44 replies to this topic

[axe11154]

I was just curious but should covenant have a side ability on some ships where they Burn it instead of capture, giving them a massive resource reward but making it so the planet could not be controlled by any one faction.

 

just curious.

[m468]

I was just curious but should covenant have a side ability on some ships where they Burn it instead of capture, giving them a massive resource reward but making it so the planet could not be controlled by any one faction.

 

just curious.

That would kick balance right out of the plane...

 

Seriously though, it would enable them to wipe the map right on the start of a game when they have a massive advantage. We are going to be leaving it a capturing planets.

[axe11154]

ok

was just wondering as it has been said you are trying to stick with lore.

[theselfescaping]

The UNSC has ships capable of re-terraforming glassed planets (cf. end of Halo: Reach), so the effects of planetary glassing are not necessarily permanent.

[Scorpii]

The UNSC has ships capable of re-terraforming glassed planets (cf. end of Halo: Reach), so the effects of planetary glassing are not necessarily permanent.

Yes, but the Sins engine isn't exactly that flexible to work with and I don't think it can be done because hardcoding.jpg

[theselfescaping]

Yes, but the Sins engine isn't exactly that flexible to work with and I don't think it can be done because hardcoding.jpg

I understand, and I think not having the capability doesn't contradict canon. If we took canon literally, then every time the Covenant bombarded the planet, they would use plasma and glass it; they would have to glass every planet they attack, not as a side ability.

[Lord Stark]

That would kick balance right out of the plane...

 

Seriously though, it would enable them to wipe the map right on the start of a game when they have a massive advantage. We are going to be leaving it a capturing planets.

Not it if were a late-game research ability, which would in fact balance it well considering the UNSC's late game advantage.

[Zero]

The UNSC has ships capable of re-terraforming glassed planets (cf. end of Halo: Reach), so the effects of planetary glassing are not necessarily permanent.

It also took the UNSC 37 years to terraform Reach so people could live on it.

[theselfescaping]

It also took the UNSC 37 years to terraform Reach so people could live on it.

That's true, I forgot how long it was before people returned to Reach.

 

I don't think the Covenant should have the ability to glass planets because it's impractical, gameplay-wise and canon-wise. With gameplay, as Scorpii said, it may not be possible because of SoaSE coding.

 

As for canon, Covenant ships always use plasma when they bombard planets; Covenant ships would already be glassing the planet when they begin attacking it, so the Covenant would be unable to colonize any previously occupied planets.

[Zero]

Well there's a difference between pinpoint surface bombardment and turning the ground into glass. Glassing a planet into nuclear winter also takes months.

[KhevaKins]

It also took the UNSC 37 years to terraform Reach so people could live on it.

Did it? It was definitely terraformed by 2589 (at least it looked habitable) but you are assuming they started terraforming in 2553 and that it was only habitable by 2589.

Here is the quote from 'Catalog':

Query Answer: Human records indicate that [pioneer group] units arrived on [Epsilon Eridani II] in November, 2553 for initial [search and assess] and [megaengineering scoping].

It only says that they began surveying in 2553. They could of actual began terraforming at any point after, be it the next month or in 2588.

Plus, 'Catalog' is actually some PR person who comes in and craps on actual canon, not that there is much to do with terraforming in Halo canon to begin with.

[SternuS]

No. Simply because I can spam SDVs and take your planet even before your fleet can jump in that grav well.

[theselfescaping]

Did it? It was definitely terraformed by 2589 (at least it looked habitable) but you are assuming they started terraforming in 2553 and that it was only habitable by 2589.

Here is the quote from 'Catalog':

It only says that they began surveying in 2553. They could of actual began terraforming at any point after, be it the next month or in 2588.

Plus, 'Catalog' is actually some PR person who comes in and craps on actual canon, not that there is much to do with terraforming in Halo canon to begin with.

I was also thinking that they didn't spend all that time terraforming Reach.

 

One more thing, just because it's rarely talked about. It bothers me that there are so many habitable, Earth-like planets in the Halo universe. Granted, this seems to be a feature of most scifi universes, but if I'm not mistaken, Earth-like planets are relatively rare in the galaxy.

 

The Universal Century Gundam universe is an unlikely inspiration for a more probable alternative. Big robots aside, I think constructing solar-powered space colonies is a more realistic method to address overpopulation, instead of using terraforming equipment on barren planets.

[axe11154]

another good question is how long in the halo universe did it take barren planets to be colonised, How many glass planets were properly recolonised, and how long could a spartan survive on a glassed planet?

I ask the last one becuase after we saw Noble 6 fight off Covies in what remained of Reach I wondered if a Spartan could actualy go into hiding on a glassed planet and stay there for a time till the unsc refound them.

[Lord Stark]

No. Simply because I can spam SDVs and take your planet even before your fleet can jump in that grav well.

But that can be addressed perhaps by being able to purchase "glassing vessels" that take longer to bombard worlds.  OR have the Covenant have to capture a world before they can glass it ala the Vasari world killer.

 

Just as a coding question would it be possible to replace the dead asteroid model with a glassed planet model and then just use the Vasari ability.  The resource return boost could be scrapped or used due to the forerunner artifacts uncovered.

[SternuS]

But that can be addressed perhaps by being able to purchase "glassing vessels" that take longer to bombard worlds.  OR have the Covenant have to capture a world before they can glass it ala the Vasari world killer.

Why would you ever glass a planet that you already have conquered? Also, "glassing vessels" would be known as "balance-breakers". Purchasing a vessel? From who? How much would it cost? How strong would it be? Why would I ever want to purchase a glassing vessel that takes longer to destroy worlds, when I can simply spam SDVs?

[SPECTRE]

What if guys, what if, there was a glassing vessel and an invasion vessel. One could possibly reducing health and ter other could reduce the postulation.

is there any way you can tie the two together so that you can't netralise a planet without neutralising both health and population at the smae tiem?>

[Lord Stark]

Why would you ever glass a planet that you already have conquered? Also, "glassing vessels" would be known as "balance-breakers". Purchasing a vessel? From who? How much would it cost? How strong would it be? Why would I ever want to purchase a glassing vessel that takes longer to destroy worlds, when I can simply spam SDVs?

The same reason you destroy worlds as the Vasari loyalists.

A. Tactical reasons; destroying a chokehold world means even if the UNSC retakes the world I don't have to worry about having to face down 30 SMACs.

B. Resources; As I said you'd likely get a resource bonus.

C. Uncovering artifacts (Don't know if this is possible with coding).

[SternuS]

The same reason you destroy worlds as the Vasari loyalists.

A. Tactical reasons; destroying a chokehold world means even if the UNSC retakes the world I don't have to worry about having to face down 30 SMACs.

B. Resources; As I said you'd likely get a resource bonus.

C. Uncovering artifacts (Don't know if this is possible with coding).

A - So, after getting a chokepoint, you'd rather lose any chance to pursue and get the UNSC player when it still hasn't built its defences, just to destroy that planet? Losing much more time and a chance to have an advanced spawn point for your ships? Say, you had a hard battle at a chokepoint, you won and now, for a little amount of time, your enemy is fleet-less. Why wouldn't you jump to the next planet while building a shipyard so that you can have some back-ups?

B - Unless that gives you a game-breaker amount of resources, considering you had to purchase some ships, that are immediately placed on the battlefield thus they would cost a bit, and the time required to glass that planet, I'd say you would still lose resources than if you colonized it.

C - Uncovering artifacts? By destroying a planet? Then make it so if you decide to glass it, you lose the artifacts on it. Furthermore, how would you have those artifacts if you can't control the planet?

[Lord Stark]

A - So, after getting a chokepoint, you'd rather lose any chance to pursue and get the UNSC player when it still hasn't built its defences, just to destroy that planet? Losing much more time and a chance to have an advanced spawn point for your ships? Say, you had a hard battle at a chokepoint, you won and now, for a little amount of time, your enemy is fleet-less. Why wouldn't you jump to the next planet while building a shipyard so that you can have some back-ups?

B - Unless that gives you a game-breaker amount of resources, considering you had to purchase some ships, that are immediately placed on the battlefield thus they would cost a bit, and the time required to glass that planet, I'd say you would still lose resources than if you colonized it.

C - Uncovering artifacts? By destroying a planet? Then make it so if you decide to glass it, you lose the artifacts on it. Furthermore, how would you have those artifacts if you can't control the planet?

A- Because I can simply build a Phase stabilizer and warp vessels to that planet because dead asteroids (glassed planets) still have tactical slots.  I would jump to the next planet while my reinforcements secured the area.  Unlike the UNSC I don't need numerous MAC cannons to mount a successful defense.  SOTPs is all about chokeholds and giving the Covenant an advantage of destroying a chokehold world early on allows them an easier time breaching the UNSC's turtle strategy later.  

B. And yet the moment my fleet moves on the UNSC is able to retake that world.  Next thing I know my fleet is balls deep in enemy territory and now has to bypass 30 MACs + an enemy fleet on my heals.  Additionally with the planet glassed I don't need to even bother leaving a token fleet to defend a colony world I am only holding so my enemy doesn't get his hands on it.

C. I would like to point you to exhibits A and B Reach and Harvest, as well as exhibit C. New Mombasa. Just because most of the planet is molten slag doesn't mean I can't still utilize the artifacts underneath the first layer of crust.