The imbalance happens if you don't understand the concept of layered air-defenses.
If you set up 1 TDS and expect it to shield your cities you are unfortunately helplessly outgunned by the missiles.
You need to set up 2-3 TDS - best in a concentric ring AROUND the city (can actually protect several cities that way) and even possibly add some SAM/MobAA into the city, creating what we call a Missile Defense Envelope.
Even then you will not be 100% safe and that is by design. This said with my setup you will benefit from both the ranged as well as the point-defense anti-missile stats of the units - with the chance to hit the missile(s) twice before they impact.

Hope I was able to help you.

//G

It's a intended design choice to make "heavy impervious plate armor" super expensive. It's not so unbalanced when you make the comparison with the research costs for the ability to launch missiles at things, and their increased cost throughout the tech line.

My only complain is that it's hard to anticipate the need to deploy TDS from an strategical perspective.

Maybe people that launch a conventional program of missiles could have an message in the newspaper ?

I think @Miciobianco is telling about BM rush strategy :

Focus on ballistic missiles, because - offense is much cheaper ( a warhead, a secret lab, and an army base lv.1 ), easier to get and probably no one will be able to protect his cities anyway. Another thing is - why to protect 6,7,8 cities?! It's about 4 to 8xTDS. And single unit means nothing, so 8-16xTDS to sleep safely for some time. Count how many warheads you could launch to this time. Conclusion - try to forget about TDS. At least to the moment when you feel 'economic comfort'.

Quick ideas:

• Cut of secret weapon lab requirement from TDS;
  
• Less hp to basic ballistic missile to enable 2xTierII SAM to intercept that (at least single one ). I totally agree that ballistic weapons are deadly ( striking from 'space' so...). But too deadly on TierI on my taste, so people (including me) just rush them and launch blind and... It's quite effective.
  
• Ballistic Missile Launcher available from army base lv3 or 4.
  

Interesting points.

I think that cutting TDS from weapon lab + asking a level 4 base for ballistic launcher would already help

cutting the secret labs from theater defence would help

I dont think there is any imbalance nor are any changes needed. Everything is fine.


The concept of defending your home cities from missiles is really simple: you don't.

Instead, you invest your resources into armies and attack an conquer your adversaries. In the meantime your enemy invested into missiles, and shot those missiles into your home territory and got much less ressources left over for actual troops to defend his home territory. The enemy has a much harder time killing your armies and missiles cant conquer your home territory.

Conflict of Nations is not about conquering or defending homelands, its about destroying armies while preserving your own.

This is the real solution, but it's not one that goes well with the desire of variety or the "fun depth" for the casual players. Also, after playing some more public, the paradigm of "kill the armies, not the country" works well when you have high activity low latency. Ironically, for people that can't connect that much, and play mostly against people that won't be ultra active... killing the country is what fits with their schedule

A really good thread this. Let me discuss some of it internally ...

Keep it coming in the meantime

//G

We are currently discussing your ideas of removing the restriction of Secret Weapons Lab for the Theater Defense (substituting it or such) as well as increasing the requirements for the BM launchers.

So yeah - there is something in the issue with the BM Rush, if we wanna call it that. This is not release ready yet but I really follow your reasoning and ideas.

It's worth to mention that if army base 4 or 3 requirement will apply, requirements for Cruise Missile Launcher (CML) will look strange - arms industry 1 and secret lab 3 . So, maybe better to add lab 2 to BML.
Well, to be honest, current design to bind launchers with labs, pushes CML out of the game, due to huge costs in 'rares' and time. While other units can do it to, but without additional investment in labs. Same will be with BML if lab2 requirement. I guess no one will risk technological backward. It's better choice to wait for SFs tier II to deliver Cruise Missiles, and produce Missile Submarine to deliver 'ballistics'. After all, I can produce other units with air base or naval base, while labs are only to warheads and launchers.

I can propose some way to resolve this :

Requirements for BML : Army Base 4, Arms Industry 1, ?Lab 1 ( to avoid rush )
Requirements for CML : Army Base 2, Arms Industry 1, ?Lab 1 ( to make CML usefull, maybe, but I'm not optimistic )

So now launchers depends more on army base, which can be used also for more common units production. But there is main disadvantage - no use for Lab 3.

Additionally ( and a bit revolutionary ), to revive CML :

Cruise Missile T1 ( early models are quite heavy ) :
Can be lauched only by : CML, Strategic Bomber, Stealth Bomber, Cruiser, Naval Officer
CM T2 ( medium weight ) :
Additionaly can be launched by : Destroyers, Frigates, Attack Submarines, Sub Officer, Naval Patrol Aircraft
CM T3 ( light weight ) :
Additionaly can be launched by : Drones, ASF ( NASF, SASF ), SF ( SSF, NSF ) Corvettes(?), Rotary Off. Air Ace (Phew... )

As you can see, I propose to bind cruise missile launching ability with Cruise Missiles research progress and not with other units tech progress. Example : You want to Launch a missile from SF Tier 1 - ok, but you must have to research Cruise Missile Tier III. Long way to go, so better to use CML, Bomber, Cruiser... More realistic by the way.

I love this idea. But i think it's hindered by technical problems.

But yeah, i can see the "consistancy" behind CM tech unlocking "advanced models" that in turn can be launched from "advanced platforms"

However, i'm not that in agreement with a "development" line that would make CM "lighter and lighter". I do like the current balance of "it gets more armored and more able to penetrate"

"i'm not that in agreement with a "development" line that would make CM "lighter and lighter".

Maybe you are right, only tried to keep it simple, and clear.

"I do like the current balance of "it gets more armored and more able to penetrate"

It won't change a lot, It will add "more adaptable". There will be a chain reaction of course.
Edit:
More armored = faster (hipersonic) and stealth ( like AGM JASSM )
More able to penetrate = more precise ( statellite guided etc. )

( Personally, i like balancing much. It changes my game every 'season'. But I know I'm in minority. )

In the future, i would like to see them trying some kind of "alternative" meta with special maps with unique versions having over the top stats or willingly broken units, just to see how we use them


Stealth Airmobile Artillellry. Your move, dorado. XD

No Opulon. Stealth Infantry with helicopter transport that can conquer

Hahahaha. With, of course, 5 minutes embarking/disembarking helis.

it is great that we get some Movement into rhia topic as I habe mentioned a lot of timea that missles are to cheap and destroy the fun of the game.

I am not botgered by the secret lab for tds. What bothers me more ia that you need a level5 army base.

Every smart missle ruah player is goning ro attack your citiea witg lvl4+ army base and you will ever be naked against his attacks.

The argument to attack his cities does not really count as conventional units or fleet does not move so fast. And the research for rockets is way cheaper as the one for tds( on tier2 to be Efficient at all)

I remember the times where SAM and ships coul effectivly defend against rockets... Lets see if the balancing pendula will go into this direction again.

i dont think missiles are to cheap theyre actually quite expensive really
lets say you want you want conventionall war heads it costs 2,000 supplies , 3,000 rare and $10,000 just to research guided missile program this is part one

part two lets say you want cruise missiles you have have to research ballistic missile launchers first , 2,500 supplies , 2,500 rare, $ 7,000 cash

part three cruise missile it self 2,000 supplies 2,500 rare material , $ 6,000

days total in research 3 days 22 hours almost 4 days

now add in secret labs level one 750 supplies , 400 components , 500 rare material , 250 fuel , 750 electronics , $ 3,500 cash plus 1 day 1 hour biuld time

now to build conventional warhead , 1,350 supplies , 250 rare material , 500 fuel , 900 electronics , $ 2,200 plus s 1 day biuld time

days to build war head 5 days 23 hours

supplies cost total 8,600

rare material 8,520

cash spent $ 28,700

components 400

fuel 750

electronics 1,650

it actually is very expensive an time consuming to research and build

if my math is off it is not my strong suit i do apologize

this doesnt include trying to get to nuclear ward you have resources that will triple three times just to get level 4 secret labs and two more levels of resources in research level

to the developers im not complaining that resources should be dropped or raised i think their fine where there at in my humble opinion im just trying to point whats cost in resources across the board