Re: Planetary Bombardment
Post by: Vynadan on October 20, 2011, 09:57:39 AM
You should be able to spot anything coming close to Earth by the one deep space tracking station you have. It won't show you everything in the system, but you'll see everything on top of Earth and in its vicinity.

My guess is that you sent massdriver packets to Earth, but didn't have a massdriver there to catch them?
If not, deep space tracking stations act as passive sensors for both EM and TH. Then, you can build PDC with preferably large active sensors for active sensor coverage.
Even a completly cloaked ship is visible with active sensors if it's right on top of Earth.

If you want to see ships as soon as they enter Sol, you'll need multiple deep space sensor stations (if the jump point is far away, 10+) on Earth or jump point pickets. For the latter, just use the search function or read some of the fiction - it's a commonly used strategy.
Title: Re: Planetary Bombardment
Post by: LizardSF on October 20, 2011, 10:25:03 AM
Are you sure it was an NPR?  The most common form of "bombardment" without detecting a ship(s) is a players own use of mass drivers to deliver minerals without the receiving planet having a mass driver to catch the packets.  This is usually because of removing the last MD after setting up the sending side of the set.

Ohhhh......smeg.

Earth Defense Command: "Attention, Titan Automated Mining Colony AI! Attention! STOP SENDING THE ROCKS! We repeat! STOP SENDING THE ROCKS!"
Titan Automated Mining Colony:"I'm sorry, Dave. I'm afraid I can't do that."
Title: Re: Planetary Bombardment
Post by: Charlie Beeler on October 20, 2011, 10:49:16 AM
Ohhhh......smeg.

Earth Defense Command: "Attention, Titan Automated Mining Colony AI! Attention! STOP SENDING THE ROCKS! We repeat! STOP SENDING THE ROCKS!"
Titan Automated Mining Colony:"I'm sorry, Dave. I'm afraid I can't do that."


I think it is safe to say that just about all of us have done that one.  ;)
Title: Re: Planetary Bombardment
Post by: USS America on October 20, 2011, 11:17:23 AM
Quote from: Charlie Beeler link=topic=4248. msg41616#msg41616 date=1319125756
I think it is safe to say that just about all of us have done that one.   ;)

I've not done it yet, but it's still early in my Aurora career.    ;)
Title: Re: Planetary Bombardment
Post by: LizardSF on October 20, 2011, 01:23:19 PM
BTW, I am probably the 10,000th person to say this, but, every time I hear "NPR", I think, "Wait, we're fighting Garrison Keeler?"
Title: Re: Planetary Bombardment
Post by: Steve Walmsley on October 20, 2011, 02:24:12 PM
Earth Defense Command: "Attention, Titan Automated Mining Colony AI! Attention! STOP SENDING THE ROCKS! We repeat! STOP SENDING THE ROCKS!"
Titan Automated Mining Colony:"I'm sorry, Dave. I'm afraid I can't do that."

What's the problem? :)

Steve
Title: Re: Planetary Bombardment
Post by: Lucifer on October 20, 2011, 03:29:58 PM
Quote from: Steve Walmsley link=topic=4248. msg41638#msg41638 date=1319138652
What's the problem? :)

Steve

The problem is probably that 50 packets are already on their way.

Quote from: Charlie Beeler link=topic=4248. msg41616#msg41616 date=1319125756
I think it is safe to say that just about all of us have done that one.   
In my case you are correct  :-X
In the game that I've just started, the Moon probably will be the end recipient of the packets.
Cargo ships will take care of the final 384k km  ;D

By the way, incredible game Steve.
Thank you for sharing it.
(in case you don't know this one, I recommend it ! There are very interesting technologies there hxxp: www. amazon. com/Earth-Strike-Star-Carrier-Book/dp/0061840254)
Best.
Title: Re: Planetary Bombardment
Post by: metalax on October 20, 2011, 04:31:16 PM
So if you remove the last mass driver and are suffering from bombardment, do you actually get the minerals in the bombardment packets added to the planets stockpile or are they lost?
Title: Re: Planetary Bombardment
Post by: Yonder on October 20, 2011, 04:39:45 PM
So if you remove the last mass driver and are suffering from bombardment, do you actually get the minerals in the bombardment packets added to the planets stockpile or are they lost?

The minerals are lost.

The problem is probably that 50 packets are already on their way.

If you put your entire planet's industrial capacity towards making a Mass Driver would it be finished before (some of) those packets hit the Earth?
Title: Re: Planetary Bombardment
Post by: HaliRyan on October 20, 2011, 05:25:57 PM
If you put your entire planet's industrial capacity towards making a Mass Driver would it be finished before (some of) those packets hit the Earth?

I had a small alien fleet bombard Earth once. They destroyed only something like 3 structures before I managed to destroy them, but one of those was my mass driver. Even building a new one with full industry I still got slammed by over a dozen packets before it was operational. >.<
Title: Re: Planetary Bombardment
Post by: sloanjh on October 20, 2011, 10:06:40 PM
Ohhhh......smeg.

Earth Defense Command: "Attention, Titan Automated Mining Colony AI! Attention! STOP SENDING THE ROCKS! We repeat! STOP SENDING THE ROCKS!"
Titan Automated Mining Colony:"I'm sorry, Dave. I'm afraid I can't do that."

ROFL.  We really need a "Wall of Shame" for this :)

John
Title: Re: Planetary Bombardment
Post by: Girlinhat on October 20, 2011, 10:23:16 PM
Actually, I can't assign mass driver deliveries to a planet without a MD, and when giving an automated order to "move MD's away" it gives me an Oops! event, with the message "cannot move a mass driver away from a planet that is set to receive deliveries."

I've heavily debated how to weaponize this, but I can't seem to find a good way to assault an enemy planet from the other side of the system...
Title: Re: Planetary Bombardment
Post by: Dutchling on October 21, 2011, 02:34:29 AM
That 'Oops event' wasn't there before, and that's why I no longer make that mistake :)
Title: Re: Planetary Bombardment
Post by: Girlinhat on October 21, 2011, 03:14:47 AM
Yeah, I figured it was new, and it seriously helps.  I give orders "pick up mass drivers from earth, deliver them to Titan" and they promptly try to pick up ALL of them.  Even with specific orders, I can get a tad sloppy with repeating orders and such, so that's saved my ass (and about 300m other asses) from sudden orbital death.