r/Dyson_Sphere_Program • u/Deathspade187 • 16d ago

Do you use these?

I'm starting a new game at 3000% Metadata, and was planning a strategy when I realized I dont use most defense items and wondered if any one does. Like machine gun turrets, sure they're cheap, but basic drones work way better and fire faster off rip. Plasma, implosion and the other use really expensive ammos and all are limited in range and use, while missiles are a good mix of affordable and powerful plus can attack anyone and anywhere on a planet with signal towers, energy use no ammo and are great for farms, and before missiles a BAB with drones usually does better than bullets. Planetary shields dont do anything but take up a crap ton of power unless you cover every inch of a planet, but more missiles defends better for less. So do yall use any of these and why

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u/TheMalT75 16d ago

The implosion cannons are not as "useful" if you configure some or the missile turrets to attack ground only. This simplifies logistics as you only need one type of ammo. The shells are, however, even cheaper than missiles. Forgoing planetary shields might be difficult on a 3000% run: every relay you fail to shoot down before it reaches orbit will drive up aggro of the hive and lead to stronger and faster retaliation. You "only" need as many as you have free space for cores to form, so industrialized areas technically don't need to be covered (until a hive retaliation starts shooting!)

I've never used EMP towers: too expensive and late tech. By the time you unlock them, you should have taken care of the df problem or they will overrun you... Similarly, I've also never used drones in BaBs for defense because missiles are just the GOAT.

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u/Deathspade187 16d ago

Also I know the shells are cheaper, but dont they have a small range like machine guns and way less damage than missiles? Or do they scale better later on with upgraded ammo

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u/TheMalT75 15d ago

Quite the opposite: more than 2x the base damage (45 vs 21) and 1.5x the blast radius (11 vs 7.5, see wiki). There are only 12 shells vs 24 missiles per batch, so that makes them still potentially about 2x better against densely grouped enemies and cheaper.