Change: Increase armor of China Internet Center against Particle Cannon beams by 25% and Explosion attacks by 28.5%

[xezon]

• Resolves China Internet Center has little armor #223
• Relates to China Hacker is vulnerable and provides insufficient income #754

This change increases the armor of the China Internet Center against Particle Cannon beams by 25% and Explosion attacks by 28.5%.

With this change it is no longer possible to kill the pristine Internet Center and all its Hackers with a single weapon strike. The GLA Demo Scud Storm and GLA Demo Rebel Ambush can kill the pristine Internet Center, but will not be enough to kill the Hackers.

Internet Center armor against weapons not of PARTICLE_BEAM and EXPLOSION is unchanged.

Weapon	Internet Center Damage	Hackers killed
Original GLA Anthrax Gamma Scud Storm (1)	100%	Yes (by the Anthrax)
USA Carpet Bomb + Lvl 2 A10	100%	Yes
USA Lvl 1 Spectre + Lvl 2 A10	100%	Yes
USA Lvl 2 Spectre + Lvl 1 A10	100%	No
GLA Demo Scud Storm	100%	No
GLA Lvl 3 Demo Rebel Ambush	100%	No
USA Lvl 3 Spectre	99%	No
USA Carpet Bomb + Lvl 1 Spectre	99%	No
China Carpet Bomb + Lvl 2 Artillery	98%	No
Patched GLA Anthrax Gamma Scud Storm	92%	No
GLA Scud Storm	92%	No
USA Lvl 3 A10	90%	No
China Nuke Missile	85%	No
USA Particle Cannon	85%	No
USA Carpet Bomb + Lvl 1 A10	79%	No
USA Lvl 1 Spectre + Lvl 1 A10	77%	No
China Lvl 3 Artillery	76%	No
USA Lvl 2 Spectre	72%	No
USA Lvl 2 A10	61%	No
China Lvl 2 Artillery	51%	No
China Carpet Bomb	48%	No
USA Carpet Bomb	48%	No
USA Lvl 1 Spectre	47%	No
USA Fuel Bomb	40%	No
USA MOAB	40%	No
USA Lvl 1 A10	31%	No
China Lvl 1 Artillery	26%	No

(1) See Patched GLA Anthrax Gamma Scud Storm for most relevant data.

Rationale

China Hackers are typically vulnerable when out in the open and are easy to kill with most weapons. The Internet Center is the only safe refuge for China Hackers, but it can be built just once and accommodate a maximum of 8 Hackers only. It costs 7500 to build the Internet Center and the 8 Hackers. Originally it can be taken out effortlessly with several single attack strikes, such as Super Weapons and some Generals Powers.

This change gives China better chances to protect 8 valuable Hackers in late game to secure a life line while the majority of China's Hackers will remain vulnerable out in the open. Enemy players now need to combine more weapons and strikes to take out the Internet Center and its Hackers.

[ImTimK]

What about Specter level 2 and 3?

[xezon]

Is the regular Level 5 Spectre different from Airforce Level 5 Spectre?

[ImTimK]

Yes, USA and Laser only have the standard level 1 Spectre, AFG and SWG have additional levels 2 and 3.

[commy2]

vUSA and Laser Rank 5 Spectre lasts 15 seconds, while SWG and AFG Rank 3 Spectre 1 only lasts 10 seconds.

[commy2]

type	faction	recharge time	orbit time
Rank 3 Spectre 1	SWG, AFG	3 min	10 sec
Rank 3 Spectre 2	SWG, AFG	3 min	15 sec
Rank 3 Spectre 3	SWG, AFG	3 min	20 sec
Rank 5 Spectre	USA, Laser	4 min	15 sec

[ImTimK]

Back to topic, shouldn't the threshold be at China Carpet Bomb + Lvl 2 Artillery? Doesn't it feel like an overbuff if it survives this combi power? Carpet isn't guaranteed to hit anyway. The Hackers should survive though.

I know this means Demo Scud and Ambush will kill the Hackers then, but I think it's ok, the Tox scud already does aswell. Also Level 3 Ambush is a massive tradeoff vs Cash Bounty and rarely chosen. Moreover, one can order the Rebels to shoot for a few seconds before detonating anyway with the current proposed model.

[xezon]

You had me hating there for a moment :D

[xezon]

Back to topic, shouldn't the threshold be at China Carpet Bomb + Lvl 2 Artillery? Doesn't it feel like an overbuff if it survives this combi power? Carpet isn't guaranteed to hit anyway. The Hackers should survive though.

I think it is fine. The Artillery is an unstoppable Power. So China can combine Nuke Missile and Artillery and it can't be stopped, while USA can combine Particle Cannon and A10 and it can be stopped.

[ImTimK]

Back to topic, shouldn't the threshold be at China Carpet Bomb + Lvl 2 Artillery? Doesn't it feel like an overbuff if it survives this combi power? Carpet isn't guaranteed to hit anyway. The Hackers should survive though.

I think it is fine. The Artillery is an unstoppable Power. So China can combine Nuke Missile and Artillery and it can't be stopped, while USA can combine Particle Cannon and A10 and it can be stopped.

USA can combine Particle with Spectre which is pretty much unstoppable. Or Aurora (hey we found another god target for it ^^).

Please add Spectre (+combinations) aswell so we have the full picture.

[xezon]

Let us ignore Aurora for now. Spectre is strong, but can be stopped with many defenses and units.

[xezon]

More stats added. It is odd that Fuel Bomb and MOAB deal that little damage. And Artillery is also oddly weak. They all deal EXPLOSION damage.

[ImTimK]

Let us ignore Aurora for now. Spectre is strong, but can be stopped with many defenses and units.

Emphasis on many :P

More stats added. It is odd that Fuel Bomb and MOAB deal that little damage. And Artillery is also oddly weak. They all deal EXPLOSION damage.

It's odd indeed, I noticed right away and was surprised.

Anyways, the proposed model is actually very close to Scud Storm Armor, which makes alot of sense. So perhaps this is close to the ideal setup then.

I only wish the Tox Scud didn't kill the IC+Hackers though, should theoretically be possible as the Demo Scud has more raw output?

[xezon]

Perhaps the Toxin Scud Storm should not deal more damage than regular Scud Storm?

[ImTimK]

To me it makes sense that the residue does more damage, but not the rockets themselves.

[xezon]

I put Scud Missile damage info here: #1992

[xezon]

Patched GLA Anthrax Gamma Scud Storm data added.

[MTKing4]

Looks good

Now we happy :D

[xezon]

Documentation added. Hackers are happy. Looks good.