Mixed-Tech Query

posted on January 30th, 2014, 2:31 pm

You should steal a Fed vessel as well. Depending on which avatar you pick, you could gain access to tech from the other avatar. I usually play Risner as Fed. Nabbing an AI Fed constructor usually gives me access to SOME of Mayson's tech ("some" because of how Fed tech works for new vessels with chassis research). Other matching race constructors will usually give you full access to the alternate avatar tech. (Like having both Dominion avatars.) But again, it depends on which avatar you pick. The AI tends to stick to one avatar and cheats anyway.

Risner's vessel with Mayson's Defense Platforms make for a potent combo.

I usually go for the more offensive-based avatar, so in my case it would be Risner.
Will be sure to try the tip above though, is there a way to determine which avatar the AI is using?

posted on January 30th, 2014, 4:38 pm

Whilst on the subject of Mixed-Tech, how exactly does the Borg work?

I've captured a construction ship (Klingon), built the yard, but can build no ships and my existing ships don't seem any different. Is it just that an alien yard (when playing as Borg) acts as a repair and re-crew facility only and you don't gain any additional ships or technology?

posted on January 30th, 2014, 4:59 pm

The Borg used to get special modules on their Adaptor ship, with the Yards mostly repairing assimilated or allied ships.

They removed the modules for the time being, so the Yards only repair for now.

posted on January 30th, 2014, 9:13 pm

I usually go for the more offensive-based avatar, so in my case it would be Risner.
Will be sure to try the tip above though, is there a way to determine which avatar the AI is using?

As far as I can tell, when playing Fed as Risner, the AI technically uses Mayson most of the time. The only time I've captured another Risner constructor is when there is more then one AI Fed faction in the skirmish.

Otherwise, you'd have to see which ships the AI are using. If you see Phalanxes at some point, it's Risner. If you see lots of Novas and Norways, it's Mayson. Just don't be surprised if the AI(s) seem to swap ships out randomly. I once noticed a Dom AI faction fielding both S-7 Defenders and Breen vessels. The AI does cheat a bit it seems.

Another option is finding the faction base and scanning over the stations. Each factions' stations will have tool-tips you can read and will usually indicate which avatar the AI is using. Just cross-reference the tool-tips with info from the guide on this site. (This is easiest to do if you have access to a cloaking vessel.)

I also have some fun stealing Fed Warp-in vessels. Sixteen Descents and another sixteen Teutoburgs are fun to play with. (Teutoburgs still died left and right if left unattended without defenders/escorts though.)

If playing Borg, I notice the AI tends to choose the Assimilate Avatar over Optimize (you can tell by the tool-tip for the Incubation Centers.) AI Doms tend to use Breen Avatar. Klingon AI tends to use TaQ'roja first. I haven't paid enough attention as Roms to notice which avatar Rom AIs use first.

posted on January 30th, 2014, 9:17 pm

The AI does cheat a bit it seems.

it's not so much it cheats, as that the ai is too dumb to do it properly. it can't respond to the choose avatar prompt. it also can't push certain buttons. check the tavara's it builds. it also builds borg ships using 1 uplink like a yard.

posted on January 30th, 2014, 11:17 pm

it's not so much it cheats, as that the ai is too dumb to do it properly. it can't respond to the choose avatar prompt. it also can't push certain buttons. check the tavara's it builds. it also builds borg ships using 1 uplink like a yard.

Cheat, bug, exploit... I thrive on technicalities, but sometimes I hate them.

I've noticed the Borg Uplink "yards" as well. As for the AI Tavara's, the thing I noticed about them is if I capture one, it can't be upgraded and is a full officer (Rank 5) vessel. Not sure if the upgrades get applied immediately like the rank promotions or I just can't do them myself.

Still, the AI comes off as stupid and/or cheating at times. Like I said, an AI Dom faction that can build both Pure-tech and Breen vessels baffled me for while. The time I first noticed it was especially baffling because it seemed like it was adapting which avatar to use based on the ships I was building. It was a Hard AI.

Still, this quirk of the AI does make it harder to figure out if you should bother to capture a matching faction's constructor in hopes of expanding your own forces. Fed have it the worst though. Researching one avatar's Chassis upgrades (any of them) will lock you out of the other avatar's branch. Chassis research is not universal to both avatars, but researching one will "research" the counterpart. Makes it impossible to field a fully mixed Fed fleet unless you capture opposing Fed forces like mad. I've only done that with Warp-ins.

Though giving Risner access to Mayson's Excelsiors and Defense Platforms is all you really need anyway. Novas would've been useful, though, but they are Chassis-upgrade only. If you use Risner, Mayson's Norways are kinda overshadowed by Risner's Akiras. Even more so if you have a Dom constructor and access to the Akira Mix-Tech variant with dual photons launcher (though weaker phaser array).

And regarding the Borg: I do hope mix-tech gets (re-)implemented for them. It feels REALLY weird that the faction that should shine with mix-tech and capturing (especially with them not having a rank/promotion system) gains the least from either currently.

posted on January 31st, 2014, 1:58 am

The AI has access to both Avatar's vessels. The AI is meant as a challenge, but not as a serious intelligent opponent - you can only find that online!


Mixed tech is currently undergoing a complete redo, as all the factions are . We'll have newsposts on that when the time comes.

posted on January 31st, 2014, 7:54 am

I usually go for the more offensive-based avatar, so in my case it would be Risner.
Will be sure to try the tip above though, is there a way to determine which avatar the AI is using?

As far as I can tell, when playing Fed as Risner, the AI technically uses Mayson most of the time. The only time I've captured another Risner constructor is when there is more then one AI Fed faction in the skirmish.

I came to the conclusion that the AI doesn't necessarily 'know' which avatar it's using and based on what else is written here, it sounds about right.

I've captured a Mayson construction ship, it allowed me to field some of his units and build all turrets (provided I had Mayson starfleet engineering + starfleet science).

What are the differences between Risner and Mayson pulse turrets? I've seen the differences between Risner and Mayson torpedo turrets and phaser turrets, but I haven't seen a mayson pulse turret fire at all (yet).

The AI has access to both Avatar's vessels. The AI is meant as a challenge, but not as a serious intelligent opponent - you can only find that online!

Mixed tech is currently undergoing a complete redo, as all the factions are . We'll have newsposts on that when the time comes.

Considering what you guys have done already, anything improving what we have now is just going to be awesome.
Do any A2 maps work with this mod or do they need some alteration to work? (This assumes the maps have no units on them)

posted on January 31st, 2014, 8:32 am

sorry no , any old map from a2 will not work.

only fo maps will do.

posted on January 31st, 2014, 8:36 pm

What are the differences between Risner and Mayson pulse turrets? I've seen the differences between Risner and Mayson torpedo turrets and phaser turrets, but I haven't seen a mayson pulse turret fire at all (yet).

I generally don't use Pulse Turrets, but the guide says Mayson's use Quantum Pulse Phasers instead of normal pulse phasers. I'm not exactly sure what the in-game difference between the two types, though. (i.e. I don't know the inherent gameplay differences.)

posted on January 31st, 2014, 9:08 pm

Mayson's Light Quantum Pulse does slightly more damage and has the recharge time increased by about half a second.

posted on February 1st, 2014, 7:06 am

The main difference to me is that light quantum pulses are blue, rather than the orange colour of the Defiant's pulse phasers.