Honestly? The server as it stands now lacks the proper diversity to test these
settings under critical conditions. It won't be until the software is rolled out
over multiple servers that we'll get sufficient diversity to test these fixes, and
by then they will be more difficult to have changed. From an efficiency standpoint
it makes more sense to thought-test potential changes before they're made.

So I'll ask again, since nobody has bothered to argue on the level yet, how can
you beef up the defenses of an lv0 or lv1 planet such that the costs make alien
farming prohibitive?

Under the current situation and a Sub Zero edit, the alien planets are too easy to cap even for a solo player. When Ops use whatever planet setting script they are using, it makes the planets worthless for a solo player even in a 45k turn game. Resources required vs gains just aren't there when you think about the cit progression of the planets. The resources wasted in capping an alien homeworld leave you open for invasion by the person who is cashing and not wasting resources. Even in an unlim the current settings used may not be worth the resources spent by a solo - a lot depends on who the other players are.

I see what Sing is saying in regard to the alien farming, and the difficulty in setting defenses based on the planets perceived value (which if I am solo with the above settings is 0). An L6 is nice to have, but at what cost? I take out 3-4M fighters along with a couple of poddings and I will probably be wide open. Eat enough corb defending and game over.

               / Promethius / Enigma / Wolfen /

"A man who has no skills can be taught, a man who has no honor has nothing."

Nod. Mostly, at the moment, I'm talking about lv0 and lv1 cits. They're insanely
easy to take and provide no defensive cover all. Even alien sector figs are useless,
since you can photon right in. That's the problem w/ alien farming, it's in a different
realm than invasions and treating it as an invasion scenario misses the exploit
entirely.

As for lv6 planets, that's never easy. A lot depends on the speed of cits. If we're
talking about a subzero with 0 day Cs, and 2 day strikers, then there really isn't
much point to taking the alien worlds until the game is locked down and you're
bored. If you're talking about much slower cits, then an LV6 can make a big
difference, but that's probably not the kind of game you play.

Yes honestly. Wait until you see the suggested fix. If the aliens create product like regular planets, ie based on colo production like other planets in the game, instead of instantly filling the planets with product then the alien farming bug is dead. Besides, any fix is better than the bug the way it is now.

H



What do you do if you find another trader's Lv0 or Lv1? If they are dumb enough to have colos creating product and figs, you strip them and destroy them. (or just strip them, if you cannot destroy them)

H

Uhm.

1. That isn't the fix that JP proposed. That would mean turning off the alien fill function,
which apparently caused controversy.

2. No, have you read anything I've written? Take for instance aliens dropping their figs on
planets. Now take the lv0 and lv1 case. If aliens drop figs on lv0 and lv1, that makes alien
farming more profitable. So actually, no... some fixes are worse than the way it is now.

3. The question is: Was the bug fixed. The question is binary, either yes or no. If the problem
isn't fixed, it doesn't matter what else is done, the answer is still no. So for the sake of the
question, there is no half-measure.



Do you know what alien farming is? It's where you pop a planet in alien space and let them
fill it up. Colonists have nothing to do with this. As it is now, aliens drop product onto planets.
Because they have no turn limit, they drop a lot of product on planets, usually till it's full.
So basically you pop a planet in alien space, wait for them to fill up the planet, and then
drain it. Not so useful in unlims, since resources aren't a problem unless ore is tight, but it
makes aliens very problematic in any kind of turns game.

Nobody really cares if someone stumbles onto them, normally you just defend alien space
and fill it full of planets. You'll get your share of free resources, they're pretty easy to defend
since aliens don't hit limps.

Now yes, if alien fill is turned off, that would fix the problem. But, then again, that's exactly
one of the things I proposed, isn't it?

I pretty much ignored what you wrote only because its completely based on a bunch of what-ifs. Its not that I don't value your opinion cause I do, I just think you are jumping the gun.

H

I think the best fix , is if alien finds any planet less then level 4 or 5
it is removed from game or ignored.

Level 4 or 5 , upgraded .. filled and cannons set .. that should make the
appropriate change/fix.

But subject to approval and other thoughts.

my 2¢

JP has already commented on what he wants to do. That isn't a what-if. It's not
jumping the gun if we're told in advance what's going to happen. There's also
nothing wrong with providing enough feedback to educate and direct the flow
of development. That is, ostensibly, the point of this forum.

I swear. You're the second person in this thread to suggest that it's best to just
shut up and go with whatever. D asked a legitimate question, and I'd like to get
a legitimate level answer. That's why this forum exists, the "shut up and wait"
suggestion is flat out dumb. I mean I know you feel the need to project JP and
all, but I'm quite sure he's capable of doing that himself.



Yeh, I agree, that would definitely fix the problem. Either remove the planet or
ignore the planet, but whatever... just don't fill it. Once it's lv5, then fill it. Lv4
is a toss-up, ppl can always torp in and take it cheaply. An lv5 costs pods.

Sing , lets not forget .. if aliens fill planets they should also set cannons to
do the most efficient damage against ships of that edit.

Make it cost to take these planets , that will deter this practice.

Simpler to have aliens ignore all planets Except there homeworld

I just want to point out that the aliens filling planets with product is a bug, not intended behavior, and I'd like to fix that and then see where we are.

I believe it's fixed. I popped a few planets in alien space on the beta server...has not been filled yet and it's been 24 hours since I did so.