Terror Stars - The Solution?

*POP* Oh! A new thought?!

from GalCiv2 Forums
A random thought just popped into my head while reading another post.  To me it sounds like the perfect solution.

I think the Terror Stars should have the ability -- either natively or via further upgrading -- to improve the attack and/or defense of ships either fleeted with them, or in a very small area around them (1 parsec maybe?) so that the defenders have a chance against a more powerful foe.

This would have the following benefits to gameplay.

  • TS becomes acutally useful for a last ditch effort against a more powerful foe.
  • TS is not just so the powerful become more powerful, while the weak get weaker (though it could still be used this way).
  • TS is now a small military starbase that is mobile, vastly improving its usefulness in combat.
  • TS is still vunrable if you don't send an escort to defend it, but not a sitting duck.
  • The defenders must be reinforced when taking casualties, thus making it hard to just rampage around someone else's territory.

Comments anyone?
19,958 views 15 replies
Reply #1 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Definitely interesting points, though I've still got to build and use my first TS in GalCiv2 (in GalCiv1 on the other hand...)

One comment though: while it must be very annoying if some AI attacker manages to breach your convoy and destroy that precious sitting duck TS, I don't think that your suggestions would make TS a last resort for a weaker race: why would you research along that long path and fall behind even more in military compared to that stronger AI you want to take out?
Granted, once you finally get your TS where you want it, it would be worth the effort, but it looks to me that the long research needed to get there would give the strong AI enough time to wipe you off the map.

Just my 1 bc...
Reply #2 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Just give what most people want:

A terror star that is a death star. Full of weapons, shields, etc. plus the ability to blow up stars - a one unit fleet of death.

It is the coolness factor - nothing else. Anyone who can actually build the sucker with all the required tech is already smashing the universe! Where it would be cool is where multiple races on a gigantic/immense galaxy are fielding them - sort of a battle of the Titans.

Make Terror Stars the ultimate HUGE ship with normal capabilities + the ability to destroy stars (although I would prefer planet destruction myself....)
Multiplicity - Control multiple PCs using one keyboard and mouse
Reply #3 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Make Terror Stars the ultimate HUGE ship with normal capabilities + the ability to destroy stars (although I would prefer planet destruction myself....)
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Correct.
Terror Stars are now too expensive. If I pay many many research points, it should be "secret" and "unexpected" weapon to use - f.e. should shot to target by distance 10 grid titles or be very fast (one engine module should equal speed as your engine technology)...

Second.
If we have "traditional" starbase modules which adds armor, weapon systems etc etc... why Terror Star cannot have it?

If TS will be very fast (or can shot by high distance), it's clear, why UP can not allow TS to use... because:
- this weapon is very expensive but can destroy planet/star system
- and is unexpected and deadly dangerous...
and now:
1. senssors will be two times more important (to fast finding TS before attack)
2. espionage will be important (to locate TS or try to do malfunction it)
3. strategy "massive destruction" will be in use (like USSR and US with their A-bombs)


Reply #4 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I would also like to have to option of adding weapons, armor, speed etc. to the Terror Star, at least for one of the races. It could even be a special ability.
If you are going to build a massive star-destroying structure, why not give it some standard defences too?
Reply #5 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Granted, once you finally get your TS where you want it, it would be worth the effort, but it looks to me that the long research needed to get there would give the strong AI enough time to wipe you off the map.
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I think it would solve this if the techs required for a terror star were far less expensive, but required a certain action to unlock. (Bear with me, this might be crazy!) I'm thinking something like spend a certain amount of money to buy the secrets from a crazy scientist, or perhaps to pay a group of engineers to design the plans. You might instead have the game trigger an event allowing the TS techs when you are the loosing race in a war for a certain period of time. Or another option might be to require a scientific test to prove the technology that would destroy a planet (or even a star system) that you own. Then you have to really want it.

These are just some ideas off the top of my head. Anyone have some better ones?
Reply #6 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Sorry for saying this but i like TS's as they are - without defenses. I am completely positive that they are powerful enough as a weapon, and if you use them properly you can destroy civilization in 10 turns.
Reply #7 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Right now, I only use TS to dust empty star systems in my space, so the class 0 planets become at least marginally useful. At least for that use, I find Terror Stars quite practical.
Reply #8 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I had kinda hoped myself that the Terror Stars might be slightly unique to each race in their benefits. Like one might be slightly faster, others might boost certain aspects of their defending fleets, still others could act as mobile influence bases or improve morale.
Reply #9 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I had kinda hoped myself that the Terror Stars might be slightly unique to each race in their benefits. Like one might be slightly faster, others might boost certain aspects of their defending fleets, still others could act as mobile influence bases or improve morale.
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That is a very good idea. That would certainly increase the flavor of the race quite a bit!
Reply #10 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Sorry for saying this but i like TS's as they are - without defenses. I am completely positive that they are powerful enough as a weapon, and if you use them properly you can destroy civilization in 10 turns.
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When you use your research points to find complete technology of TS, the opponent can find better weapon or defense systems (or can build many ships).
Now if you build the TS near enemy star system, the opponent player (yeah, human! ;) ) will destroy it immediately, after the TS will be ready to use and destroy planet with all defense systems and ships. So, the TS is not useful and should be destroyed if is build. If AI do not do it, it's mean that AI is stupid.
And you left many turns to research and build TS... too many.


Reply #11 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I like the idea of the terror star having abiilities unique to civilizations.
For instance:

Korath: launch 1 short range (say 5 parsecs) spore ship each turn.
Drengin: destroy target star system.
Altarian: Mobile military base with limited upgrades. Would help extend range of conventional fleets or assist in conquest of difficult systems without eradication of the entire system.
Arcean: Bonus to ground invasions in its sphere of influence.
Krynn: Enemy worlds within terror star's sphere of influence suffer severe morale penalty (easier culture flipping), your own worlds gain morale bonus (who's gonna argue with 'the man' when one of those things is nearby)?

Or maybe all terror Stars have the same super weapon, but have an additional special ability based on the race's ethical alignment (would have to have researched xeno ethics or the equivalent to unlock the module granting acess to this ability).
Evil: Terror star grants attack bonus to your fleets fighting within its sphere of influence (works with evils's innate attack bonus to aid your fleets).
Neutral: Your fleets move 3X faster (every three parsecs counts as a move of '1' four your ships) when traveling through terror star's sphere of influence (allows you to quickly intercept multiple threats.
Good: Terror star grants defense bonus to your fleets fighting within its sphere of influence (works with good's innate defense bonus to help fleets defending terror star).
Reply #12 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
With these types of bonuses it is conceivable that two terror star fleets fight each other. That would be interesting...
Reply #13 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
# TS becomes acutally useful for a last ditch effort against a more powerful foe.
# TS is not just so the powerful become more powerful, while the weak get weaker (though it could still be used this way).
# TS is now a small military starbase that is mobile, vastly improving its usefulness in combat.
# TS is still vunrable if you don't send an escort to defend it, but not a sitting duck.
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I like these idea`s.

Terror Stars might be slightly unique to each race in their benefits. Like one might be slightly faster, others might boost certain aspects of their defending fleets, still others could act as mobile influence bases or improve morale.
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I also like this.
Reply #14 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
It does need looking at, I haven't yet researched far enough to unlock Terror Stars yet but reading these comments reminds me of a GalCiv 1 game I played a while back.

Without boring you with the details, it was a medium map, 5 opponents I was a joint super-power on very good terms with the Torians who were the other super-power. All of a sudden the Torians went all "Drengin" and in the space of a few turns, declared war and hoovered up everyone else but me.

With the feeling I would be next, I researched like a b***h all the Terror Star tech and cobbled together two just as for no reason, the Torians decided they didn't like me anymore....

Cuting this story short I managed to use my Terror stars to explode their main production systems to disable their ship building ability, and buy time to pump out a few counter attack ships and transports.

By effectively castrating them militerally by use of Terror-Star was the ONLY way I not only survived but reduced their entire Empire down to one rump world which I allowed them to exist on. :)

I don't get the feeling that scenario could be repeated if the TS doesn't have many HP and certainly no weapons or defences, as the TS on the 1st GalCiv took a a hell of a beating infact both were eventually destroyed, but not before bleeding the Torian battle fleets beforehand.
Reply #15 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Right now, I only use TS to dust empty star systems in my space, so the class 0 planets become at least marginally useful. At least for that use, I find Terror Stars quite practical.
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Isn't that a HUGE investment in research and resources, just to get a few more asteroid belts?