[piratez] Base Defense mechanics

[Meridian]

So, with 0.97 we got Armored Vaults... and I was wondering... has this aspect (aerial base defense) changed somehow in piratez compared to xcom?

In classic xcom, building base defense structures is not only pointless, it is actually is bad for you:
1/ without tech, you need to build 12+ starting defenses to stand a chance of shooting down a battleship... incredible waste of money and space in your base...
2/ late game (basically when you're ready to go to mars anyway), when you have grav shield and fusion defenses, you need 4 fusion defenses and a grav shield to shoot down battleships (sometimes 3 is enough, but 4 is better... sometimes even 4 fail to shoot it down if you're unlucky)
3/ no matter in which phase you are, once they find you, they will start sending "herds of battleships" ( (tm) NeptunesNookGames) until you finally give up from frustration and dismantle all base defense facilities and allow them to attack

Has this changed in any way? Especially point 3) ?

PS: Feel free to post also spoilers...

[Cristao]

Never bothered to build the stuff for the reason you posted. Countless waves of attacks. It would be good if the flag reset.

[Arthanor]

There's a few changes in Piratez, most importantly that there are base attacks with other UFOs than battleships (or Cruisers in Piratez names). A boarding torpedo for example has a log less hp so early defences can take it out even if you don't have 10 of them.

The only real use for it though, is to destroy the first UFO sent to your base and give you some warning time, since the "herds of battleships" problem is still there. That's also the reason I never bothered with defences, if I have to fight a base defence any ways, might as well do it now.

[niculinux]

To be honest...emh..i never ever finished the vanilla game....but never give much importance to base defence. Yes, in the vanille were virtually useless, unless yuo had q0 of them, hope Dioxine would rearrange the matter, making these of some actual usage

[Dioxine]

There are 5 possible landing ships that can attack your base, ranging from 400 to 3600 HP.

@Arthanor: shooting down a landing ship stops retaliation, unless this vanilla bug was re-introduced, but I don't think so...

[Arthanor]

hum.. really? That (and the variations in attack crafts) would make defences actually useful!

I guess I could cheat a save to test that.

[DracoGriffin]

Yeah, the supposed infinite battleship bug is fixed in OpenXcom; that is, it no longer does that.

[Arthanor]

Seriously? That and the variety of attack ships make defenses a lot more meaningful in Piratez with the long campaigns, to deal with the monthly retaliation missions after some months.

Great news! Or not.. now I have to find space for defences.. ah! If only infinite bases had made it in..

[Dioxine]

If only infinite bases had made it in..

No love lost, because they wouldn't be allowed in the mod anyway Although I will make defense facilities a bit more multi-tasked.

[Arthanor]

I would love there being some space for a garrison (making it a sort of fort). Something like defence + outpost which gives you ~15-20 beds, radar, defence and just enough storage to have 15 guns, clips and explosives in case they get past the defence.

Between the two, you don't need much storage, as a vault is cheap and quick to build any ways, but the added beds would be good. 10 gals is small for a garrison even if you go the "baby nuke defence" way, and there's no point building two outposts since the radar component is redundant. If adding a defence gave extra gals, then they would go well together and give you another solid defensive option to go with the barracks+vaults combo.

Outpost + Defence: Less storage, less gals, some radar, less likely to have to fight the battle -> Better for quick and cheap hangar hideouts.
Barracks + Vaults: More storage, more gals, no radars -> Better for the actual base defence battle and barracks are long term better than outposts, but more expensive.

[Dioxine]

No storage, since you don't want precious items laying around the lower floor, which tends to happen if I add storage to defense facilities. I went for a garrison of 10 for each of 2 basic defensive facilities. About the other ideas... We'll see what fits bets The defensive barracks will definitely appear (Barracks + some storage + small AA gun).

[Arthanor]

I just saw you added beds to the early defences. I think that works well (beds are a rather scarce resources since living quarters are so small). The outpost has some storage, which should be enough to outfit 20 gals (if you are careful). It makes outpost + defense a nice foil, where you get enough hands to defend the base, and some odds of not having to fight the battle at all if it is a weakly armoured craft. Very nice

[niculinux]

May be aslo interesting to have a facility called "bunker" providing antiaicraft defence and a quite useful spot during the base infantry battles :p it may host soem fixed guns, maybe even tanks...