Flattening the Tech Tree - An Analysis of Unit Roles

This page will look at T1 and T2 units with matching roles and study how they can be differentiated sufficiently to prevent redundancy.

Note that having far better and more expensive unit with same role does not make cheaper unit redundant (especially if its more efficient per cost).

Since there is no tech tree, we should also look at how t1 vech compliments t2 kbot and t1 kbot t2 vech, etc. There are more opportunities for mixing. However the assumption that 'Its different because its a kbot (Slope/speed)' is perhaps still valid.

Since t2 isn't even remotely balanced, we can totally re-roll units, or just come up with roles and find a unit (from UU, whatever) to fill in the roles later. The reason we are keeping t1 as it is is because it has a good, enjoyable dynamic and is well-balanced. For the most part, t2 has neither and t3 is frankly a fricking mess of ultra-units culled from UU. This is why we need to come up with a more solid design document, emphasizing the uniqueness and specific unit compositions of each fac, its strengths, weaknesses, special abilities and specific focuses.

Both

Defenses

LLT - Light, cheap, spammable general purpose defense. High DPS and RoF, short range, low HP.

HLT - Heavy-duty defense for holding a specific area. Medium DPS, low RoF, long range, high HP.

Scorcher/Stardust - Cross between LLT and HLT. Very high DPS (but loses DPS with range) and RoF, short range (should be less than LLT?), medium HP.

Pit Bull/Viper - Ambusher defense. Changes from current model: Make both of them cloak and stealth, low damagemod (meaning very little damage when popped down), reduce range to between HLT and LLT, give high DPS and HP. Can pop up to shoot over terraform walls or pop down for perfect protection, which is an interesting dynamic.

Arm

Kbots

Scouts/Raiders

Flea - Fastest, cheapest, minimal armor light scout, all terrain capability

Peewee - Fast, raider/light recon, good in combat vs some units due to high DPS (though not for frontal assault)

Zipper - Faster raider/recon, not suited for combat due to low DPS. Better at blockade running due to HP.

Assault

Zeus - Exclusive to class? Might need to tweak paralyzer (Why? Up? Down? How?)

Artillery

Hammer - Light mobile arty/skirm.

Vanguard - Ultra heavy T3 artillery, all terrain for better positioning

Skirmisher

Rocko - straight line

Hammer - Light mobile arty/skirm - also indirect fire!

Fido - indirect fire

Anti-air

Jethro and Archangel - only thing really differentiating these two is the flak, needs revision

Anti-swarm

Warrior - only one of its class?

Misc

Crabe - Multipurpose - fire support against swarms, secondary antiswarm, mobile shield

Sharpshooter - Sort of substitute artillery, but really for fire support against heavy targets/stealth/skirmishing (too many roles?)

Vehicles

Scouts/Raiders

Jeffy - Fastest, cheapest, minimal armor light scout

Flash - Fast, raider-type but can also be used for combat

Panther - Medium-fast, paralyzing lightning to neutralize responders/defenses and increase the effectiveness of other raiders.

Gremlin - Stealth, doubles as spy for snooping on enemy

Assault

Stumpy and Bulldog - Difficult to differentiate, but the weight class alone means it works in different stages of the game (against heavier defenses). Stumpy is faster and more manoverable with a much better DPS/cost. Bulldog could become secondary riot, but that would mean Mumbo would have to go.

Artillery

Shellshocker - Spammable, highest rate of fire, short range.

Luger' - Higher AOE, lower accuracy, long range, general purpose, also skirmisher.

Samson - Doubles as AA/skirmisher. Very low damage, due to many roles, only has the range to arty llt/antiswarms.

Merl - Medium AOE, high accuracy, longest range, for picking off buildings

Skirmisher

Janus - Unique one-shot skirmisher

Luger' - Higher AOE, lower accuracy, long range, general purpose, also artillery.

Samson - Doubles as AA/artillery.

Anti-air

Samson - Doubles as skirm/arty.

Phalanx - Predominantly anti-swarm

Misc.

Penetrator - Like sniper, but less mobility more firepower, non-stealth

To be improved/expanded