Nanobots

[Turnip2k]

Wondered if anyone else has been playing with these guys? It may just be that I am a horrendous player - but I'm finding that they are woefully bad. Played with them for a bit this round, thought I will give the new unit a try out...any ally players using these? Would be nice to get an ally perspective on them, with last tick defenses etc...

One major problem I'm finding is that they die too easily and are too expensive to be good flak. They replicate themselves so infrequently and poorly, the fact they can do so is irrelevant. You look at shield androids - for 3k more, you can have somthing which has far far better surviveability in almost all cases (despite having less health). They also come out too late be useful early round (the other lets which will have come out by then shoot first and will probably fire at range).

To be honest, I wouldn't mind seeing CS's back...
Any other ideas for changes? Target on more than just close tick? Maybe more health, less armour? Less expensive, less AD / HD? I think they should at least target INN (since gardies will be a good source of conversion early on) and come out before stunbots - that may fix the previously pointed out problem of the excessive second tier stunbot development cost http://www.bushtarion.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1855&highlight=nanobot...

 

[Alcibiades]

I've been 'playing' with nanobots this round and so far they haven't achieved much.

Less expensive for sure, lower eta; if we keep conversion as an option, then definitely have them target something like INN/NLD/NLT. Targetting on last tick only is fine theoretically, but usually there isn't much left to convert after CWs/TDs et al fire, so if we're considering maintaining the conversion rate then you can have them target r/c to help with NLD/NLT last ticking, and kill INN at range.

As Turnip said the conversion rate itself is woefully bad and doesn't make it even remotely profitable to try and 'grow' your unit rate like you would and *can* do with zombies.

So far, I have found them more or less useless, but I could also be using them incorrectly.

 

[Polo]

War? Huh? has 2 Stunbot players and neither of them use Nanobots as they're an awful, awful unit. You're much better off buying CW or TD.

I'd be more inclined to use the route if it had CS back instead (I don't understand why they were removed - at least make it an option like EMP/Paras!). Although CS are still considerably weak compared to Shields which are considerably weak compared to PA, imo.

Personally, I'd like to see Nanobots replaced with a unit such as:

Name: x [£40,000]
Unit Type: Robotic
Unit Class: LET
Attack type: Kills [R/M]
Targets: LET / INN / ALL OR LET
Stats: ** / *** / * / ****
ETA: 4 OR 5
Initiative: 365
Route(s): Robotic

...or something along those lines.

 

[f0xx]

I've been 'playing' with nanobots this round and so far they haven't achieved much.

Less expensive for sure, lower eta; if we keep conversion as an option, then definitely have them target something like INN/NLD/NLT. Targetting on last tick only is fine theoretically, but usually there isn't much left to convert after CWs/TDs et al fire, so if we're considering maintaining the conversion rate then you can have them target r/c to help with NLD/NLT last ticking, and kill INN at range.

As Turnip said the conversion rate itself is woefully bad and doesn't make it even remotely profitable to try and 'grow' your unit rate like you would and *can* do with zombies.

So far, I have found them more or less useless, but I could also be using them incorrectly.

Using them incorrectly? Is there any way to actually use them correctly? I doubt. Lets be honest, nanobots are straight **** and useless unit. Compare that unit to the units the other two branches get - shields - the best armor LET flak unit in the game, it just doesnt die and cyborg gardener - the best INN flak unit in the game.

On the other side we have PA - an incredible unit, if you are allied and you want to specialise you don't even need to develop other units than this one and automotons on the other hand which are damn cheap, can be used as armor LET flak too and do some nice damage to INN and NLD (PoMs).

Compared to those the nanobot is just out of its league. The stunbot is somewhat good but still not good enough.

If you want to make the unit somewhat better, worth its price, just make it fire r/c. That is the most simple solution I can see.

 

[timtadams]

Wasnt there already a thread on this exact problem? And even the suggestion be replaced with CSs?

But i agree. Ive tried them and they are no good. Useless. I didnt even bother with buying any after trying them out. Anyone would be far better off with the other paths, as Turnip said, SDs for example

either up their health/armour or up their conversion rates

 

[Polo]

Anyone would be far better off with the other paths, as Turnip said, SDs for example

Indeed, Small Droids is the best branch of the Robotics route.

 

[timtadams]

lol

I meant Shield Droids I was refering to turnips example of how they cost not much more than nanobots and are way more useful.

*sigh* I guess i only have myself to blame

 

[Polo]

lol

I meant Shield Droids I was refering to turnips example of how they cost not much more than nanobots and are way more useful.

*sigh* I guess i only have myself to blame

Wtf are Shield Droids? o.0

 

[timtadams]

Doh! :splat:

I didnt even notice till you posted that. To be honest im not really with it atm. Way too tired. Considering i have to get up 4-5 am most mornings due to work and uni and i dont get home till 7-9 pm. I am just going to shut up now, in fact it is the middle of the day and i was about to go to bed

but yeah, about those microbots or whatever...

 

[timthetyrant]

firstly i would like to say that timtadams is right SDs (small droids) are the best route, who needs anything else? they dont die, are cheap, can flack so many routes and i just love them.
secondly i do agree nanobots are terrible. my suggestion would be to increase thier stats slightly, lower the cost by 5-10K, have them target INN/NLD/NLT like that guy said before (sorry for forgetting you name im more interested in the ideas then who said them). BUT MOST OF ALL slighty increase their conversion rate *and* allow the unit count to grow over time, eg. over 1hour 1,000,000 nanobots will increase to 1,010,000 nanobots. maybe even allow them to fire m/c or increase thier initiative. (my idea is based upon the self replicating nanobots from stargate SG1 which is awesome).

AS you can see i basically want the entire unit to change, so it either needs a major overhaul or removal.

 

[Alcibiades]

I don't like the self replicating idea. You have a unit that continually gives you score? no thanks, even if it's a minuscule amount. Also if the conversion rate is upped enough, you won't need to introduce that new concept to the game and can simply use the ingame system already in place, and simply have it used effectively, rather than totally ineffectively as it is now.

Secondly, small Droids is not a route, it's a unit all robo routes get. I can only assume you meant Shields? And yes they are a great route, and far better than Nanos.

yes timtadams: there was another thread complaining about teh uselessness of Cyborg Soldiers beforehand, and that's because, again, comparatively to Shields route and PA route, CS were considerably weaker. This is still the same case, nanos are weaker than PA and Shields. And CS actually were useful whereas nanos are worse than useless.

 

[timthetyrant]

ok, but i was referring to small droids, the route starts when i develop it and ends when i finish developing them

 

[Alcibiades]

ok, but i was referring to small droids, the route starts when i develop it and ends when i finish developing them

but Small Droids is a development at the start of every robotics route.... So what exactly do you mean when Small Droids is the best route?

The robotics route starts with SDs, you are correct there, and finishes when you develop Trexes or Scrap Bots (to get Gargantuas). Now on the way to Trexes/Scraps there are three route paths, one follows the Psychopathic Android route, another follows the Shields/Cyborg Gardie route, and the third goes with nanos and stunbots. I think we might have our terminology mixed up here, because Small Droids is *NOT* a route, it is a development. In this thread we are discussing mainly Nanobots and Stunbots route, because it is very weak especially in comparison to the other two robo routes (PA and Shields). I really don't understand your reference to Small Droids at all since as a unit they don't really enter into this discussion; except that massing SDs + stuns = win.

 

[TheNamelessWonder]

Nanobots are kind of a mix between Cyborg Soldiers (R.I.P.) and zombies, but less useful than either.

Stunbots are very useful in an alliance, but right now they're the only reason I'd go that branch.

 

[timthetyrant]

a route is what i make it, it depends on the choices i am allowed and the choices i make, if i choose to ignore everything else but SDs, then SDs is the route. anyways i give, lets get back to talking about nanobots

 

[Alcibiades]

No sir, I feel obliged to correct you here since you are wrong. Routes 'are not what you make them'; they're a predefined set of units in most cases (with a few exceptions like EMP/Paras). Anywho, SDs is not a route, no matter what you believe or say; they are a unit, or at most complicated, a tier 1 tech. They are a tech, a development, or a unit. Those terms are all acceptable; route is not since the *one* thing they aren't, is a route. *hammers point home*

On topic:

I've been 'playing' with nanobots this round and so far they haven't achieved much.

Less expensive for sure, lower eta; if we keep conversion as an option, then definitely have them target something like INN/NLD/NLT. Targetting on last tick only is fine theoretically, but usually there isn't much left to convert after CWs/TDs et al fire, so if we're considering maintaining the conversion rate then you can have them target r/c to help with NLD/NLT last ticking, and kill INN at range.

As Turnip said the conversion rate itself is woefully bad and doesn't make it even remotely profitable to try and 'grow' your unit rate like you would and *can* do with zombies.

So far, I have found them more or less useless, but I could also be using them incorrectly.

 

[timtadams]

I believe it was more of a joke Alci Built up on my comments which may have been somewhat confusing

But i think timthetyrant's ideas are good. I in fact like the self replicating idea, its great. They are crap, and i would say someone who has them could get about 1 for every 1000 they have over a tick

that way if they have 1,000,000 after 24 hours they would have 1,154,801

thats an increase of 154,801 nanobots, which corresponds to a cost of £6.501,642,641 billion or a value of £13.003,285 million

1 million nanobots cost £42 corresponding to a value of £84 million. Thus the nanobots have an increase of 6.46% of their original numbers over a day. This is not much.

Anyone with one million nanobots would have more numbers of CWs, SDs and Tyrants/Crazed droids, which, due to their high cost would contribute much more valuation. If a person decides to mass nanobots as their value increases by a small amount will only pay dearly

This way it is more just for fun. The increase is only small so it doesnt have too large an effect. But it still grows very slowly. Cool xD

Dont forget that this is a **** unit and whereas they couldve had Shields, they have, in a sense, sacrificed a unit, so having them self replicating is somewhat a compensation. It can work, just balance it

 

[Alcibiades]

Does that low a rate of 'growing' then make it worthwhile to have it grow at all? Or would we be better off simply making the conversion rate better and have it fire at range/close. So instead of adding a whole new game system, we just take the system we already have and use, and make it better. Seems a lot easier to me....

And if it was a joke it was poor one and should've been consigned to joke hell hours ago.

 

[timtadams]

All you would have to do is multiply troops by 1.001 each tick or something. But if its too hard to implement, then ofc, dont bother

But on being worthwhile, up their stats at the same time. But not too much. For example what you said could be fine but have that self replication there at the same time. Like i said, it would be more for 'fun' (thats what games are for right?) to make it a little more interesting. The idea is that the self replication not be too worthwhile so it doesnt impact on score ect much

 

[Polo]

All you would have to do is multiply troops by 1.001 each tick or something. But if its too hard to implement, then ofc, dont bother

But on being worthwhile, up their stats at the same time. But not too much. For example what you said could be fine but have that self replication there at the same time. Like i said, it would be more for 'fun' (thats what games are for right?) to make it a little more interesting. The idea is that the self replication not be too worthwhile so it doesnt impact on score ect much

*1.001 per tick = *1.15 per day = *7.08 per fortnight.

We'd only ever see Stunbots win the round in this case. Just buy a few hundred mil Nanobots, let them replicate for a few weeks and you've won!