Reinforcements and defenses balance

[FunkOff]

The following is a hypothetical balance model for reinforcements and defenses that I think will improve their balance in comparison to what exists right now.

Reinforcements: (Used once, then lost) (All counters for each group count down simultaneously)

50 E = 1 credit of cost (Rationale = necessary to balance air units)
2 mass = 1 credit of cost

Time before they can be called = Seconds = number of credits * tech multiplier + tech delay

Tech 1 = 0.1 multiplier, 60 delay (1 min)
Tech 2 = 0.1 multiplier, 240 delay (4 min)
Tech 3 = 0.1 multiplier, 480 delay (8 min)
Tech 4 = 0.1 multiplier, 1000 delay (~17 min) (at 8000 credit limit for rank 8, no experimentals can be purchased)
(if a group has mixed tech, the group uses the delay of the highest tech unit in that group)

All techs = 0.1 multiplier (this can be changed later, if required)

Samples:
T1 bomber: (85 credits, 43 seconds)
E portion = 45
M portion = 40
Total cost = 85 credits per
delay (.1) = 69 seconds (rounded up) (+9 seconds every additional bomber)

12 T1 bombers = 60 + 108 = 168 seconds (2.5 minutes) at 1020 credits
Maximum reinforcement load (at 8000 credit max storage) = 94 T1 bombers (~15 minutes)

t2 bomber:
E portion = 168
M portion = 210
total cost = 378 credits per
delay (.1) = 240 + 38 seconds = 278 seconds (~3.5 minutes) (+38 seconds for every additional)

3 T2 bombers = 240 + 114 seconds = 354 seconds (~ 6 minutes) at 1044 credits
Maximum reinforcement load (at 8000 credit max storage) = 21 T2 bombers (~17 minutes)

T3 bomber:
E potion = 2100
M portion = 1050
Total = 3150 credits per
delay (.1) = 480 + 315 = 795 seconds = (~13 minutes) (+5 minutes for each additional bomber)
Maximum reinforcement load (at 8000 credit max storage) = 2 T3 bombers (at ~18 minutes)

T1 tank: (thaam)
E portion = 5
M portion = 27
total cost = 32 per
delay (.1) = 60 + 3 seconds = 63 seconds (+3 seconds every additional tank)
30 T1 tanks = 60 + 90 = 150 seconds (2.5 minuteS) at 960 credits
Maximum reinforcement load (at 8000 credit max storage) = 250 T1 tanks (at 13.5 minutes)

T2 hover tank: (Yenzyne)
E portion = 26
M portion = 110
Total cost = 136
Delay (.1) = 240 seconds + 14 sec = 254 seconds (~4 minutes) (+13 seconds for every additional tank)
8 T2 tanks = 240 + 112 = 354 seconds (~6 minuteS) at 1088 credits
Maximum reinforcement load (at 8000 credit max storage) = 58 T2 tanks (at ~ 17.5 minuteS)

T3 tank: (Othuum)
E portion = 192
M portion = 420
Total cost = 612
delay (.1) = 480 + 61 = 540 seconds (~9 minutes) (1 minute for every additional tank)
Maximum reinforcement load (at 8000 credit max storage) = 13 T3 tanks (at ~21 minuteS)

Discussion:
With this balance, there is a clear advantage to using lower techs: They show up faster. However, a massive horde of tech 1 can do almost as much damage as a group of higher tech units, so they scale up too. Further, because economics in-game grow exponentially with time (whereas reinforcements only grow linearly) it will be, in most cases, more advantageous to deploy a smaller number of reinforcements more quickly rather than a large number of reinforcements more slowly. Also, with the set delays for high techs, it can give a certain predictability to the battle, namely that players know they won't see T2 reinforcements before 4 minutes and they know they won't see tech 3 before 8 minutes.





Defenses:
Cost = Number of credits = Mass cost (Rationale: More expensive than units because they can be used in multiple battles if

they survive)
Paralysis time = Numbers of credits * tech multiplier + tech delay
Tech 1 = 0.1 multiplier, 60 delay
Tech 2 = 0.1 multiplier, 240 delay
Tech 3 = 0.1 multiplier, 480 delay


T1 AA tower: (Seraphim)
Cost = 150 credits
Delay = 60 + 15 = 75 seconds (all AA towers activate at the same time)

T2 Flak tower: (Seraphim)
Cost = 392 credits
Delay = 240 + 39 = 279 seconds (~4.5 minutes) (all flak towers activate at the same time)

T3 SAM: (Seraphim)
Cost = 800 credits
Delay = 480 + 80 = 560 seconds (~9 minutes) (All SAMs activate at the same time)

Discussion:
Noting that there is no maximum to how many defenses can exist on a planet (at least not due to funding), this method of having items disabled creates an interesting situation: Lower tech reinforcements can conceivably arrive on the battlefield and attack prior to higher tech defenses being activated. This is crucial to validating the effectiveness of both defenses types: If they all activate at the same time, why make AA or Flak if you can just make a SAM and it'll shoot down everything? Now, we hav ean answer: A SAM won't turn on for nine minutes, and during those nine minutes it might be taken out by T1 or T2 bombers. Thus, it is balanced.Further, if both reinforcements and defenses balance systems work together, it can help assure that T1/2/3 reinforcements will never arrive and attack prior to the same defenses activating. (Although a single T1 bomber can arrive 6 seconds prior to AA towers activating, that is hardly enough time to do destroy a single tower and is not significant.)

Thoughts?

[Kat]

Until the balance team gets t3 air squared away, I'd prefer only t1 and t2 air for now.

Other than that I really like what you're suggesting here.

[Golol]

i dont think this change is really good.
a few labs as a reinforcements would become useless because of the 1 minute delay.
and with 0.1 multiplier reinforcements come far too quick! 30 tanks minute 2.5 what the heck.
i would say 0.4 multiplier is a better idea.
in general i would not use an overall formula but just change the values for cost and time that we have now around until they seem balanced.
edit this is only related to the units part

[Nombringer]

Remember lab reinforcements could be used for a ghetto.