The Dominion Dreadnought... redo!

posted on September 14th, 2009, 1:23 pm

Okay, I've experienced where when people play as the dominion they somehow get a dreadnought in early game. I propose this.

Mixed Tech research facility, this station researches on the technology necessary to build the dreadnought. The research would take about 3/4 hour to complete in order to be completed so you can build the dreadnoughts. This also allows other people to be able to build up so that they have their heavy ships by then. Because it seems unfair how the Dominion players build a dreadnought when most of us have cruisers and destroyers.

posted on September 14th, 2009, 1:27 pm

Balancing wise the Dreadnought is okay. Mixed-Tech has its own problems but those will be fixed in a future patch, but nothing that causes real imbalances at the moment

posted on September 14th, 2009, 1:31 pm

I don't see how Early game Dreadnoughts are any different to early game Galaxy/Descent class... especially since there is a more restricting limit to them.

posted on September 14th, 2009, 1:36 pm

The reason is because usually a person would have a dread and then a large spam of bugs. This usually wipes me out even as federation because of this happening.

Cronological order of events:
1] I call for a Decent class
2] the Decent arrives to help my cruisers
3] a couple of bugs ram my Decent
4] Bugs ram cruisers and destroyers
5] Dreadnought blows up my SFC station
6] Dreadnought blows up my shipyard
7] Dreadnought blows up my starbase
8] Everything else is destroyed

Can't we at least put something to halt this thing? Like double or triple constructing time? Because to me this is far out of balance!

posted on September 14th, 2009, 1:39 pm

The solution is easy.  Play without allies.  If there's no allies, then the dommies have to capture a construction ship or else they can never build a dreadnaught at all.

posted on September 14th, 2009, 1:42 pm

Well, if this is an MP game, how do I controll that?

Besides the Dreadnought is just as powerful as 6 Breen battleships! It can take out starbases without help! Has Optec or DOCA ever considered this imbalanced strategy? Because to me it is far too common. Who else encountered or used this tactic?

posted on September 14th, 2009, 1:52 pm

I rarely bother with the Dreadnought, it isn't really worth the time. Sure it's powerful, but it is also very slow.

posted on September 14th, 2009, 2:01 pm

All races should have options to counter a Dreadnought. If the player invests in an additional mixed-tech yard and the research, hos bug-count should be quite under your early game fleet. If he or she just builds the mixed tech yard.. oh well
Don't let the player get his Dreadnoughts.. or at least don't let them get to your base

Mixed Tech will be changed at some point in the future, to better integrate it into the tech tree and yield more interessting options out of it, but thats not yet possible technology wise. I still like the current system, and i don't see a real problem with it. nevertheless, the research time for Analyze Alien Technology has been increased a bit with the next patch

posted on September 14th, 2009, 2:05 pm

Okay, I can live with that... in the mean time I gotta figure out my quickest build up strategy. So if someone decides to spamm destroyers lead by a Dreadnought... I'll have sovies and a couple of Decents and maybe a phalanx too waiting for them.

posted on September 14th, 2009, 2:44 pm

A couple suggestions for dealing with the dreadnaught:

1.  scout ahead, especially with klingons or rommies, but even the feds.  Really, if your venture disapears, prepare for battle.

2.  A few Akiras with that shield boosting ability they have, mix it with a decent to recharge their shields to maximize effectiveness.

3.  Big one, if you can get them built fast enough, The defiants can cripple the weapons, and the dreadnaught is way too slow to escape.

4.  ACS torp on a couple of excelsior IIs.  (tricobalt torps on intrepids may work in a pinch)

5.  Remores to cripple the shields.  (preferably before the ACS torps)

6.  The bugs will only work correctly if they come in ahead of the Dreadnaught to kill the stuff you want to use to overpower it.  They still have weak shields/hull and are very susceptable to sensor blackout and plasma coil which do not have any friendly fire penalty and are thus ideal for the close quarters combat the bugs perfer.  Alternatively, engage them with destroyers if possibe before reaching your base to minimize your losses.  (destroyers generally cost less, and bugs kill at most 1 ship with a ram)

Please note that not all of these are required to beat that thing, play with a few combinations and figure it out.  I am well aware how much fed research costs, and doing all of these is unrealistic.

Other races have usefull specials too, try using the klingon energy dampening thing that drains special energy, this will help keep the dreadnaught from using its disabling ability so effectively.  If you can unload a few Polaron torps/fields on the thing.  Bottom line, plan ahead, diversify your fleet, and use your specials.

Well, its about time I got off my soap box.  This is starting to sound like a rant, which is not my intention.  I simply wanted to make a few suggestions on how to beat a specific unit.  Hope it helps.

posted on September 14th, 2009, 2:46 pm

Regarding 'how you control that'...

When you set up the game, set it to Free For All, teams locked, and everyone on a different team.  That stops the instant mixed-tech, and forces them to capture construction ships to get it.

posted on September 15th, 2009, 1:48 am

Questions:

Were you allied with someone else? Did you even bother to build the MT shipyard?

Fed + Klingon and Fed + Romulan provide very interesting units early game, like a Defiant with Antimatter mines or a Cloaking device. And Fed + Dominion would have given you the untractable Miranda II. Dreadnoughts and Miranda IIs... Brrr... Scary.

I suggest you play some Instant Action games with an allied AI for having early MT and check what those shipayrds can offer. I usually play me + Easy AI versus 6 Easy/Hard AIs (not allied, though it wouldn't make much of a difference).

posted on September 15th, 2009, 1:55 am

...Or the almighty E'Djen. Seriously, I can't believe people pass that vessel up. Its special is amazing for even cowardly Klingon retreats.

posted on September 15th, 2009, 2:01 am

It's one of those with a build cap of 20, right?

The one with the area-of-effect probe that disables any ship in range for like 5 seconds, sends the disabling pulse every 8 or 10 seconds and lasts 80 seconds?

It consumes 3 supplies, IIRC.

I agree it's a low blow to any pursuer.

posted on September 15th, 2009, 2:02 am

And the Saehir!

And for you Dommie players, sure the Dreadnaught is cool, but check out some of your other MT vessels.

Your C-11s get Shield Recharge from the rommies, if memory serves.  Now imagine 10 of those backing up a Dreadnaught!