Fractal Softworks Forum

Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Advanced search  

News:

Starsector 0.97a is out! (02/02/24); New blog post: Planet Search Overhaul (07/13/24)

Author Topic: untrue harassment mechanic  (Read 962 times)

Szasz

  • Captain
  • ****
  • Posts: 323
    • View Profile
untrue harassment mechanic
« on: May 19, 2022, 12:57:58 PM »
Technically I couldn't put this under "Bugs & Support", because I think this is either intended or an oversight but I was never fond of the flowchart how SS handled battles and here's a good example why: enemy fleet wiped out of existence, their station and two tankers are out of range and the player has no option to simply leave or stomp harassers, only to destroy the station or suck up a major logistics loss.
This harassment costed exactly 704 supplies for a 265 DP fleet.
Please tell me who was able to conduct the badgering at this point. Even deploying all of my ships in a pursuit would have been more cost efficient.
I know that it's possible to construct some explanation that won't hold water and I'll find this mechanic out of place anyway. Can you please change this and stuff like that negotiation dialogue that makes the opposing force look completely stupid if the player has a large fleet?

[attachment deleted by admin]
Logged

Kakroom

  • Commander
  • ***
  • Posts: 172
    • View Profile
Re: untrue harassment mechanic
« Reply #1 on: May 22, 2022, 12:05:17 AM »
This is intended, although it has been a subject of debate in the past

I like it, although I think it would feel a little more fair if harassment wasn't a blanket effect and there were variables which affected how well an enemy force could harass you; perhaps if you have a large number of pursuit craft their harassment can be less effective, and vice a versa (enemy force is lighter and faster = more effective) and if the power level difference between your fleets is so great as to make provoking you unwise they might choose to simply let you go.
Logged

Alex

  • Administrator
  • Admiral
  • *****
  • Posts: 24875
    • View Profile
Re: untrue harassment mechanic
« Reply #2 on: May 22, 2022, 08:03:01 AM »
(I vaguely recall changing it so that the enemy wouldn't harass in a situation like this, at some point after the most recent release, btw.)
Logged

Linnis

  • Admiral
  • *****
  • Posts: 1012
    • View Profile
Re: untrue harassment mechanic
« Reply #3 on: May 22, 2022, 10:54:34 PM »
Couldn't this be fixed with an easy extra step in the engagement interaction window?

A player always gets to choose if they want to engage with the station. If not, then it asks the if the AI fleet would engage without aid of the station.

 If both answers are NO, then nothing happens and the encounter ends.

If Yes, then normal station fight.

If No, then Yes. Then normal fight without station.
Logged

LinWasTaken

  • Commander
  • ***
  • Posts: 189
    • View Profile
Re: untrue harassment mechanic
« Reply #4 on: May 23, 2022, 03:44:38 AM »
Quote from: Linnis on May 22, 2022, 10:54:34 PM
Couldn't this be fixed with an easy extra step in the engagement interaction window?

A player always gets to choose if they want to engage with the station. If not, then it asks the if the AI fleet would engage without aid of the station.

 If both answers are NO, then nothing happens and the encounter ends.

If Yes, then normal station fight.

If No, then Yes. Then normal fight without station.
wouldn't that be abused by the AI as well when they send multiple fleets at your colony and when you try to intercept them you don't get the help from your station?
Logged