Why Coalition is overpowered against Gaalsien

[Caelestus]

I tried to deny it, I play Gaalsien and win most of my games. However, once I tried out the Coalitions on multiplayer, I understand just how overpowered they are. Granted, most Gaalsien vehicles have auto-repair, but sometimes its just not enough to compensate. I'll go into detail why.

Baserunners
Need I say more? Gaalsien Variant is useless, all it does is repair nearby vehicles which already have auto-repair. Granted, it can be the difference between surviving or not in a battle, but compared to the Coalition Baserunners, which can drop unlimited turrets, it pales in comparison.

LAV vs Sandskimmers,
It would be understandable that sandskimmers natural beat LAVs once fully upgraded, however, in truth they are equally matched. Sure, sandskimmers are faster, but at the end of the day, both sides serve their purpose equally. For Gaalsiens, the only way to survive an LAV rush is to rush Sandskimmers.

AAV vs Assault Vehicle
AAV certainly loses to an assault Vehicle in a 1v1 battle, however AAV are so cheap it doesn't even matter. 180 CU compared to 220 CU. In addition, AAVs come with an ability to shield them from artillery fire, while assault cruisers only its 25 damage. It even fails are killing LAVs and can easily be destroyed by them. AAVs on the other hand can counter large amounts of strike crafts, while marching right into the enemy base and take out production/support cruisers. its rapid fire rate along with its accuracy makes it so much better than the more expensive and time consuming assault cruisers. AAV upgrade is also only 350/50, while Assault Vehicle requires 600/100.

Rail Guns vs Heavy Rails + Assault Rails
Rail guns, without upgrades are better than Gaalsien variants. They are also cheap and easily mass produced. However, Heavy rails do exceptional damage, which for some reason, still takes 3 shots to kill a rail gun. Its 60 extra damage is pointless. Assault Rails are useful against AAVs and other helpless vehicles, but that is it. Even then, AAVs can just smoke and run. The option is good, but pointless. Heavy rails can do what assault rails can with less shots, but sadly, also with less accuracy. In addition, Heavy rails has a decent EMP ability which can be used to fight off pursuing strike crafts or to stun enemy artillery/armored vehicles.

Missiles Ships
Personally, I think that the Gaalsien variant is strong. However. Coalitions are extremely cheap. 100 CU vs 400CU. Coalition variant can also fill Gaalsien varaint's role very well, it has a large area of effect with its missile weapon, although it is slower. They still take down aircraft easily, making Gaalsien air pointless.

Cruisers are unique so I can't really compare. I will try. However, I must bring something up first.

Assault Cruisers
They are Gaalsien design, very cheap, fast to produce and ridiculously powerful. These are clearly campaign only units. Enhanced combat, Auto-repair, and anti-air capability and a devastating missile attack. What more can be said? This thing is ridiculously strong.

Battlecruiser vs Honorguard
in a 1v1, Battlecruisers can be kited to death by Honorguard. Honorguard also have anti-air capability. The battlecruiser still has devastating damage to medium armored vehicles and can completely devastate carriers. Battlecruisers also have the ability to use smokes to conceal itself from artillery fire. However, in this comparison, Honorguards are better than Battlecruisers if they can manage to stay at a distance forever.

Artillery vs Siege Cruiser
Probably the only saving grace for Gaalsien is its Siege Cruiser, which is devastating with an EMP ability. However, a lot of Coalition players forget that they have access to the Artillery Cruiser, which starts off with longer range and has focus fire ability. They also do not have to face their target to fire. The Coalition also has so many good units that the Artillery Cruiser is simply NOT NEEDED. Then you have players complaining about Siege Cruisers. Artillery Cruiser is just as powerful.

Support Cruiser vs Production Cruiser
I like Production Cruiser, but Support Cruisers have anti-air capability and repairing capability. I think they are balanced well. The unit cap does not allow the Gaalsien player to abuse their production capabilities. The Support Cruiser also requires twice as much supply as the Production Cruiser.

Aircraft
Yeah... Gaalsien air is bad. They are useful in very strict circumstances, such as an annoying Coalition tank/rail spam. Four cheap missile ships (compared to cost of Gaalsien missile ship) and all air is useless. Coalition can also take out the expensive missile ships of Gaalsien easily.

Carriers
Defense, Power, ability, mobility. The Coalition Carrier excels at all these in fighting the Gaalsien Carrier. Sure, Gaalsien Carrier can put 5 points into movement and speed away, but how useful is that when your resource line is wiped out and you have nothing left? Gaalsien Carrier missile ability is also very bad. One salvo rarely wipes out a resource line. However, Coalition Carrier's missile completely annhilates anything that it hits except some Cruisers.


Its very sad, but it seems that most players only use Coalition. Only me and a few others are still stubborn enough to keep using Gaalsiens. Those that complain about Gaalsien Rush, well LAV rush is just as deadly. The only difference is that Gaalsien can not protect an unguarded resource line, while Coalition can repair them, and even if the Support cruiser is targeted, the coalition can easily drop a turret and start pumping out AAVs which COMPLETELY negates any Sandskimmer rushes attempted. Sandskimmers simply can't penetrate AAV armor. AAV armor upgrade is also only 100/100, while to increase Sandskimmer damage requires 200/125 for raiding (33% movement speed) followed by 500/75 for 2 damage.

Please balance the game! I don't want to have a gaurenteed victory playing as Coalition. It only makes Gaalsien seem like a useless Kiith.

I still enjoy the game very much and think that BBI did a great job in bringing back the Homeworld style gameplay. I think that the game is outstanding, and the missions are well made. However, the Gaalsien Kiith are useless. I find it hard to believe that the Gaalsien is more technologically advanced when their units are so much weaker. By the unit rosters, it also makes no sense to how the Gaalsiens were even beating the Coalition in the campaign. Perhaps its the difference between a good commander vs. a poor one, but I don't think all Coalition commanders are useless, or are they?

Again PLEASE Balance the game and also add more maps... larger maps would be good.

Edit:

Techtree

Thanks to Good Clean Games, I didn't have to spend a lot of time researching the values.

CU/RU/Time

Coalition
300/0/35 LAVs

350/85/50 AAVs, 400/135/50 Rails, 500/200/70 Fighter/Gunship

200/125/40 Missile Battery, 700/450/130 Battle Cruiser, 600/350/110 Assault Cruiser, 500/250/75 Tactical Bomber

500/300/100 Artillery Cruiser

Gaalsien
300/0/35 Sand Skimmer

600/100/65 Assault Ship, 450/200/55 Rails, 280/125/55 Missile Ship

500/350/100 Honorguard, 600/450/75 Siege Cruiser, 250/250/55 Interceptor

400/275/65 Precision Bomber

I did not include other upgrades, but count the fact that Gaalsien has upgrade supply as well, so add 10 seconds per tier.

Preliminary view shows that Coalitions can get their medium ships out cheaper and faster than Gaalsien, but Gaalsien can get their Cruisers out faster. However, the ship costs of each unit favors Coalition even more, comparing 180/30/18 AAVs to 220/30/? Assault Cruisers, or 100/70 Missile Batteries to 400/85 Missile Ships. So the costs and upgrades pretend that Gaalsien ships are powerful, when in reality they are fragile and weak with their only saving grace being that they can auto-repair.

[110]

leeeeelzzzz so instead of saying "well actually the sides are balanced" yall say this is an old thread... i know its an old thread.. -.-

it just goes to show that after all this time there still isnt balance and coalition/soban is still spammed like its going out of business (at least in lower tier games) (as i stated)

after playing a bit more, the gaal carrier seems very nice compared to the khaaneph one, but the armies are still imba. khaaneph could do with some anti armour power/boost to their uselessly short ranged carrier (micro-ing their missiles doesnt pay off for the effort required)

and both could do with some form of dealing with the stronger coal/soban ships that doesnt require such superior effrot (still too ez to win lower tier games as coal/soban)

[Last Rites]

Aside from being an ancient thread, the only reason you see more Coal players among newer players is because they are easier to learn and easier to play. They are not stronger than Gaalsien, like at all.

[341-B]

Gaalsien is my favorite.

I can win the 3 HARD AI (2 Coalition and 1 Soban) in one team against me only on Gaalsien. If you want to see the video I will upload my video on Youtube.

[Desiire]

Cool bump on an eight year old thread