What's the use of the planet cracker?

[Dionysus 🐭]

Cracking their capital only gives around 20 war exhaustion for them, you could easily double that number by destroying their fleet. I get that it serves as a deterrent to war (because no one wants to lose their capital for a few systems), but the AI doesn't think like that, and I don't get a bonus in a trade deal (or another diplomatic action), so what exactly is the use of the planet cracker outside of RP purposes?

For that matter, what use are any of the colossus weapons at all? The only one that seems slightly useful is the neutron sweep, but only if you want to take their planets (which I don't).

[Foxtrot39]

Planecracker have a chance give a significant (around 20) mineral deposit on the planet remains

God ray is basicaly to ♥♥♥♥ up another empire entire planetary pop

Assimilator turn the planet into yours

Pacifier turn the planet into a 10 or 20 society research deposit

[wolkenwand]

I think you can crumble your opponent economy with colossus? I was destroying awaken empire who is stronger than me by destroying his homeworld while their fleet is in the middle of war with other empire far away, the fleet is still a threat but rebuilding it is hard without long term resources.

[_ALuX_]

(Laughs in Peter Cushing)

[FIBBIDEH]

For the "Total War" casus beli.

For genocidal empires who want everyone dead but don't want to own and manage the micro of literally the entire galaxy.

For a "salt the earth" strategy on territory you know will be retaken.

To turn useless planets with only 1 or 2 mineral districts into a deposit of 20 minerals.

Because micro sucks right now. Less planets to manage = better quality of life, more fun gameplay, and makes the game feels less like managing an excel spreadsheet and more like an actual game.

[Evilgenius]

Originally posted by wolkenwand:

I think you can crumble your opponent economy with colossus? I was destroying awaken empire who is stronger than me by destroying his homeworld while their fleet is in the middle of war with other empire far away, the fleet is still a threat but rebuilding it is hard without long term resources.

Damn, what a waste of a great planet.

[markdb92]

making the planets over time makes the game run better and if you have peaceful ethos and able to delcare a war you can nuke the map one world at a time. Shielding worlds does not seem to piss off the ai except the one your doing it to. I shielded fallen empire worlds just cause i didnt want xenos in my empire.

[Stormsong]

The point of the planet cracker is very simple:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OyrX11cMkE

[Asuzu]

I use one as a vacuum cleaner to free up some space from useless planets for my awesome megastructures.
After that one is done, I do a quick roundabout to make everyone spiritualist so I don't have to deal with those stupid, stupid factions.
Always having Casus Belli is nice for an occasional Total War as well, when I get bored.
You know, the routine days can get boring for a Chosen One.

[wolkenwand]

Originally posted by evilgenius:

Originally posted by wolkenwand:

I think you can crumble your opponent economy with colossus? I was destroying awaken empire who is stronger than me by destroying his homeworld while their fleet is in the middle of war with other empire far away, the fleet is still a threat but rebuilding it is hard without long term resources.

Damn, what a waste of a great planet.

Nah, it feels great.

[Gorsameth]

Cleaning the galaxy of life takes a long time if you invade all planets and you end up with garbage worlds.
That is the use of the Collosus. To scourge the galaxy of all other life with minimal fuss. Just a few moments over a planet and then on to the next one.

[happyscrub]

Planet Cracker >>>>>> fleet combat in war exhaustion in big empires / multi empire fights. If you think just defeating someone's fleet wins a war fast, you haven't done any real late game fights.

[Dionysus 🐭]

The A.I. cheats and does not care about rules, so they will still pump out massive fleets even with a single planet left, so there is no economy effect.

The warscore it initially gives is around 20 (which is already horrible in comparison of destroying their fleets), but if you keep cracking their planets it gives less (I once had it give 4 warscore), when it should be a last resort to end a war.

As Yulyeong said, it doesn't act as a deterrent to war (e.g. you ask them for tribute and they accept as they do not want to get their planets blown up, whereas normally they decline) as the A.I. is too stupid to think that way. And negative opinion only makes them less likely to do want you want, so it literally does the opposite of what it should do.

The 10 - 20 minerals you get from the leftover planet (if you even have that system after the war) is nothing in comparison to the hundreds (thousands in new patch?) of minerals you can get from the Matter Decompressor mega-structure, or even a single medium - large planet focused solely on minerals.

The planet cracker is quite literally useless by the time you get it. The only use is the Total War casus belli, but that is also useless if you are already playing an empire who can declare war on anyone (such as the Determined Exterminators), or roleplaying an empire who doesn't like to randomly declare war on someone ("a wise ruler never seeks out war, but is always prepared for it").

[vkobe]

Originally posted by aaronth07:

Cracking their capital only gives around 20 war exhaustion for them, you could easily double that number by destroying their fleet. I get that it serves as a deterrent to war (because no one wants to lose their capital for a few systems), but the AI doesn't think like that, and I don't get a bonus in a trade deal (or another diplomatic action), so what exactly is the use of the planet cracker outside of RP purposes?

For that matter, what use are any of the colossus weapons at all? The only one that seems slightly useful is the neutron sweep, but only if you want to take their planets (which I don't).

same than nuclear weapon in real life, to not let them rebuild, it is scorch earth strategy

[Dionysus 🐭]

Originally posted by vkobe:

Originally posted by aaronth07:

Cracking their capital only gives around 20 war exhaustion for them, you could easily double that number by destroying their fleet. I get that it serves as a deterrent to war (because no one wants to lose their capital for a few systems), but the AI doesn't think like that, and I don't get a bonus in a trade deal (or another diplomatic action), so what exactly is the use of the planet cracker outside of RP purposes?

For that matter, what use are any of the colossus weapons at all? The only one that seems slightly useful is the neutron sweep, but only if you want to take their planets (which I don't).

same than nuclear weapon in real life, to not let them rebuild, it is scorch earth strategy

Except that isn't the use of a nuke, the real use is a deterrent. No one want a nuclear war.

And as I also said, the A.I. cheats, so destroying planets does not matter to their economy.

[Wraith]

The Ai might cheat but it doesn't mean you can't affect their economy you can 100 percent ruin the AI economy by blowing up their prime planets.