AI dont build defensive platforms

[Gyrvendal]

They'd need a major survivability buff to be viable. Something like 2500 health instead of 1500 and changing all their medium defensive slots into large slots, so they can have decent shields/armor.

As they are, the AI shouldn't build them any more than I do.

 

[Chthon]

They'd need a major survivability buff to be viable. Something like 2500 health instead of 1500 and changing all their medium defensive slots into large slots, so they can have decent shields/armor.
As they are, the AI shouldn't build them any more than I do.

What about the idea to make them a defensive FTL incapable fleet built by the starbase for police work?

 

[Pootino]

In times of peace I like to spend extra metal on things that can give me an edge if I'm closing in on cap. A defensive fleet would be nice for that.

Luckly the AI is too stupid to use jumps, so if I put a megafortress in every system with an hyperlane leading outside my empire I wouldn't even have to worry about moving my fleet to defend myself. Unfortunatly fortresses doesn't count on fleet capacity, so other empires have always Overwhelming fleet power and I can't set rivarlies or ask them for vassalization.

 

[Tyrax Lightning]

I'd personally opt to leave their build & maintenance Cost the same, but make them a metric crapton more tanky + Upgrade their Platforms to be 2L for the Large Platform Type, 4M for the Medium Platform Type, & 6S for the Small Platform Type... after all, they have 0 Propulsion Systems vying with the Weapons Systems for CPU Attention or Power Needs...

Also I sorely wish we could choose how we Armament our Starbase Weapons themselves... Defense Platforms would be more useful if it was actually POSSIBLE to have our Starbase Armament & Defense Platform Armament synergize with each other instead of non-synergize.

Ya'all's mileage on this idea may vary though, no sweat. I personally can't help but to prefer Might & Brawn & Quality, & not so fond of cheap wuss spam.

 

[verybad]

That would be nice. Consider it a standing fleet of FTL incapable ships for a starport.

Yep, Monitor subclass fleets. They'd be good for police work, defense, and they'd be considered the losers of the fleet so their leaders would get an experience penalty unless you teched it away (new social tech). Cheaper and faster to make, perhaps some interesting building mods that made them cool to use?

 

[wingren013]

Defensive platforms can't be buffed too heavily because they would make early aggression too hard.

So just make them a midgame tech coming around the same time as cruisers.

 

[Gyrvendal]

Defensive platforms can't be buffed too heavily because they would make early aggression too hard.

So just make them a midgame tech coming around the same time as cruisers.

Maybe they should just re-enable bigger defensive stations. After all, the art assets for them are already in the game, and there are plenty of mods that unlock them. This way, we can keep the current platforms as the early game option, and have decent fortresses in the late game.

 

[happyscrub]

There reason they are crap is because their buff didn't transfer to this new patch.

In 2.0 they had ZERO material maintenance, so they are suppose to be zero ally maintenance in this version.

 

[Chieron]

That's the point of my suggestion, by making them have a high chance of being disabled, not destroyed, they become more cost effective. Either that or drop the price by a ton, I mean hyperdrives are expensive, and they don't have one.

If they are disabled, they will come online for your enemy after they took the system and you will have to fight your own stations when retaking the system.
I'd rather have them destroyed. But they should survive longer. As others have pointed out, they do not need a hyperdrive, but cannot evade. So they should invest the spare space into armor, hull and shields instead.
The high upkeep really doesn't help as they are much less versatile than mobile ships.

 

[Chthon]

If they are disabled, they will come online for your enemy after they took the system and you will have to fight your own stations when retaking the system.
I'd rather have them destroyed. But they should survive longer. As others have pointed out, they do not need a hyperdrive, but cannot evade. So they should invest the spare space into armor, hull and shields instead.
The high upkeep really doesn't help as they are much less versatile than mobile ships.

I didn't say they'd come on line right away. The station itself doesn't become full HP instantly. It could be a process that takes a few months, so a hotly contested system would no longer benefit from them, but if you leave the system for a while, then you'd have to deal with them.

I'm leaning more towards the base creating a fleet of FTL incapable ships though that replace platforms now. It's a better idea. Make it take time similar to building the platforms to replacing them, maybe for a modest fee.

 

[Tyrax Lightning]

Defensive platforms can't be buffed too heavily because they would make early aggression too hard.

So just make them a midgame tech coming around the same time as cruisers.

More reason to make them buffer & tankier, but not lower their Maintenance Cost.

In early game Maintenance Costs are a bigger deal.