Starbase vs Outpost

posted on February 25th, 2010, 10:42 am

I havent been in here for a long time and trying to catch up on all the changes.  This version of FO is absolutely fantastic.  However, the first FO had the Outpost and also the true huge Starbase build.  I dont see that version of Starbase in this version.  I only see the Outpost.  Am I missing something?

This is the one I'm looking for.

posted on February 25th, 2010, 11:21 am

Welcome mate, hope you'll have fun with this game and you'll join us in online games

About the question: No, you cant build the huge Starbase in this version of FO. I think they removed it after beta 2. If I remember correctly though, I think it will make an appearance sometime in the future, but I dont know if it will be buildable or just a special map object

posted on February 25th, 2010, 12:43 pm

Well, a Starbase would only makes sense in a single layer campaign. In the normal battles you build your outpost and defense platforms. A starbase would cost around 10k dil. and a similar amount of tritanium - with that monster, you destroy your whole economy and the constructor-shi will build half an hour ingame for it only for having a... station somewhere.

This game is about fleets. A "behind story" or even economy system like in Birth of Federation is not possible - so it will only give you an advantage on very large maps where you have all time in the world or like I said in single player campaigns, that are work in progress.

posted on February 25th, 2010, 1:38 pm

It was expensive to build in the original FO but it sure looked awesome from the other side of the map.  Seeing that Starbase was intimidating to say the least and watching ships come out of it was very nice.

posted on February 25th, 2010, 2:14 pm

The Spacedock was pretty nice, largest Station in the show aside from the Dyson sphere and a Borg Unicomplex.

posted on February 25th, 2010, 3:16 pm

Well, a Starbase would only makes sense in a single layer campaign. In the normal battles you build your outpost and defense platforms. A starbase would cost around 10k dil. and a similar amount of tritanium - with that monster, you destroy your whole economy and the constructor-shi will build half an hour ingame for it only for having a... station somewhere.

This game is about fleets. A "behind story" or even economy system like in Birth of Federation is not possible - so it will only give you an advantage on very large maps where you have all time in the world or like I said in single player campaigns, that are work in progress.

Why build it?

each race starts with its equivilent 'Starbase' but can only build outposts from then on.

posted on February 25th, 2010, 5:22 pm

Because it would only encourage turtling

posted on February 25th, 2010, 5:24 pm

Maybe a compromise?  When you upgrade your starbase, if you max out the upgrades it turns into the big mushroom starbase.  Sort of like in Warcraft you had a townhall, which turned into a fort, then into a castle.

posted on February 25th, 2010, 5:46 pm

It just goes kaboom!

Congratulations! its a Mushroom

posted on February 25th, 2010, 6:08 pm

Well, there could be a short construction period, like in warcraft.   But that would be funny if it happened instantly.

posted on February 25th, 2010, 6:17 pm

I think it would be cool if every upgrade brought a small aesthetic change, eventually resulting in a spacedock-like appearance.

posted on February 25th, 2010, 7:43 pm

i would prefer spacedock as a map only object, it would fit in well with a new map i'm making set near earth.

posted on February 25th, 2010, 7:46 pm

Well, if you turtle with 3 outposts or a starbase, it wont make any difference. I think there are enough things to crush a defense grid. We begin by ships that have artillery range, like the steamrunner, the romulan thing, the dominion artillery or the assimilators... well, for the klingons I dont know. Maybe ion-storm while cloaked.


And if you turtle too much, you dont have a fleet and the enemy will build and build and build until it will overpower you. In the end, it matters, how many moons you have and turtling is only a way to struggle a little bit longer, but you wont win.

The starbase maybe a nice spacedock, but I prefer a battlestation or a deep-space-nine like heavy armed battlestation. And everything will be outbalanced with costs.

posted on February 25th, 2010, 7:54 pm

And you shouldn't have enough resources for Cloak tech, so you should be able to go right past the grid.

posted on February 26th, 2010, 12:39 am

Because it would only encourage turtling

not really, defence is around 350 and offence is around 170.

Like a fully upgraded outpost, and they fall to a good fleet.