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TheSuperHackers
Should USA Laser Tank require power?
In VZH Laser Tanks require 1 power to operate, this is not only a weird mechanic, but it creates a few issues:
- It makes Laser Gen pretty defenseless when low powered
- Even while you are low powered, Laser Tanks will still continue to build and clog up your War Factory for a while even after your power returns
- It requires a larger investment to build an army with Laser Gen as you have to build power plants as well, which seems like a lot for a unit that's only marginally better than a Crusader
Proposal 1
Remove power requirement entirely
Proposal 2
Give it a global control rods upgrade that cancels out its power consumption, so it still gets disabled when you get low powered, but it doesn't slowly eat up your power when spammed
Proposal 3
Improve its performance to make it worth having to go through all the trouble of building power plants (i.e. give it explosion damage to make it good against infantry as well)
Proposal 4
Keep Laser Tank Power consumption, but do not power them off on low power.
Proposal 5
On low power, disable turret but keep the ability to drive.
Proposal 6
Reverse of proposal 5: Keep immobilization but keep turret operable.
Proposal 7
Increase attack range of Laser Tank: more then rocket defenders, less than artillery. Proposed in #2522
It makes Laser Gen pretty defenseless when low powered
That is the whole point. That's pretty much the entire lore of Lasergen xD
It makes Laser Gen pretty defenseless when low powered
That is the whole point. That's pretty much the entire lore of Lasergen xD
Indeed. The bigger issue for me is the "require 1 power". I can live with them being disabled, but I hope the requirement can be canceled out at least 🙃
Laser Tanks typically come in lower numbers in matches. It is a risk to build them due the risk of power outage, therefore it is almost always better to just spam Humvees instead.
It is a weird, counterintuitive and often frustrating mechanic that lowers strategic diversity and tends to catch a lot of players off-guard. I don't see many upsides to the behaviour. It felt much nicer to play when ShockWave removed it.
It would certainly help in common early team-game situations where laser crusaders are fending off sneaky gattling tanks and a GLA bombs the power, effectively ending Townes' ~carrier~ career.
Perhaps they could have a different penalty for low power?
Not possible afaik
in 1.06 they increased power requirement still, but didn't power off on low power.
Idk Laser Tanks aren't that special, they're obviously very strong but not sure if low power should be that punishing, especially if he spammed more of them. Direct competitors don't have this downside.
Perhaps they could have a different penalty for low power?
Would be cool if turret can still operate, but can't move.
I am in favour of simply removing the power mechanic. While it will change gameplay, and I don't hate the mechanic, it is a little strange and will simplify the game. From a balance perspective laser tanks aren't terribly overpowered or overused.
Laser tank Spam owns in late game big economy games though, in FFAs especially, combo-ed with avengers, they crack every other army like biscuits, even Air force, and power is no big issue there.
Laser tank Spam owns in late game big economy games though, in FFAs especially, combo-ed with avengers, they crack every other army like biscuits, even Air force, and power is no big issue there.
Yes, however USA can do the same, albeit more expensive, but at this point this doesn't matter as much anymore in huge eco games.
Laser is better because it's not just about Laser tanks, you also have the best defense in the game, laser Patriots
Laser is better because it's not just about Laser tanks, you also have the best defense in the game, laser Patriots
Overall laser is better in ffa for sure. Offensively the only problem he has are nuke cannons and infernos, which tomahawks can take care of easy.
Laser Power Plant produces 8 power (16 with upgrade). Normal and AFG USA Power Plants are 5/10 respectively.
It would feel weird if Lasergen cared less about power than other USAs.
It is nice though that Laser Powerplant already compensates a bit for the Laser Tank power requirement. This makes it appear less of a burden. If Laser Tank power consumption was removed, Power Plant likely would need tweaking too.
Laser Power Plant produces 8 power (16 with upgrade). Normal and AFG USA Power Plants are 5/10 respectively.
It would feel weird if Lasergen cared less about power than other USAs.
It should also be noted that Laser Defense Turrets consume 5 power (despite what the tooltip says) vs 3 for Patriot Batteries.
It is nice though that Laser Powerplant already compensates a bit for the Laser Tank power requirement. This makes it appear less of a burden. If Laser Tank power consumption was removed, Power Plant likely would need tweaking too.
In the 1.06 example I mentioned above they made it so that laser tanks still add to the power requirement, but don't shut off when power is low.
Proposal 4
Keep Laser Tank Power consumption, but do not power them off on low power.
It is nice though that Laser Powerplant already compensates a bit for the Laser Tank power requirement. This makes it appear less of a burden. If Laser Tank power consumption was removed, Power Plant likely would need tweaking too.
Speaking of which are there plans of using Laser Gen's unused purple control rods for this patch to visually show that he has better reactors? https://www.moddb.com/mods/nproject-mod/images/advanced-cold-fusion-reactor#imagebox
It should also be noted that Laser Defense Turrets consume 5 power (despite what the tooltip says) vs 3 for Patriot Batteries.
Fixed Russian. The others seem already to be correct.
Speaking of which are there plans of using Laser Gen's unused purple control rods for this patch to visually show that he has better reactors?
Can do. Superweapon General also has different color.
SWG produces 5 only. The difference is the Control Rods upgrade. So any visual difference should exist before Control Rods.
Speaking of which are there plans of using Laser Gen's unused purple control rods for this patch to visually show that he has better reactors?
Can do. Superweapon General also has different color.
Red would be cool, best associated with Laser I think.
I am totally against the removal as imo it adds game depth and contributes to different, unique play styles vs Laser for example as Chinav, Tank or Nuke.
I agree with less Vees overall is a good approach.
For me there are a few propsals thinkable.
1 Reduce Power consumption of Laser Tanks (mabye to 50% only)
2 Reduce Cannon Fire rate and/or speed if Laser gen in low Power condition as its not too drastic this way then powering off completly.
Reduce Power consumption of Laser Tanks (mabye to 50% only)
Laser tank power consumption is already set to 1, and decimal values can't be used, so it can't be lowered further
Reduce Cannon Fire rate and/or speed if Laser gen in low Power condition as its not too drastic this way then powering off completly.
Not possible. Though I once had a similar idea where Laser Tanks would have Gattling Tank rapid fire, but backwards to they fire slower over time to simulate overheating
Is it possible that it still shoots and not moves OR still moves and not shoots?