Topics have been always closed if the topic starter asks for it.

this reminds me of my endless Kain supply at Karapyth!

The Topic is rediculas cannonFodder.    lmfao

How about to limit Arkhes to alpha only? Want to go beta - get a light bot at least. They are pretty cheap to build or buy but provide killpoints at least. Syndicate technologies for Syndicate-protected areas.

After arches would be restricted, they will whine about shielded castel zerg, then t1 artemis zerg, then t1 vagabond zerg, then just any zerg. lol

The whole problem isn't with killing probes repeately. Problem is - to do it with arkhes and a an additional reason - with trial accounts.

While the whole idea tactically is good, it doesn't seem to be intended - arkhes are cheap, unlimited with using multiple trial accounts, and they give no killpoints. With all that they can destroy probes that are cost much more and need more effort to use them actually - OP ownership and stuff. We may need here some DEVs clearance if this is an exploit or not, but anyway, values are too different to be balanced.

Line, your point is well taken but this simply isn't an exploit, it's pvp.

Reap/Sow point #1, M2S and others petitioned to get the radius of building walls reducded to 3km, I argued against that change for this very reason. Walled probes can't be killed by arkhes or even light bots.

Play point #2, Players don't 'own' Islands, by that I mean, they don't automatically have control of teleporters just because they have control of an outpost. They need to defend it.

Play point #3, putting a gate guard on a teleporter instead of a probe, it can even be a trial account(!!!), easily counters an arkhe blowing up probes.

So, its a real looong streach to say that sending arkhe's over to blow up undefended probes is an exploit. Shortly after launch, Arhkes were nerfed because they could actually compete against light and assault bots; and could probably take down a mech. That was over-powered, but probes are not players, and they are fragile on purpose, which means they are vulnerable and need to be protected.

On a risk-reward pvp level, the arkhe has little value, but its also easy to kill. Yes it takes time to do it, but there IS another player on the other side of that arhke that is taking their time too. Just because it doesn't 'feel' worthwhile to the mech player to blow up an arkhe, doesn't make it an exploit. The mech is also in no 'danger' of losing their bot from the arkhe, but it could also be a trap to get them to flag, but THAT is just another pvp tactic NOT an exploit.

An exploit is using something for other than it's intended purpose, like recycling main terminals for norgalis.

Using a bot, even the service bot, for PVP simply can't be considered an exploit.

I wouldn't call it an exploit either but on point #3, all the Arhke have to do is get close to the probe which is only a few seconds, anyone killing the arkhy would destroy the probe as well due to explosion. Maybe increase hp on the probe somewhat so defenders at least have a chance to respond.

Changing probes would be the direction to go. I do remember the stealth assaults got reverted because people were saying such cheap bots shouldn't be able cause so much destruction. (Correct, me if I am wrong on this)

I think this falls into the same category.

Yes, probes is the problem, some balance/change would be good, arkhes will still be arkhes.

Yes I agree. I was one for the change to walls. I think you are correct that probes needed to be looked at during that change, but they were not.