TEC Planetary Shield, how does it work?

I doubt very much if anyone uses it. I've never used, don't see the point

Sure. But it helps prevent large siege raids (especially the larger pirate raids) and it practically negates the TEC's own Novalith Cannon. Until AI does build superweapons, there is really not much use for it since fighter squadrons in the grav well defenses are usually enough to deal with sieges anyway.

I doubt they're used much in MP, though I don't play it to know for certain.

The SG gives 30%/50%/80% planet bombing mitigation (the additional mitigation is acquired through a Tier 7 research subject). It's a straight reduction in bombing damage taken (so with 80% mitigation, sieges, capitals, Novaliths, and presumably Meteor Storm will only have one-fifth of their normal damage - it would be as if a 6k HP planet had 30k HP).

Yeah, they work really well against AI seige frigate spams, but I doubt it would be of much use online except for stoping the rare surprise Desolator raid. That said its probably fair because antimatter rechargers and nanodisruptors (or whatever the Vasari structure is) don't get used very often either.

TEC Shield generator is the weakest of the "Super" defensive structures. Advent have the AM recharger, which reloads AM on ships and defensive structures, Vasari have Nano Weapon Jammer, which disables weapons on attacking ships, TEC have the shield generator which, against AI is Ok, but is utterly useless against human players. I have been playing MP for over a year and have never once seen it used, because its effects can be negated if its destroyed. At least with Advent and Vasari, they offer assistance to other defensive structures and fleets, TEC shield generator only protects planets until they are inevitably destroyed, and there is a earlier tech that does a similar job, but better. In entrenchment, starbases can be upgraded to prevent the loss of the planet they orbit to bombardment, until the starbase is destroyed. And starbases are much more difficult to destroy than shield generators and come at a much lower research tier.

I don't know if I'd call it the weakest, especially as the other two have major autocasting issues. At least you know the shield generator is doing its (somewhat ineffective) job all the time so you can just forget about it as soon as it is complete.

The shield generator is practically worthless unless you're blocking Novaliths.  The problem is that it's very easily destroyed.  To be useful, a shield generator requires a very specific situation:  the enemy has to be able to attack the planet, but for some reason be unable to destroy the orbital structures.  This is an unusual situation to begin with, as most of the time the opposite is true; it's much easier to destroy the orbital structures than it is to attack the planet.  The only realistic case I can think of is the Novalith.

You could argue that the starbase could protect a shield generator, but this has its own issue.  Starbases have an upgrade available that allows them to maintain control over the planet even when it's bombed out.  This is far more effective than a shield generator, effectively granting IMMUNITY to bombardment and requiring you to destroy a full-sized starbase rather than a little generator.

The bottom line is that you can safely ignore this structure.  I've never used it or any of the other "super defensive" structures in multiplayer.  Repair bays, phase stabilizers, phase jump inhibitors and occasionally hangers and turrets are the only worthwhile tactical defenses IMO.

I guess we can all universally say this needs a buff.

But how? I think it shouldn't be a obital structure period but a planetary upgrade to make it hard as nails with Emergency Facilities stacking on its bonuses.

It should make every level of Emergency Facilities give 15/30/45% extra health to the planet's HP. isn't the point of this SUPPOSED to protect the planet from ABOVE? So having a space station projecting the shield to below makes no sense.

There have been several suggestions.

- Cykur proposed having it also project a shield around neighboring structures to protect them.

- I proposed an idea whereby the additional safety granted by the shield generator attracts more people throughout the empire to come live there.  BONUS EFFECT: higher population.

- I proposed another idea where the tec novalith would be buffed to be able to remove control over a planet even with the starbase upgrade.  However, if you also had a shield generator, you would be immune to this.

I think a few other people have made other suggestions.

The Shield Generator also seems to have an antimatter pool even though it has no abilities that consume antimatter.

What about a 5% etc. increase in alleigence for planets protected by a shield generator?  You are spending money to protect the planet's inhabitants after all - unlike like the starbase upgrade which just maintains the idea that the planet belongs to you, and ignores the actual genocide of the matter - so it figures that they would have a greater loyalty to your empire.

All these buffs are too small. It needs a significant buff to make it worth getting. 

1. Make the planetary shield give itself the shield bonuses as well to make its HP/Shields very high like around 5000/5000

2. Give all other structures in the Grav Well a 15% shield bonus ( turrets don't have shields but will gain a small shield due to this) 

3. Give all Capital Ships, Cruisers, (No frigates) AND STARBASES in the Grav Well a "projecting shield" for a 10% bonus to their current shields.

4. Worlds with a planetary shield generator counts as a extra civic population planetary upgrade (Can exceed lv. 4 with this) {Davin3's suggestion}

Honestly the Novalith is almost never ever used in multiplayer so 99.9% of the people could really give a rip about preventing it. Also its factions specific and so unique you'll almost never face it, ever. 

Now that would be worth actually getting for a very valuable world. The thing is expensive to research and to make so it needs some good bonuses. 

I don't know Dorian, that seems like an awful lot of buffs (or are you saying only one of them is necissary?). I think I might have to rule that shield generator OP, even if no one would ever rush to get them. Furthermore, its currently impossible to make a buff target cruisers and not frigates.

definitely going to say no to #3, it is a tec structure and they have the smallest shields as it is, so 10% would be such a small increase that it wouldn't even matter.

Personally, I love the idea that it increases the population of the planet, gives the shield gen a chance to earn its worth back, however, wouldn't this make it more of a civilian structure rather than a defensive structure?  And then wouldn't something similar need to be added to each the vasari and advent? Going against this argument is that TEC is the big credit income faction, so this would just buff that a little bit and that vasari would have to be something similar to a refinery, which is in the game, and advent would get a gravity well damage buff, which is something that everyone would scream imbalance.