Change: Increase armor of China Internet Center against Aurora bomb by 30%

[xezon]

• Follow up for Change: Increase armor of China Internet Center against Particle Cannon beams by 25% and Explosion attacks by 28.5% #1989
• Relates to China Internet Center has little armor #223
• Relates to China Hacker is vulnerable and provides insufficient income #754

This change increase the armor of the China Internet Center against the Aurora bomb by 43%.

The Internet Center becomes more difficult to take down with Aurora bombers.

Structure	No. Auroras to kill	No. Alpha Auroras to kill
China Propaganda Center	1	1
China Airfield	2	1
China War Factory	2	2
China Command Center	5	3
Original Internet Center	3	2 (Hackers alive)
Patched Internet Center (this)	4	3 (Hackers dead)

Original Damages

Weapon	Internet Center Damage	Hackers killed
USA Alpha Aurora	58%	No
USA Aurora	40%	No

Patched Damages

Weapon	Internet Center Damage	Hackers killed
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 Alpha Aurora (This)	47%	No
USA Fuel Bomb	40%	No
USA MOAB	40%	No
USA Lvl 1 A10	31%	No
USA Aurora (This)	29%	No
China Lvl 1 Artillery	26%	No

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.

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.

[MTKing4]

Just one important thing to keep in mind
The spectre from USA Lvl 1 Spectre + Lvl 2 A10 is the Level 5 Spectre right? Not the level 3 one from SWG and AIR

Because if so that's good that you won't be able to kill it before level 5 for laser and USA, but what about AIR and SWG spectres? Remember They shoot for 10 seconds instead of 15

Clearly Air is still superior, being the only subfaction that can kill IC from level 3 genpowers, do you guys think this is ok?

[xezon]

USA Lvl 1 Spectre is the Level 1 Spectre of Airforce General.

[MTKing4]

Ok so any spectre with lvl2 A10 would do the job, and USA Airforce has two combo options from level 3 and SWG has one option in Level 3. USA and laser won't til level 5

China will forever be afraid of the Mighty Airforce General

[xezon]

Anything else to add here? I would like proceed with this.

[ImTimK]

I think final changes are balanced

[MTKing4]

I personally don't like that only Airforce and SWG can take out IC with two combo-ed genpowers from level 3, it means that chinas will still suffer vs Airforce in particular, is there nothing that can be done about this?

[xezon]

This change is only about Aurora damages. It does not change the others.

As for General Powers, all USA and all China can use Combo Powers to kill Internet Center. China Trails a bit behind however, but that is because the Artillery Barrage is relatively weak, not because the Internet Center is too strong.

[MTKing4]

Oh yeah, in that case you can relay my message to the IC hp buff pull

As for this one, 4 auroras to kill IC is fine, but maybe it's better if they don't kill the hackers? So that 1 airfield worth of Auroras can't nullify china economy and USA needs to add another airfield for one more aurora

but I'm not too sure about this, 4 auroras are $10K worth + airfield which is already too much, so maybe this setup is fine already

[MTKing4]

As for General Powers, all USA and all China can use Combo Powers to kill Internet Center. China Trails a bit behind however, but that is because the Artillery Barrage is relatively weak, not because the Internet Center is too strong.

I'm aware of that, but that wasn't my point, my point is that only Airforce and SWG can kill IC AND Hackers with only 2 genpowers right from level 3, and Airforce actually have 2 Options for it (Carpet + lvl2 A10, Spectre+ lvl2 A10) which is highly advantageous over other factions and is very early to be able to kill all china's IC + hackers

Basically it will be like nothing has changed for air and SWG because they can still kill IC + Hackers the same way they always have and with ease

[xezon]

I'm aware of that, but that wasn't my point, my point is that only Airforce and SWG can kill IC AND Hackers with only 2 genpowers right from level 3, and Airforce actually have 2 Options for it (Carpet + lvl2 A10, Spectre+ lvl2 A10) which is highly advantageous over other factions and is very early to be able to kill all china's IC + hackers

Yes USA has best Powers for killing things.

Basically it will be like nothing has changed for air and SWG because they can still kill IC + Hackers the same way they always have and with ease

It has changed because all Generals Powers will deal less damage and 1 Particle Cannon is no longer enough to kill the pristine Internet Center. So China is definitely better off.

As for this one, 4 auroras to kill IC is fine, but maybe it's better if they don't kill the hackers? So that 1 airfield worth of Auroras can't nullify china economy and USA needs to add another airfield for one more aurora

4 Auroras will not kill the Hackers. But 3 Alpha Auroras will. USA can also combine Aurora with Powers. So for example 1 Aurora + Level 2 Spectre will kill pristine Internet Center and all Hackers.

[ImTimK]

Keep in mind that active repairing can make a difference aswell, not all powers can be re-aimed to target the dozer.

[MTKing4]

Yes USA has best Powers for killing things.

Not any USA, laser and vanilla cannot, only after lvl5

It has changed because all Generals Powers will deal less damage and 1 Particle Cannon is no longer enough to kill the pristine Internet Center. So China is definitely better off.

You're not addressing my point, I'm talking about air and SWG only, they can still kill it fully right from level3
I'm using the table you put above, is that outdated or something?

Patched Damages

Weapon	Internet Center Damage	Hackers killed
USA Carpet Bomb + Lvl 2 A10	100%	Yes
USA Lvl 1 Spectre + Lvl 2 A10	100%	Yes

Air and SWG can obtain the above combination from level 3, while other USAs only obtain it after level 5, which is a big deal

4 Auroras will not kill the Hackers. But 3 Alpha Auroras will. USA can also combine Aurora with Powers. So for example 1 Aurora + Level 2 Spectre will kill pristine Internet Center and all Hackers.

I don't understand, your table above says that they do?

Structure	No. Auroras to kill	No. Alpha Auroras to kill
Patched Internet Center (this)	4	3 (Hackers dead)

Keep in mind that active repairing can make a difference aswell, not all powers can be re-aimed to target the dozer.

Spectre definitely could, which both Air and SWG have from level 3

[xezon]

You're not addressing my point, I'm talking about air and SWG only, they can still kill it fully right from level3. I'm using the table you put above, is that outdated or something?

It is not outdated. It is not clear to me what you need. The goal was that no single Superweapon and Power can take out the pristine Internet Center and all the Hackers inside. This goal was achieved. That there are strike combinations that still can kill it is the way it originally was as well.

[MTKing4]

I understand that, I'm just trying to compare all the different combos available for each faction and how fair they are, and by that table, hackers inside are still vulnerable vs air and SWG pretty Early, which means the particle nerf won't even matter because it comes up much later than level 3 powers for air and SWG, and that is unfair, if you disagree with this and think it's fine for air and swg to always be able to nullify hackers that early, then I'll make a sperate issue for this and go into more detail into how bad this is for balance

For reference to other genpowers, a balanced approach for USA Carpet Bomb + Lvl 2 A10 and USA Lvl 1 Spectre + Lvl 2 A10 is if they killed the IC only, and hackers survive, that would equilize them with all other genpowers.

[xezon]

It is not clear to me why you started to raise this here and not in #1989, which was all about Particle Beam and Explosion damage. Nevertheless, the goal was to protect Internet Center against single attacks. This was achieved and Internet Center is better for it.

[ImTimK]

Keep in mind that most players spent their first point on the Spy Drone, that means you only have 2 to spent once you reach level 3 and can not unlock such combo until level 4.

Also, if we further increase the HP threshold to withstand any combo aswell, then the IC truly becomes a fortress. Haven't we already reached our goal by making it to able to survive the strongest one shot power in the game?

[xezon]

Anything to add here in regards to Aurora damages?

[ImTimK]

Amount of Aurora's seems the same as vs SWs? But IC ofc bigger investment.

[xezon]

Amount of Aurora's seems the same as vs SWs?

Yes. Exactly the same.

Structure	No. Auroras to kill	No. Alpha Auroras to kill
Original Nuke Silo	4	3 (Dead before last fuel expl.)
Patched Internet Center (this)	4	3 (Dead before last fuel expl.)

[xezon]

Jundiyy

Looks good. Yes from me.

[ImTimK]

4 normal Aurora's sounds balanced ($10k), however 3 Alpha's sounds like too good of a trade, even if you lose them all. That's $6k vs $7.5k (+ future income damage).

Maybe increase the threshold so that Hackers survive with 3 Alpha hits?

[xezon]

Documentation added. Title corrected. Looks good. Internet Center is strong.