Prefabricated bases

(I don't know much at all about making forum posts and this is my first but their always a time for firsts)

I once read a post from moleculeman88 (How do you link people, I don't know) about prefabricated buildings, it seems interesting enough and would offer lots of game play diversity. Building on that, I thought up of why not use existing features and buildings to form packages that can be built like regular buildings. For example you need to defend a coastline, plop down a coastal defence base or need a front line repair yard? plop one down.

Idea: link up existing features and buildings (terraform mainly) to form packages which can then be placed down like normal buildings and are built like normal buildings at once but compared to building the components of each separately, are a lot cheaper. This can allow for quickly building strong but cost effective fortifications or other useful combination structures which can serve many purposes. The price discount is to promote their use and to make them more affordable and add incentive to building the package instead of the separate components.

Pros:
-cheaper
-less micro
-new gameplay

Cons:
-not customizable

I also made some horrible low quality proofs of concepts for coastal defence platforms:

(still don't know how to post proper pictures... but am learning)
description: The Mark 1 coastal defence platform is a cheap option to protect coastal waters form enemy naval and air threats. armed with multiple torpedo tubes and gauss cannons, it can deal with any ill prepared enemy naval force. armed with a small anti aircraft suite that is formidable but lacks against any dedicated force.

Price: 3000-4500 (its cheap for whats included)
**(edit:) for this one, I consider removing the urchins on the base itself as they are extra.


description: The Mark 2 coastal defence platform is a formidable foe. Heavily armed with 9 torpedo tubes, 6 gauss cannons, 4 flak cannons, 6 laser aa and a missile aa suite, it can stand up to most threats from sea or air. also equipped with multiple shield generators, it can stand up to a strong bombardment from all but the most heaviest artillery. Its greatest asset its its long range plasma artillery battery capable for supporting allied naval forces or providing counter battery fire, it can pummel enemy naval ships into submission if unaccounted for. The platform also includes a fusion reactor which while unable to meet all of its requirements, provides large amount of energy.

Price: 5000-8000

(bad quality due to shield spam, should reduce number of generators)
description: The ultimate bastion, the mark 3 coastal defence fortress is near impune to any form of attack. Armed with over a dozen torpedos, 4 lucifers, 2 desolators and 5 gauss cannons and surface or underwater target can be decimated if in range. Supported by 2 long range plasma batteries to provide long range fire support, only the strongest enemy fleets can hope to even come close to the bastion itself. It's AA suite is capable of decimating anything but the largest aerial assaults. equipped with multiple shield generators, only the largest artillery pieces can hope to cause any damage. However it does contain a glaring weakness, its power for all of its heavy weapons comes form 2 fusions connected by 2 pylons at its rear, unshielded and unprotected, if a small raiding force or lucky bomber were to knock them out, the bastion would lose its greatest assets so be careful to protect them.

Price: 9000-15000 (This really is quite overpowered but still defeatable)


This was just my take on some prefab bases and the costal platforms are just a proof of concept of how I envision them to b. (I really don't know how to end this off or what else to say)

I would really love to hear your feedback and opinions on this topic. I may (time permitting) post more of these proofs of concepts with defence ideas such as repair yards, naval bases and more :)






Edit 1: (new pictures :)

description: A forward field repair outpost designed to support troops, its 6 caretakers can rapidly heal up any armed force. A forward airpad can be also used to repair and rearm allied aircraft closer to the front. A cloaking generator hides allied troops inside the compound and light defences protect the base form assult.
Price: 1000


description: The forward artillery post provides on call heavy artillery support anywhere on the front line. With its large long range plasma battery, the post can provide covering fire, counter battery fire or just eradicate enemy troops and defences. Its light aa is good enough to protect it from any unwary aircraft but will easily fall to any dedicated air assault. 4 stardusts provide anti troop defences to the otherwise vulnerable platform. While powerful, a dedicated attack will lead to the swift destruction of the artillery post.
price: 3800-4000


description: The mark 1 air space defence platform (asdp) is a light aa defence station designed to contest enemy air power. It can shoot down light enemy forces with its layed aa. Its long range threshers can deal with most threats but for threats that come to close, its 2 hacksaws can be a nasty surprise. However do not be fooled, it is defenceless to ground attack and will fall to a dedicated air attack.
cost: 1500


description: the Mark 2 ASDP is a major upgrade on the previous one. Able to repel significant enemy forces, it features 4 flak cannons, 6 laser aa batteries, 4 short range dual missile towers and 2 long range missile aa guns. It is also protected by 6 light laser towers that can repel light enemy ground troops allowing it to be constructed closer to the front. It's aa capabilities present a clear no fly zone to enemy aircraft and its layered aa can protect itself from enemy aircraft that wander too close. However remember it is not capable of withstanding direct attack from enemy ground troops and a dedicated aerial assault may overcome its aa and cause damage to the platform.
Price: 3000


description: The mark 3 ASDP is a bastion. able to repel any aerial attack, it can bring an enemy airfleet to its knees if it dares enter the large coverage of its aa guns. With 12 flank cannons, 11 laser aa batteries, 2 long range aa missile batteries and 2 super long range aa guns, its layered aa can delete any aircraft that flies into range. 2 shield generators protect is from direct attack however it is vulnerable to ground attack and thus must be built behind friendly lines.
cost: 4000-5000

edit: fixed images and player link (see edit button to view diff to your version, learn more about forum formating at http://zero-k.info/Forum/Thread/22366 )

If any of you feel that these are a bit to overpowered in terms of what they give per their price, remember that a good combination of units cna easly decimate these bases but requires good micro and tactics. The mark 3 can be knocked out by a small raiding party disabling the grid or fusions, while the earlier ones can be knocked out using hit and run or flanking tactics.

If anything like this would ever be in the game and I doubt there would ever be, it would be at most 1k metal.

And even then why would you want worthless turrets when you could have it in Eco instead

quote: How do you link people, I don't know

You can link people, games, and clans by
`@_Shaman`, `@B772120`, `@ADVENT`

`@_Shaman, an `@ADVENT clan leader, played on `@B772120
@_Shaman, an ADVENT clan leader, played on B772120 6 on Comet Catcher Redux v3.1

quote: https://imgur.com/4JOdf9u

Use [ img] with the image link. Such as: (remove the space)

[ img]https://i.imgur.com/4JOdf9u.png[/img]

[Spoiler]

A focal point of defense - for your enemy to walk around no doubt. Or silo into oblivion.

Technically this could be done purely with widgets. Technically. In practice it would be an unholy pain to implement it in a way that could actually be used, which no one with half-decent skills would.

While this isn't really suited for normal pvp gameplay, it might be useful for PvE - especially if we could get the AI (or a special AI type) to build these. It might not make it more challenging, but it will make it more appealing aesthetically.

I'd say the only uses that are practical is 4 solar around a metal extractor saved as a template.

That is literally the only thing that would be useful. Everything else can be accessed quickly and placed via hotkeys.(I don't use these really though)

To add to UltraGodzilla's post, to me it might be beneficial to queue the mex, 3 windmills, and a laser on each mex spot.

You should't forget that these defensive lines wouldnt be the only thing in the field. And who says that these two fusions are its only power source?

Your general idea is good, but it wont work because things like raiding, or killing the enemy power supply wont be easily done when you are at the point that you can afford that.

So you want porc fortresses for less than half the resources that building them manually would actually cost, and to have it done automatically for you. Forget it, not happening. Having all the stuff built automatically can be done, although not easily and nobody with the ability has any interest. Having the stuff built at less than half the cost is cheating, and rewards dumb behavior that normally gets you votekicked from team games.

The reason why people don't do stuff like that is because an equal cost in berthas or silos would wipe it off the map. Some of those could even buy you an actual superweapon. Not to mention maps are so varied that most of those would not be portable from one map to another.

Like, learn to play. And maybe to do math while you're at it.