Lord Scrimm
	Any particular reason why Warbots now have negative Ground Combat Factors? This actually makes Starbases with large quantities of Warbots MORE vulnerable to attack. Rich Fanning aka Lord Lawrence Scrimm CIA Director of Regional Operations
David Bethel
	Yes warbots were changed to have -ve control factors to provent them becoming the best ground weapon. Essentially they need troops to keep them in line but doing this costs control factors. There a few other things that will get -ve control also but it should not be unexpected. Warbots still make an excellent ship boarder.... Basically they require ground crew factors to run them....
Jons
	Maybe somebody can explain this to my tiny mind? Having Warbots is now a huge penalty to Starbases as it seems (from all the printouts that I have seen) to greatly reduce all the control factors, even when you have large amounts of troops. Cheers Jons - SMS
Lord Scrimm
	QUOTE (Jons @ Jun 30 2003, 03:49 AM) Maybe somebody can explain this to my tiny mind?  Having Warbots is now a huge penalty to Starbases as it seems (from all the printouts that I have seen) to greatly reduce all the control factors, even when you have large amounts of troops.   Bingo! Perhaps Warbots should just have 0 GCF's to prevent them from being able to take control of starbases. This ensures that Troops have to accompany them in any type of "hostile takeover". As it stands right now I'm contemplating renaming my starbases to... [politically incorrect national reference removed] Cheers, Rich Fanning aka Lord Lawrence Scrimm CIA Director of Regional Operations
Romanov
	Has this changed resulted in warbots losing the movement ability? From the tm Warbot (850) - 1 mu Warbots are a common sight during Periphery ground combat. They weigh the same as an ordinary troop but have superior combat factors. They however need operators to function effectively. Item Type: Vehicle Required Crew Factors: 1 Build Requirment: 1.00 Metals (1) Movement Rate: 50 (Ground) Attack Range: Short Ground Combat Factors: 1 Preferred Spread: Normal On Thursday I delivered some warbots to a GP. It then moved one sector on that day but the end of turn printout stated | Manoeuvre Speed: 0 g Orbit Time: Incapable | | Landing Time: Incapable Takeoff Time: Incapable | | | and the GP will not now move. I have sent the turn to Mica but a general update from David would be helpful. Nic
Lord Scrimm
	The change to Warbots occurred sometime between the Starbase Printout after Thursday and before Friday (at least according to the results from my Starbase printouts which show the change on Friday's printouts, but not on Thursdays) Cheers, Rich Fanning aka Lord Lawrence Scrimm CIA Director of Regional Operations
Romanov
	Just checked it was Friday not Thursday that I had my warbot problem. Sorry to confuse. Nic
Jons
	OK I got my first colony printout back with the new warbot spec's on it. Because they have their prefered spread as 'none' they apply the full negative control factors to all five spread types I has assumed that they would be given a spread type and that the normal halving factors would apply to the sreads either side but the full penatly to all of them? I think this is very extreme and will not result in having more troops to make up the control factors but warbots being scrapped unless you have enough soliders to counter them... Solider 4dam 4factors - spread:Norm = 4 Norm, 2 closed/open, 1 packed/disperse Merc - 2dam 2factors - spread:close = 2 close, 1 packed/norm etc So you are looking at having 1 soldier per warbot to end up with a zero result in packed and disperse. This is fine for the war aff's that have the ability to generate solider blueprints but what about the rest of us? We will have to scrap warbots to increase our control factors Cheers Jons
Lord Scrimm
	Back when I had Full Combined Arms Training and Full Warbot Training, I could control 6 Warbots with every troop - how about a conversion that puts the negative control factors along the lines of -.33 control factors to represent this? 1 troop /6 warbots controlled in BSE 1 Merc (2 GCF) controls 6 Warbots (-2 GCF) in Phoenix This evens out the Warbot's usefulness as a Starbase defender without crippling people SO much, and allows the non-war Affs to recruit operators for Warbots. War oriented Affs will have an initial advantage, but then, that happens anyways Rich Fanning aka Lord Lawrence Scrimm CIA Director of Regional Operations
Mica Goldstone
	QUOTE (Jons @ Jul 2 2003, 11:39 AM) We will have to scrap warbots to increase our control factors This is not true. Each starbase has a dispersion. This is set by the player. Attacking GP's change their spread to that of the starbase. So if you only have soldiers then choose the close spread (this being the soldiers best spread) and modify your shields and the likes to accomodate this. Basically we refuse to create a system such that one tactic is superior to all others. As David says, trust us to write a good well balanced game - it is simply not in our interests to write a pile of rubbish! With this in mind we will probably go down the route of swapping warbots for other similar items.
David Bethel
	QUOTE 1 troop /6 warbots controlled in BSE with combined arms + warbot training --> which was converted to vet troops. Vet troops control 8->16 warbots.... We are thinking of a general fix that will convert all warbots in starbases to tanks... not sure yet. I would say suggest something but i'm jaded now.
Lord Scrimm
	How about RDB's - static emplacement, nice defensive weapon, no control factors Rich Fanning aka Lord Lawrence Scrimm CIA Director of Regional Operations
Mica Goldstone
	QUOTE (Lord Scrimm @ Jul 2 2003, 11:36 PM) How about RDB's - static emplacement, nice defensive weapon, no control factors Genius
Jons
	Hi guys, yes I have great faith in your ability to run a balanced or I would not be spending the money I am a week or been playing for more than 5 years My main worry was that I have had reports of a great many starbases going into minus in all spreads of control factors, so going from strong defensively to weak. I consider the RDB suggestion an excellant compromise and has my full agreement. Thanks for caring enough about the game to listen to my gripes.... Cheers Jons
David Bethel
	QUOTE Has this changed resulted in warbots losing the movement ability? Just checked warbots and they seem to work fine - sure its not your gp having an mu of something ? Unless something got clicked off on the item on the KJC side ?
Mica Goldstone
	QUOTE (David Bethel @ Jul 3 2003, 03:54 PM) QUOTE Has this changed resulted in warbots losing the movement ability? Just checked warbots and they seem to work fine - sure its not your gp having an mu of something ? Unless something got clicked off on the item on the KJC side ? The GP was trying to move by shuttle but only had ground movement. It should have defaulted to ground movement though - so a bug.
Nik
	I would still like some warbots at my colony for boarding purposes. Can, say, 80% be converted to RDBs and the rest left as warbots. Nik
Kragnost
	Convert them all and then if you want some warbots build some. Converting 80% (or any other %age) for some people might be find but for others it could still be too few. The only fair (and easy) way to do it if there is to be a conversion from warbots to another item is to do them all in my opinion.
Duckworth-Lewis
	Well only convert Mk 1 Warbots (or 80% of mk 1) - it may be that some starbases have higher mk warbots that they dont have blueprints for...
David Bethel
	Well what about letting that use -5% of control factors and a max of 1 per soldier ? And the rest are converted ?