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Value of RA

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Value of RA

from Sins Forums

Alot of Vasari players talk about how great Returning Armada is...I don't really get it. You invest in 8 military labs, then you invest in the two levels of RA, and build the phase gates for it, and on top of everything you need to PAY to use the ability. And it's not cheap either. So how would you effectively use RA  - is it even worth it as opposed to simply constructing ships?

Also if anyone knows how to vote in the poll that would be great.

strategy
16,297 views 30 replies
Reply #26 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting SageWon, reply 22

Except that I said that I researched both levels of it. I should know, because I lost the resources to prove it!


Did you have enough open fleet slots?  I am assuming that you did.

But I learned the hard way on this point.  I had my phase gates set to auto-cast (RA).  And it used up/filled up all my fleet slots, and kept on charging me for activating RA (once I had enough crystal), even tho it didn't create ANY new ships!  Because I hadn't researched higher amounts of fleet yet. (I think the old RA would give you unlimited fleet, despite what fleet level you had researched).

[PS. I thot the cooldown was 10 minutes, not 15].
End of SageWon's quote

This is a good point as well.  Make sure that your fleet cap has room in it.

Reply #27 from Stardock Forums Top

I do believe that once there are free slots the ships you were charged for will appear.

Offworld Trading Company
Reply #28 from Sins Forums Top

 

Contrary to popular accusation, I'm actually basing my opinion completely off my own experience as a Vasari player. If I was Advent or TEC and just hated the ability because I couldn't beat it, why would I come in here saying it sucks? Wouldn't I say it was overpowered?

First let me ask a question, does activating two Stabilizers in the same gravity well, one after another, grant you one or two Returning Armadas?

Because I activated two stabilizers (With Returning Armada researched twice, by the way) in the same gravity well and only got about 10 ships, roughly 3 enforcers, 2 carriers, 4 skirmishers, and an Assailant as far as I can remember.
End of quote

 

Seems like it works...by your own description, you got about 100 supply of ships.

3 enforcer = 36
2 carrier = 28
4 skirmisher = 28
1 assailant = 6

Total = 98 supply

This is more than a single RA usage, in my experience.  You are also getting higher end ships which indicates level 2.

The 1.1 change notes for RA:

Returning Armada:

  • Now costs 2500 credits, 200 Metal, 500 Crystal to activate.
  • Fleet sizes summoned increased from 25-45 to 45-90 supply.
  • Cooldown increased to 10 minutes at all levels.
  • Phase Stabilizers now have 0 max antimatter.  
End of quote

 

So I would say that you either got unlucky twice in a row with "weak" RA lottos near the minimum draw, or you hit a fleet cap that prevented you from getting more.  I find I usually get 60-70 supply pretty regularly with RA.

 

Reply #29 from Sins Forums Top

I do believe that once there are free slots the ships you were charged for will appear.
End of quote

 

Nope

Reply #30 from Sins Forums Top

(I think the old RA would give you unlimited fleet, despite what fleet level you had researched).
End of quote

No, with the old RA, you had to still research fleet supply as well.  It was amusing to look at the stats graph at the end of the game and you could immediately see who rushed RA.  Basically, the guy wouldn't tech fleet supply until RA was up.  From then on, it was an exponetial curve for fleet supply all the way up to max.

Also, I would point out that you can't technically get by with just 1 mil lab.  The overseer and subverter are some of the best support ships in the game.