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Dictor Platforms Revisited (or: The Dictor Tesla Coil) |
Alex Heartnet (Rebellious Rogue)
Fleet Admiral
Joined: November 22, 2009
Posts: 17
|  Posted: 2011-03-30 18:55
After parking an interdictor in deep space between a battle site and an UGTO supply planet, and not being able to posistion myself correctly to intercept the ship that keep passing within 500 GU's of my dictor field (or seem to anyway), I was thinking that there has gotta be a better way to do this. Getting 3 or more players to create a line of dictors would probably be an organizational nightmare (and substancially reduce the # of players with combat-capable ships), while the idea of dictor platforms has been rejected for some very good reasons.
But wait! All the arguments against dictor platforms assume that the platform works the same way as an dictor starship! Instead of a blob field, how about a dictor LINE that passes between platforms?! (Think of a Tesla Coil)
Dictor Platform Limitations:
- You need more the one platform for a working dictor! Bare minimum is two for a short dictor line, three for a triangle-shaped field.
- The platforms need to be within a certain distance of each other to function. If you want to create a long line or a large field, you need LOTS of platforms.
- The above can also lead to enemy ships punching holes in the field! Just destroy the middle platforms and the edge platforms won't connect. Then you wind up with two small fields with an empty spot in the middle - much less useful then a line. If the field is roundish-shaped, just remove a piece of the field as if one was cutting pie. The fun part about this is that you still get working patches of dictor field that aren't posistioned right to be useful anymore.
- Platforms are, of course, immobile, unlike a dictor cruiser that can chase vessels
- You can't turn them off (see below)
- Setting up a dictor platform network along a well-traveled route (where they are actually useful) will invariably result in ships attacking the platforms because they got caught in the field (Engineer: "Hey! I'm not done building these yet!") Thus, large dictor networks can only really be built on somewhat less traveled routes (ambush, anyone?) or gates. (This also ties in with punching holes through the field, see above).
- Dictor fields can be visible on the F3 nav map (whole reason for dictor ships shutting them off when needed)
- Building 10+ platforms will probably cost more resources then an engineer can carry with. Either the engineer sets them up near a planet (mining or starports for resources, and its not like planets have their own dictor), makes multiple trips, or has another player deliver resources to him.
- Oppertunity cost. Those platforms count towards the platform limit. That + resources could of been spent on other types of platforms instead.
- Dictor platforms would no doubt be squishy.
- One dictor SHIP can basically do the same thing as seven platforms!
Platform balance could be adjusted by increasing/decreasing the max distance at which dictor platforms connect, changing resource cost, build time, and general platform survivability.
EDIT: Hmm. Maybe instead of a tesla coil-like interdictor, we could have actual tesla coin platforms that zap any ship that passes through (area denial).
[ This Message was edited by: Alex Heartnet on 2011-03-30 19:06 ]
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Sens [R33]
Admiral
Joined: September 27, 2008
Posts: 1020
From: Edge of th...
| Posted: 2011-03-30 20:21
I'm not sure what is so hard about interdicting ships between destinations. I do it all the time. Practice makes perfect.
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Azure Prower
Chief Marshal
Joined: March 14, 2006
Posts: 309
| Posted: 2011-03-30 20:37
Problem is, any ship with a tractor beam can be a mobile interdictor!
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jamesbob
Grand Admiral
Joined: August 22, 2009
Posts: 410
| Posted: 2011-03-30 21:15
i believe you should stop playing red alert series.
because only prisim cannons jump between eachother not telsla coils
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Kenny_Naboo
Marshal
Pitch Black
Joined: January 11, 2010
Posts: 3823
From: LobsterTown
| Posted: 2011-03-30 21:29
What??
You want to dumb down dictor usage?? No. Dictoring requires a certain finesse and timing that few (I don't) possess.
Pls don't dumb down this game any further....
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Alex Heartnet (Rebellious Rogue)
Fleet Admiral
Joined: November 22, 2009
Posts: 17
| Posted: 2011-03-30 21:53
Quote:
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On 2011-03-30 20:37, Azure Prower wrote:
Problem is, any ship with a tractor beam can be a mobile interdictor!
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How many tractor beams does a ship have max? Four?
Four squishy dictor platforms towed by a extractor that is even more squishy then a standard interdictor ship...hmm...
Two dictor platforms towed by, say, a station. That's a short dictor line with my system, foes will never jump into it unless they are careless about where they jump.
Quote:
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On 2011-03-30 21:15, jamesbob wrote:
i believe you should stop playing red alert series.
because only prisim cannons jump between eachother not telsla coils
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What's a prism cannon? Only Command and Conquor game I have ever played was the N64 one. I *hate* that type of RTS game.
Quote:
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On 2011-03-30 21:29, Kenny_Naboo[+R] wrote:
What??
You want to dumb down dictor usage?? No. Dictoring requires a certain finesse and timing that few (I don't) possess.
Pls don't dumb down this game any further....
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I pointed out that with my system, 1 interdictor SHIP can be just as good as a bunch of interdictor platforms. Ever better, because the ship does not take time to set up, is mobile, can't have a hole punctured in its dictor field, might not be quite as squishy, and can turn its dictor field on/off!
I also pointed out so many ways that the tesla platform method can go wrong in the chaos that is an actual Darkspace Battle, none of which are weaknesses with player-controlled dictor ships.
Also. The team using a dictor cruiser only has to worry about protectinig that one ship. The team with the tesla dictor platforms has to worry about protecting a BUNCH of platforms spread across a WIDE area. Even the loss of one platform can have a significant impact on the field's effectiveness.
[ This Message was edited by: Alex Heartnet on 2011-03-30 21:58 ]
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Kenny_Naboo
Marshal
Pitch Black
Joined: January 11, 2010
Posts: 3823
From: LobsterTown
| Posted: 2011-03-30 22:12
It's an interesting theory, I don't deny that.
But that'll take away the role of the dico cruiser somewhat. I mean.... why fly a dico if I can just get into a Command station, dread, or engi and make a tripwire across space?
Here's an interesting dico tactic for you:
Assuming that you know an invading force is coming to your area. You get into your dico and plot a line towards the enemy force, and way past it. Once you know that the enemy is about to jump you, turn on your dico and jump past them.
You'll find that you'll disrupt their fleet jump along their flight path and spread them way the hell out.
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Alex Heartnet (Rebellious Rogue)
Fleet Admiral
Joined: November 22, 2009
Posts: 17
| Posted: 2011-03-30 22:22
Quote:
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On 2011-03-30 22:12, Kenny_Naboo[+R] wrote:
It's an interesting theory, I don't deny that.
But that'll take away the role of the dico cruiser somewhat. I mean.... why fly a dico if I can just get into a Command station, dread, or engi and make a tripwire across space?
Here's an interesting dico tactic for you:
Assuming that you know an invading force is coming to your area. You get into your dico and plot a line towards the enemy force, and way past it. Once you know that the enemy is about to jump you, turn on your dico and jump past them.
You'll find that you'll disrupt their fleet jump along their flight path and spread them way the hell out.
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Said tripwire is so thin that the AI ships will probably wreck it. They are often more prevalent then players, jumping around like they do. No, one would need to layer the platforms so that if one gets destroyed it doesn't immediately poke a hole in the dictor field.
Said idea with the dictor cruiser is awesome if you don't MISCALCULATE your jump path. Regardless, it's an awesome idea I might have to try and a perfect example of why these platforms would supplement dictor cruisers, not replace them.
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Sens [R33]
Admiral
Joined: September 27, 2008
Posts: 1020
From: Edge of th...
| Posted: 2011-03-30 22:36
Quote:
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On 2011-03-30 22:12, Kenny_Naboo[+R] wrote:
It's an interesting theory, I don't deny that.
But that'll take away the role of the dico cruiser somewhat. I mean.... why fly a dico if I can just get into a Command station, dread, or engi and make a tripwire across space?
Here's an interesting dico tactic for you:
Assuming that you know an invading force is coming to your area. You get into your dico and plot a line towards the enemy force, and way past it. Once you know that the enemy is about to jump you, turn on your dico and jump past them.
You'll find that you'll disrupt their fleet jump along their flight path and spread them way the hell out.
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shhhhhhhhhhh
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Proud member of the Order of the Gaifen
Founder and former Club chair of the Shigernafy Fan Club
Co-founder of the Doran Judication Comittee
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Kenny_Naboo
Marshal
Pitch Black
Joined: January 11, 2010
Posts: 3823
From: LobsterTown
| Posted: 2011-03-30 23:17
Quote:
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On 2011-03-30 22:36, Sens [R33] wrote:
shhhhhhhhhhh
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*Evil grin*
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MarineKingPrime
Marshal
Exathra Alliance Fleet
Joined: October 04, 2010
Posts: 239
From: CSS CheezyBagels
| Posted: 2011-03-31 01:43
i thought you couldn't jump with a dictor field on?
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Talien
Marshal
Templar Knights
Joined: May 11, 2010
Posts: 2044
From: Michigan
| Posted: 2011-03-31 11:59
You can, which is currently the largest complaint.
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Koba
Chief Marshal
Praetorian Wolves
Joined: April 20, 2010
Posts: 309
From: United States of America
| Posted: 2011-03-31 13:25
nobody ever wants to play when theres an ass hat flying a dictor they kill the battle for the other side and even there own team will herass them into getting a new ship so the game can continue nobody wants to see a dictor on the other faction EVER so when you make suggestions about dictor plats or dictors on stations you not being realistic this will never happen same with dictors on stations i would love to see a moderator or admin tell me i'm wrong and try to explain how that would work this will never happen this game has enouph problems with people not playing if you add more dictor toys to the game i'll honestly just quit an i know most of you dont like me but you all love to shoot at people you dont like and if people start leaving not this game will just die no question this game isent about takeing planets or entire systems its about fighting 90% of what keeps peolpe playing this game is the fights so if you screw the game over with more dictors you will honest to god loose atleast 10% of your gameing comunity and that might not seem like much but when only 100 or so people play a game 10% seems like a whole lot more and i'm sure 10% maye be a little off but i know for a fact that 50% of any faction will just say scew it when they see a normal dictor cruiser on the other faction so for the love of the great spaggeti monster please stop trying to add more dictors
all comments can be forwarded to the following address........... 
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Thernhoghas
Grand Admiral
Exathra Alliance Fleet
Joined: September 18, 2010
Posts: 243
From: somewhere in Germany
| Posted: 2011-03-31 13:31
Quote:
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On 2011-03-31 13:25, Aaron[+R] wrote:
nobody ever wants to play when theres an ass hat flying a dictor they kill the battle for the other side and even there own team will herass them into getting a new ship so the game can continue nobody wants to see a dictor on the other faction EVER so when you make suggestions about dictor plats or dictors on stations you not being realistic this will never happen same with dictors on stations i would love to see a moderator or admin tell me i'm wrong and try to explain how that would work this will never happen this game has enouph problems with people not playing if you add more dictor toys to the game i'll honestly just quit an i know most of you dont like me but you all love to shoot at people you dont like and if people start leaving not this game will just die no question this game isent about takeing planets or entire systems its about fighting 90% of what keeps peolpe playing this game is the fights so if you screw the game over with more dictors you will honest to god loose atleast 10% of your gameing comunity and that might not seem like much but when only 100 or so people play a game 10% seems like a whole lot more and i'm sure 10% maye be a little off but i know for a fact that 50% of any faction will just say scew it when they see a normal dictor cruiser on the other faction so for the love of the great spaggeti monster please stop trying to add more dictors
all comments can be forwarded to the following address...........
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he's absolutely right.
FOR THE SPAGHETTI MONSTER >:D
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Talien
Marshal
Templar Knights
Joined: May 11, 2010
Posts: 2044
From: Michigan
| Posted: 2011-03-31 14:15
I don't know about anyone else but when I see an Interdictor I attack it. Most people can't fly one for squat and die easily, aside from UGTO where all they have to do is park ontop of a shroom and they're nigh invincible.
Speaking of, nifty trick for that. Torpedoes will bypass a larger ship's armor rings if a smaller ship is parked ontop of it and being targeted. There's lots of torp heavy smaller ships that can be used to take out Supply ships and Interdictors that are station camping, get 2-3 of them and any SS will be hard pressed to outrepair the damage.
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