R.E.A.R.M. - "Rearmament Expansion And Redesign Mod" is an unofficial Homeworld 2 expansion and it adds number of new interesting and various units.
I'm giving you modular platforms. I know, it's weird, but I also know there are a few people who are going to like it.
I'm not really sure why I've spent a whole horrible day by copying tones of subsystems and other painfully boring stuff around this, I guess probably just because I could. To be honest there's no purpose for this thing, it's not even a good idea and the design of the triple platforms is pretty questionable. As we all know, the specialized units are better, generalist just tend to fail. But I think it could be a nice toy so... no I still don't know why I did this.
Anyway, for those who won't like it, for those who don't like micromanagement, don't worry:
-They are hidden under the research no one will have time for anyway
-Only a one single ship will be able to build the triple ones, every other production unit will build only double platforms, so they won't threaten you, you don't need them, they won't have any extra weapons like MDD, you won't be forced into any micromanagement.
Worst thing about this is that promised myself to finish the MBC, but instead I did this.
I think they look good
You should make the tripple one be connected in a triangle like thing instead of one giant line. i still love it though!
That's why it's questionable. Hiigaran Triple turrets were literally my very second ship I modified for Homeworld. It's not good but it's also not that so to be thrown away, so I'm keeping it (but I thought about it a lot). But I'm planning some bigger platforms/stations and they'll be definitely made from scratch, there'll be no connecting anymore.
You should make a mod After R.E.A.R.M that you put all the things that didnt make success in R.E.A.R.M and call it the Random mod :D
As much as it was a basic early thing you did, to get into modding, I still think it incredibly logical to link up these platforms in such a way as you have.
It is 'cheap', and that is precisely why I think that 'they' would have done this eventually.
They would look to improve and upgrade their Platforms at some stage.
(Hrm, did the Hiigarans believe in Planned Obsolescence too?)
This R&D takes time and RU.
In the mean-time, as a stop-gap measure, some genius came up with the simple yet effective idea of linking individual Platforms, using Off The Shelf technology already available to them, to improve the current Platforms combat effectiveness quickly, while the Next Generation Platforms are developed.
Works for me.
This actually makes a lot of sense to me too.
After all, why make something new when you can reuse? I think this is the mentality of many militaries on Earth - I really don't see it being too much different in the future - especially in space.
like the russians almost all their weapons now days (infantry held)are based off the ak-47 cahssie
They could make for a nice defense line. I don't know why you don't like them... =(. Maybe if you changed the desing a bit they would be a bit more interesting.
most of the U.S. militaries equipment is pretty old. the M16 came out during vietnam the c130 is pretty old as well as the b52 so if its kept in good condition it could last a very long time. id imagine in space it might last longer since theres no "air" hence no corrosion, rusting and such. only battle damage micrometeorites, ice and friction between parts
That's a good point.
Don't forget the trusty A10 either... and the stuff that all the nations do have in space is a conglomeration of suff from the early space age modified, upgraded, and added onto with current space technology.
On the other hand... I have my vote with those that rather dislike the tripple guns platforms anyway, so I'm arguing against myself. I would like to see them redone... but I would rather they be left the same, and have Pouk work on other things.
The triple platforms are researchable now, so you have to deliberately take an action to have them.
Its a good idea Pouk.
I like the idea of being able to tailor make my defenses as required. In theory, with these modular platforms, I can make a pltform that can effectively defend against capital ships and fighters at the same time.
I'll maybe disappoint you, but right now they can't adapt. There's something about the retirement of the turret subsystems, they haven't it activated by default (probably because they can't retire themselves), but I wasn't exploring it because I like it just the way it is.
So once built, the modules are permanent? Oh well, Can't say that I would rather spend the time retiring and rebuilding six turrets instead of just building two platforms, myself. I definitely wouldn't want to get into a situation where I have six modular tripple ion turrets, and I get sneak attacked by a bunch of strikecraft, so I then try and retire all those modules and rebuild flak turrets (or whatever). That wouldn't work too well.
No, I would rather be able to relocate platforms instead. They already are fairly slow, and cannot attack while in transit, so why not allow them to move indefinitely?
TBH I never got this in HW either. They're vulnerable as it is and really leaving them static is a waste of RU unless you know your enemy will be coming for you there and you know they'll be stupid enough to fight the platforms.
As for using them offensively - never got that either. I think slower speed and perma-move would counter the fact that you just spam them to your enemies RU patch.
Take it this way: Platforms are just useless and this thing is literally made to be a toy you'll never build again after you'll try it for the first time. It's like a bonus to the current platforms. I wanted the weapons to be definitive exactly as definitive is the turret placement (because it fits that way -one shot move, one chance to arm it). But to be honest it's not that unchangeable anyway, because enemy can easily destroy the weapons and you can rearm (it's not that the weapons would have low HP, it's because the platform itself doesn't have much health and making the weapons more armored would cause that the whole platform would be more armored).
It's not important anyway, so why bother with it.
But making them actually useful? Well why not, but I don't think they should be 100% mobile, they should keep being defensive structures. Not because you need defense like this in HW2, but just because attacking with platform is ridiculous. It could be changed, but I'd like to see a different concept than turning them into slow frigates.
In PTV I use platforms with a speed of maybe 150 or 200 (in HW2 original game terms this is about 50).
Makes them completely useless in attacking but a great way to spam defenses around your mothership/carrier if you screw it up and the enemy has lots of ships around you.
I've honestly never really how much of a real effect it has on gameplay as I never build platforms (doesn't that sound familiar?).
Part of the platform being useful deal is that in online matches of v1.0 of HW2, players would spam platforms against newbie players who didn't know that anti-corvette weaponry tears right through platfroms. The inexperienced players then spammed the forums with complaints about trying "everything" to kill the platforms, from bomber spam, to heavy missile frigate spam, and being unsucessful. So, the 1.1 update decreased both platforms resistance to all weapons (making them more vulnerable). However, this made them useless, because anything could kill them fairly quickly. So, the ability to slowly move (and relocate) balances things in favor of relocating your defenses, but it doesn't really make them possible attack ships.
You want something different than just slow speed though, so what if you allowed resource collectors to (externally) dock to platforms, and this allows the platforms to move again after moving for the first time. Maybe multiple resource collectors would be needed for larger platforms/stations. However, if you have any resource collectors docked, the platform would not be able to fire at all, even while stopped.
Or, some ship (drone, probe, platform) has an area of effect ability where any platforms (probes, etc.) within the AoE are allowed to move (indefinitely). Due to the nature of the platform movement, you should be able to tell your platform(s) to move to a new location, and when they leave the AoE, they will continue as normal.
I use platforms alot!for me its never useless.
they present an awesome fighter/frigate defense and my mate always spamss figs so yeah and they look cool just mkae them able to build hyperspace unit on them and use them like the vaygar hyperspace gates
Hiigarans won't definitelly have HS gates for strikecrafts.
oh and i very much like hell_Diguner's idea :)