Talk:On Delta Station

Designing Units

The art of unit design is a key part of Anno Ether, as very few military (or for that matter, civilian!) units are the same. The system that AE uses consists of several parts:

• 1) The unit base: This is the most fundamental element, as all units are something. A unit base includes basic functionality and can perform in its role; unit bases are also entirely unexceptional and represent what is generally considered minimum capabilities. Thus a capital ship would have armor to resist shellfire and a fighter would be able to fly and engage other aircraft. The unit base also determines the basic cost of the unit, as well as any cost multipliers or production batch size (one 'unit' of infantry being 10,000 actual soldiers, for example).
• 2) Milieu and Aptitudes: All states have developed different approaches to technology and magic (and technomagic and magitech), not to mention different best practices and doctrines. All of these are holistically represented by Aptitudes which are a set of baked-in improvements to military units. For example, a state with Propulsion Aptitude 1 has invested some effort into improving their engines and can coax more power out of them, while a different state with the same aptitude at 2 is definitely at the forefront of engine technologies and one with it at 3 is a world-beater. The specific aptitudes are determined by Milieu.
• 3) Technical Level (TL): This is a measure of how many different things you can cram into a unit and still have it function more or less as designed. It is different from Aptitudes, as you may not be very good at actually building high-efficiency cosmoturbines and hyper-compressed bolt cannons but if you have a high technic level you're a whiz at integrating all sorts of disparate systems and making them actually work together painlessly.
• 4) Added/Reduced Capabilities: This is the true nuts and bolts of unit design and what distinguishes a Mark I Light Mech from a Mark X Assault Atlas. Units have a limited number of added capabilities slots (your TL), and each added capability has a numerical rating, from 1 (small improvement) to 5 (enormous improvement). Each pip is equivalent to one point of Aptitude. Some capabilities are not rated in levels; these are generally rated at 2 pips each for cost purposes but do take up one slot each. Reduced capabilities act the opposite way, greatly reducing the relevant attribute. Generally speaking going beyond 2 pips of reduced capability in any field is crippling in some fashion; an artillery piece at -2 mobility might be a towed gun, but -3 mobility means that it is tactically immobile and needs to be set up and taken down, at -4 it is a fixed turret on a permanent foundation. For every two different reduced capabilities taken, you may build a unit as if it were one TL higher.

Example

Mk I Light Mech (TL3 Armor)

Aptitudes: 2 Armor, 2 Gun, 1 Mobility

+1 Mobility

Mk X Assault Atlas (TL3 Armor)

Aptitudes: 2 Armor, 2 Gun, 1 Mobility

+5 Armor

+3 Cannon

+3 Articulated Fists

-1 Mobility

The Assault Atlas has three added capabilities and one reduced capability, but as it is a TL3 unit it cannot take any more added capabilities. It can, if desired, upgrade all the way to +5 cannon and +5 articulated fists but this would certainly come with a cost premium.

Cost commentary
Currently I'm envisioning rank 1-2 being one cost, then a premium at rank 3-4, and then a larger premium at rank 5. I am also currently allowing 'broadening' your caps, so you could have +2 guns and +2 guns at the lower price. Obviously this cuts into how many different caps you can have, so it naturally balances efficient single-role designs against breadth of capabilities.

Unit Grid

• Scout Group (general) - These represent a small complement of fixed-wing reconnaisance aircraft capable of flying off both land strips and ships. It is quite common for these to actually cover more than one model of aircraft and it can be assumed that smaller, (semi)expendible drones are also included. Speed: Fast. Range: Moderate Class: 1 Size: 4 Element.
• Dogfighter (general) - The archetypical combat aircraft, dogfighters (also known as snubfighters) are single-seat craft and have excellent performance while still being able to act adequately in the attack role. As befitting their name they are armed primarily with guns and short-range missiles. While not as capable as specialists, they also have no true weaknesses and as such are the backbone of air forces across known space. The compact size of dogfighters means they can be relatively easily flown off non-carrier ships, allowing for the dispersal of a battlegroup's air wing. Speed: Fast. Range: Medium Class: 1 Size: 12 Squadron
• Fighter-Bomber (Heavy Metal) - These larger, more powerful fighters (often also known as heavy fighters) carry additional protection and ordnance-hauling ability. This gives them a better punch against larger targets while also making them more survivable. Speed: Fast. Range: Medium Class: 3 Size: 18 Squadron
• UCAV (Infospace) - The ultimate in 'loyal wingmen', UCAVs are compact crewless combat aircraft built to support larger, manned aircraft. In this role they provide additional ordnance payload, sensing abilities and even the option to take hits meant for their leader. Note that while controlled by a sophisticated computer, by default they are not actually intelligent and exist to execute orders, not give them. Speed: Fast. Range: Moderate Class: 2 Size: 12 Squadron
• Interceptor (general) - Interceptors are purpose built for one thing; high speed defense against bomber and reconnaissance craft, though they are no slouches against other tactical aircraft as well. To this end they make few (if any at all) concessions being able to perform strike missions and are very much air-to-air specialists. As a general rule interceptors tend to be fairly large by tactical standards, all engine and fuel. Speed: Very Fast. Range: Moderate Class: 3 Size: 18 Squadron
• Striker (general) - The polar opposite to interceptors, strikers are all about delivering ordnance to enemy surface and naval targets. As such they sacrifice raw aeronautical performance to carry more bombs and tougher defenses. Speed: Moderate. Range: Moderate Class: 2 Size: 12 Squadron
• Tankbuster(Heavy Metal) - The last word in gun-based air support, tankbusters are all but flying artillery cannons with armored airplanes wrapped around them. While not winning any aerial races, they can loiter for hours and precisely deliver doses of high-caliber destruction onto the battlefield. Speed: Slow. Range: Moderate Class: 2 Size: 18 Squadron
• Waverider (Sword and Starship) - The humanoid mecha has long been a familiar battlefield sight, with the first examples dating to the Canon Period. It is unclear when or where the term waverider was first applied but it has long been the term for deep sky capable mecha. While having some limitations compared to more aerodynamic craft, waveriders are nonetheless a staple of many militaries. Speed: Slow. Range: Moderate Class: 3 Size: 8 Element
• Superheavy Fighter(Heavy Metal) - A characteristically heavy metal take on a more powerful fighter, superheavy fighters are by far the largest of all 'fighters'. With devastating forward firepower and multiple turrets they are dangerous both on the offense and defense; their strong shielding only helps this. They can also carry fairly significant ordnance loads and can be used more than adequately against shipping, though sheer size means they mostly operate off land bases. Speed: Fast. Range: Long Class: 4 Size: 4 Solo
• Variable Fighter (Sword and Starship) - Origami airplanes! Speed: Fast. Range: Long Class: 3 Size: 8 Element
• Multirole Fighter (Infospace) - Taking the general-purpose fighter concept to its powerful endpoint, multirole fighters can perform essentially all the traditional roles of tactical aircraft at the same time. This superlative performance comes at a price however, and these fighters are both large and expensive. Speed: Very Fast. Range: Medium Class: 3 Size: 8 Element
• Bomber (general) - The conventional bomber is both larger and longer-ranged than tactical aircraft, intended for operational and strategic level operations. With ample ordnance payload they can shatter enemy warmaking potential from the air or perform naval sweeps. Speed: Moderate. Range: Long Class: 4 Size: 30 Squadron
• Interdictor (Infospace) - Often directly derived from fighter aircraft, interdictors are high-speed strike aircraft built to hit targets deep behind enemy lines. Intended for in-and-out operations they cannot loiter like strikers, even if their actual ordnance load is the same. Their fighterlike performance does even mean they can be relied on to do air combat in a pinch. Speed: Fast. Range: Long Class: 3 Size: 24 Squadron
• Heavy Bomber (general) - The bigger brother to conventional bombers, heavy bombers can drone their way across massive distances while still carrying a weight of ordnance equivalent to a fully-loaded fighter - fighter included. Some nations build variations on these that load them down with various sensors to patrol vast expanses of the deep sky. Speed: Moderate. Range: Very Long Class: 5 Size: 30 Element
• Liberator(Heavy Metal) - Often compared to 'battleships of the sky', Liberators are massive flying bricks of defensive blaster turrets, a dozen redundant engines and defensive paraphernalia all to protect their clutch of deadly ordnance. While some of the slowest aircraft in the sky they can cruise for long distances and shrug off damage that would send any other aircraft down in flames. Speed: Slow. Range: Very Long Class: 5 Size: 40 Element
• Fast Bomber (general) - These massive, sleek aircraft often give the appearance of a fighter (or more correctly, an interdictor) blown up to heavy bomber scale, an impression that is not incorrect. Packing the payload of a heavy bomber they also have fighterlike speed, though it would be a mistake to assume they can dogfight. Speed: Fast. Range: Very Long Class: 5 Size: 30 Element

Base Unit	Heavy Metal	Sword and Starship	Infospace
Scout Group
Fighter		Snubfighter
Interceptor
Striker	Tankbuster		Interdictor
Dominance Fighter	Superheavy Fighter	Variable Fighters	Multirole Fighter
Bomber
Heavy Bomber	Liberator		Strategic Bomber
Superbomber
Utility
Vertol
Patroller

Base Unit	Heavy Metal	Sword and Starship	Infospace
Escort	Tin Can	Warbird
Cruiser		Volleyship	Strike Cruiser
Capital Ship		Battlefrigate
Light Carrier
Fleet Carrier		Battlecarrier	Attack Carrier
Misc	Supercapital		Fast Attack Prowler
Battlefortress

Improvement Tree

The improvement tree tracks the development of your domestic construction techniques. As you develop different types of units, you may select one option from each choice; these may be taken in any order but may only be taken one each.

Choice	Option 1	Option 2
Escort A	+2 Torpedoes	+1 AA
Escort B	+1 Propulsion	+1 Protection
Escort C	+1 Firepower	+1 Stealth
Escort D	+1 Sensors	+1 Propulsion
Escort E	+1 Counter-Umbral	+1 Firepower

Choice	Option 1	Option 2
Cruiser A
Cruiser B
Cruiser C
Cruiser D
Cruiser E

Choice	Option 1	Option 2
Capital A	+1 Armor	+1 Shields
Capital B	+1 AA	+1 Firepower
Capital C	+1 Propulsion	+1 Armor
Capital D	+1 Fuel	+1 Propulsion
Capital E	+1 Firepower	+1 Hangars

Heritage Ships and Refits

Buggy Software: Nice bonuses, but random chance every turn that it'll bug out and invert the bonuses to penalties.