As I like to play very large maps against my friends and the hard AI I have been really noticing the very poor power of the Advent 'superweapon' when compared to the other races. As a quick review of the effects of the superweapons:
TEC: Novalith Cannon Primary Effect: 3500 planet damage Secondary Effect: Cannot re-colonize Tetrary Effect: Population cap reduced for a long period of time
Vasari: Kastura Cannon Primary Effect: Disable orbital structures for 3 minutes Secondary Effect: Disable ships for 15 seconds Tetrary Effect: The planet acts as if there is a phase gate at the location for a short time
Advent: Deliverance Engine Primary Effect: Powerful culture spread from the planet causing a loss of about 20% allegiance Secondary Effect: Shield mitigation increased due to to required culture research Tetrary Effect: None
As you can see, the TEC get to hide within their defenses while destroying the universe (I like the alerts you get when they use their weapon, btw ) and the Vasari can make a deadly deep strike into your territory while your buildings are frozen. The Advent can merely have a little better defense for an attack and, perhaps, take out a planet in many hits if there are no enemy culture centers. What I would like to suggest is a set of possible tetrary effects that could be applied at the planet. In order from the most to least powerful are:
1. Ship Domination - Some random frigates and cruisers at the target planet are converted to be loyal to the Advent. No more than can be received through a level 1 Vasari Dark Armada though for balance sake.
2. Culture Domination - Enemy culture broadcast centers are corrupted to spreading the Advents beliefs and change ownership. This should be limited to 1 or 2 at the location per shot and would make the allegiance loss more than temporary.
3. Culture Destruction - Enemy culture broadcast centers are destroyed slowing the recovery from the Advent culture. Again it should be limited to 1 or 2 at the location per shot and would make the allegieance loss have a larger impact.
4. Culture Addition - A Temple of Communion is built at the planet to spread your word (using the planet owners resources, if available ).To be honest I would like it to do a mix of the top 3 depending on what is at the planet and a random roll of the dice (ie 1 brodcast center converted, 1 destroyed, but only 1 scout converted).
Compared to the game ending power of the other two superweapons I think any one of these effects would only bring the Advent cannon closer to the power of the other two and would in no way surpass them.
Thanks for reading
Read the description for Aux Gov. or equivalents. Prevents loss of control through bombardment or colonization of a hostile empire if the planet becomes neutral.
Ah. Somehow I got the impression that Aux Gov also prevented cultural takeover.
Mmmmm, how about...
TEC: Novalith Cannon Primary Effect: 3500 planet damage Secondary Effect: Cannot re-colonize Tetrary Effect: Population cap reduced for a long period of time Targets: Enemy planets
Vasari: Kastura Cannon Primary Effect: Disable orbital structures for 3 minutes Secondary Effect: Disable ships for 15 seconds Tetrary Effect: The planet acts as if there is a phase gate at the location for a short time Targets: Enemy planets
Advent: Deliverance Engine Primary Effect: Powerful culture spread from the planet Secondary Effect: A 25% bonus to damage output to all your ships (incl SC) and allied ships as well. Tetrary Effect: Removal of enemy culture bonuses and addition of your Advent bonus shield mitigation. Targets: Enemy, allied, and your own planets but must have population.
The Del Engine won't "blow tings up gud" like the other two but it has more uses and stands up well overall. The total effect of denial of enemy culture bonuses, addition of your own, and a 25% damage bonus adds up to an incredible battle advantage. Enough to make a real difference in the number of your ships destroyed in anything resembling a real battle. Which can be used for defensive fights as well - not to mention for allies on both defense and offense.
All that isn't touching the culture uses which have both offensive and defensive uses for enemies, yourself, and allies. Very powerful but in a more subtle way - very in keeping with the incredible Advent style; kudos to IC.
do the effects of the deliverance engine stack? as in does firing multiple shots at the same planet from several deliverance engines reduce enemy allegiance faster?
I believe it stacks, though it may have some loss overall, or there may be a cap to it. To be honest, despite that I'm one who enjoys deliverance spamming massive galaxies for amusement, I've never really watched to see just how much it effects. Although I think I've noted a -500% to enemy culture at one point. Heck, I've even wiped out entire enemies without ever firing a shot from my fleet. (Note, *HUGE* maps, so lots of free time and money to build numerous of these things.) Of course, this was pre-Entrenchment. I haven't really gotten the free time to try it out in Ent yet. But, really, I personally just tend to leave them on auto-fire-and-forget mode, unless I know I'm gonna be jumping into a large fleet battle in the near future. So I tend to not *really* pay attention to what kind of havoc I let them wreck on their own.
All in all, though, the Deliverance Engine really isn't a weapon to underestimate, even if it seems like it's not so great. And I'd agree more that the Novalith is worse in comparison with all it's downsides. Although.... that idea of an additional Dominance affect is amusing to ponder over (I'd have maxed fleet cap in no time! and all in far away places.)
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