Planetary and orbital defenses

from GalCiv2 Forums
Just a thought for the sake of realizm, but wouldn't colonized planets have some type of planetary defense or even orbital defenses to thwart off an invasion. I know you can stack ships in orbit, but it would just be kool to have rockets or missiles launch from the planets surface to take out those pesky transports and warships.
ideas
5,690 views 11 replies
Reply #1 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
This is not the droid you're looking for. Try Space Empires IV.

http://www.malfador.com/se4dwngd.html
Reply #2 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I build orbital defense platforms for my planets. As big a ship as I can make loaded with weapons and defense, no engines or life support.
The Political Machine 2024
Reply #3 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Thats a ship still
Reply #4 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Its still a ship, but a ship in orbit combined with a military starbase outfitted with the ship assist modules can be quite formidable.
Reply #5 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
You could argue that anything launched from the surface or in orbit for defence is also a ship then...

*edit - I see Stonewall beat me to it!
Reply #6 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
There are four big differences between a GC2 barebones "orbital ship" and the defenses in SEIV (mines, satellites, fighters, weapon platforms) or MOOII (planetary shields, missile silos, fighters, orbital starbases).

Specifically:

1a) In GC2, you get one ship.
1b) In the other games, you get as many ships as you can build, plus all the static defenses, at once.

2a) In GC2, you pay upkeep on defenses.
2b) In other games, static defenses require no upkeep.

3a) In GC2, planets require facilities to build starships to build defenses.
3b) In other games, no starship-construction facilities are required to build static defenses.

4a) In GC2, defense is just as expensive as offense.
4b) In other games, static defenses are way cheaper than offense.

GC2 is all about offense. For much of the game, there is no concept of discrete defenses (that cannot be used offensively). Military starbases are just as good offensively as defensively, for example.
Reply #7 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Hi!
I agree. A starbase over a planet would be very usefull in early and mid game. The attacker would have to destroy it before it could land troops.
OTOH that would make early invasions with heavy fighters very expensive: just a basic weapons on a SB(8/1/1, no defenses) are MUCH stronger than a typical attack 2 heavy fighter. I've lost some fighter fleets because targeting the wrong starbase.
BR, Iztok
Reply #8 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Hmm... while I miss some cheap & simple way to fend of unarmed transports, too, I'm not too fond of using starbases for it. Think about it: When you build a starbase around a planet, the attacker just flies in from the other side of the planet, and you can't hit him, because a starbase is not mobile. The same way, building a rocket or beam defense would need a LOT of resources to cover the whole area to be effective.

Maybe something that would not require much change to the game: rather weak, but low-maintenance ships that you can build, maybe even without a starport, but that cannot leave the planet. Think "athmospheric fighters" with no interstellar drive. There should be some limits against cheese tactics, however, so you can't just stack 30 fighter squads on every planet...
Reply #9 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Can't you just use an empty tiny hull in orbit to fend off unarmed transports? That's what I've been doing so far, keeps the transports off.
Reply #11 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
When you build a starbase around a planet, the attacker just flies in from the other side of the planet, and you can't hit him, because a starbase is not mobile.


Sounds to me like you're building them in the wrong place. Their area of influence should cover the planet, then the mobilization modules will give assistance to any ships defending from orbit. You'd be amazed at the firepower they add to your ships.