Novalith Cannon--need to explore before firing?

from Sins Forums

I went to fire my Novalith cannon last night as TEC and received a message saying that it was necessary to have explored the target planet first.  What exactly is required?  Is it enough to have merely had a scout or any ship pass through the target gravity well at some point or does it need to have been recently explored?  If it needs to have been recently explored, then how recently?  Is an implication of this that a TEC should always have one or two scouts set to auto-explore for the entire game to insure that all systems have been explored for the Novalith?
strategy
6,476 views 12 replies
Reply #1 from Sins Forums Top
AFAIK, scouting once is enough. Or even getting Planet Vision from an ally. If you try to shoot at a question mark planet, you'll get that message. Anything else... is free for the picking.

Oh, and you can also use a Novalith to scout: Target a planet. If the cursor turns into a red stop sign, a faction with whom you've signed a peace treaty or cease fire owns it.
Reply #2 from Sins Forums Top
You can shoot it aslong as its not one of those Greyed out planets
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Reply #3 from Sins Forums Top

Heh. The enemy planets/roids I had targeted weren't grayed out at all but I don't think my own scouts had explored them (it was ally vision).
Reply #4 from Sins Forums Top
Well, I have, personally, nuked enemies on worlds I hadn't explored, and I assume that it was their Planet Vision with me earlier on which let me do so. But, it might also be a trade vessel, as we also had a Trade Pact at one point.
Reply #5 from Sins Forums Top
As far as I'm concerned you need to have at least stepped foot once on the planet. Also, make sure you didn't lose one of your military labs since you HAVE to have 8 (I think) to fire it.
Reply #6 from Sins Forums Top
Yes for any research to be used, even after being researched you must still have the required amount of labs. If you have been to a planet, or have any intel on a planet at any point after it has been taken. Attaining a planet vision would be a tactic for both TEC and Visari as there cannons are used the same way.
Reply #7 from Sins Forums Top
It is worth noting that it'll refuse to fire if you've destroyed the planet allready.

This is not normally a problem, you'd think, but novaliths set on autofire will destroy planets without updating the map with that information.

Incidentally, one of the few times I used one I thought it only had range within the star system. When I put it on autofire I learned differently.

WHich brought a smile to my face. And a frown:

How do you defend against those things? I'd guess TEC would use planet shields... other options except just taking them out?
Reply #8 from Sins Forums Top
How do you defend against those things? I'd guess TEC would use planet shields... other options except just taking them out?
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Perhaps some Kostura Cannons could keep a few offline. Other than that, you better have a lot of planets and a good offense.
Reply #9 from Sins Forums Top
As far as I'm concerned you need to have at least stepped foot once on the planet. Also, make sure you didn't lose one of your military labs since you HAVE to have 8 (I think) to fire it.
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That part about not being able to fire it if you lose a military lab is silly. I can just imagine the conversations that must take place amongst the military muckety-mucks. "Uh...we can't fire because when one of our military labs was detroyed we forgot how to push the big red button!"
Reply #10 from Sins Forums Top
That part about not being able to fire it if you lose a military lab is silly. I can just imagine the conversations that must take place amongst the military muckety-mucks. "Uh...we can't fire because when one of our military labs was detroyed we forgot how to push the big red button!"
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Maybe, they're no longer able to make the ammo.
Reply #11 from Sins Forums Top
It's a big fricking cannon! How do you forget to make bullets the size of giant nulear bombs!!??
Reply #12 from Sins Forums Top
It's a big fricking cannon! How do you forget to make bullets the size of giant nulear bombs!!??
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If the lab that is the only place capable of making super-size nuclear bombs is blown up, you're not making any more until you build a new one.