Barracks Just noticed that cost of barracks where changed from 400 to 200. There was and is a long discussion ongoing in the forum about this. Have I missed the final discussion about this? I'm still against the 200 res barracks mostly because of barracks spam. And I don't think that ever the better team has lost, just because they lost their first barracks. Also I don't think, that the loosing team will have a real chance for victory just because they can place a barracks for 200. So here my opinion for the 200 res barracks: Pro 200 res barracks - Doesn't matter that much if you loose your first barracks - Commander has not to decide at which chokepoint he will place one barracks - Loosing team has maybe bigger change for comeback Con 200 res barracks - Barracks spam - No tactical decission at startup. Commander can place barracks at every chokepoint Alternate - Increasing costs for barracks (or all big buildings) e.g.: 1. barracks 300, 2. barracks 450, 3. barracks 600 ... Free APC spawn Don't think, that that's a good idea. This will only result in many early game ninja rushes. And APCs have already a very important role. They don't need any buff. PS: Where should I post such small issues/bugs: -Repair upgrade is not working -SMG1 and SMG2 images are switched. But why? -don't like the new repair sound. The old one is just to familiar.
What is the APCs role if not to spawn infantry? I'd like to hook APC spawns into mechanical engineering, that way basically everyone gets them after a few minutes.
9mining is the one feature cut in recent times that I feel was actually necessary. It takes a fuckton of skill to pull off an APC rush or a ridiculous skillstack, either way you're gunna win, it's just faster with an APC rush.
empties suggestion would delay early rushes too. but i like them and its no auto-win button. if you get countered by grens you wasted a lot of resources for your apcs and the enemy will lead on tech.
I don't think APC spawn is a horrible idea, but it was always too expensive and too long to get. You need to make it viable if I want to be competitive in the tank space, and that means half the cost and 30 seconds or less.
I would be happy with some sort of compromise, if the research cost like 150 res and took 20 seconds to research i would be happy with it, but i really like the ability to force my team to not use apcs.
I supported 400 res barracks but it just doesn't work that great. A squad of good players with revive (clantag squad) will just blow through the side of the map the enemy doesn't put a rax on and thats gg. As for APC spawn it NEEDS a research requirement but mechanical is enough. At the very least APC spawn needs to be very fast and very cheap, because no one researches it. The point is to stop apc rushes and prevent teams from just driving a spawnpoint to key locations before the enemy can run there. 600 res for the radar + 400 for the vf + 250 for mechanical + 300 for an armored apc is plenty to slow it down.
I say put it in the Mech opening, by the time one team has a radar it's way too late for an APC rush.
APC rushes were the least usefull part of APC spawns. If you had a horrible commander? Spawn a paper apc and hide it near the fight, if you were trying to assault a base but with no support? Spawn a paper apc and get it near the base. Fact is I haven't seen APC spawns researched 99/100 games...they make it so you can spawn and get in the action without walking for 2 minutes
The problem with researchable APC spawns is the same problem we had with the Gren upgrades: In a competition between rushing for fully-outfitted heavies and getting something to help infantry, heavies win every time. No exception. Empires is ultimately about getting the big tanks onto the field as fast as possible, and I think even a 20-second research item that provided no direct help to tanks would rarely, if ever, get used. And when someone gets the big tanks, the game is usually over...
Hence put it in Mechanical for free when the tree is opened, every team will open mechanical at one point.
This was the usual strategy for e.g. mvalley. Every commander placed as many barracks as possible in the north. So it was sometimes an endless stalemate. In the latest SVN version you need no research for APC spawn. Just build a VF at startup and rush with your mobile barracks. As you see for example at emp_provinggrounds (with free APCs at startup) the result is sometimes a base switch at beginning. I would like to see the research for APC spawn much cheaper and faster but not for free. It should be a tactical decision by commander. Current research: 400 res, 60 seconds New research: 200 res, 30 seconds But the game will also work with cheap barracks and free APC spawn. This will add much more ninja attacks to gameplay. Don't know if we would like this or not. But how do we prevent that endless discussion from the suggestion forum? Should one developer make a poll?
Nobody researches APC spawns because 90% of the time they add nothing to the game, but 10% of the time they would have won it or saved it, so it's very irritating. Tactical decision is bullshit, they either come in handy or they don't.
APC spawns as mentioned do add a lot but rarely get researched, perhaps rather than APC spawns being its own research, it automatically enables when you research upgraded chassis, like (or instead of) mark 2s, that prevents early rushes but keeps them in the game. Raxes I'm indifferent to, I don't think either cost really affects things, if a team sucks they'll lose their rax, if they don't suck they will kill the other team's rax, the cost has little effect because once you lose/destroy the first rax you lose/win the game.
eh i use apc's alot. 1 apc tricked out can take a rax from full health to 0 in 21 seconds. with proper armor and engine (and weapons) you can support mrk 2's vs mediums with them as is.. theyre really not that weak and spawn as stated above can be devistating when used by a solo player, as a scout for alot of fun, just wondering if the health of the rax is being lowerd sense the price is? if so this should be alot easyer.
First rax should be 200, after that 300, 400 etc. Or they should all be 300. Re-adding APCspawns is bullshit. It's 20 minutes, 90 seconds of which you needed to spend sooner or later. So it's ridiculous to re-add it.
