Xenomorph Pheropod overpowered? especially early-game?

[ZoSo]

I'm still very new to Pandora, but in my first couple of early play-throughs, I've really relied on capturing a Devourer or two for my early military strength. Having two or more 8 strength aliens, make my colonial troopers (and those of my opponents, lol) seem insignificant during the early game. I was even thinking that if I played without Xenomorph Pheropods, it would feel like going up a difficulty level. In my last game, I captured all of my neighbor's cities in a quick war and cleared out all alien nests with my Devourers leading the way and doing most of the heavy fighting; my troopers just mopped-up damaged or weak units.

This is only my second game (and I didn't play very far into my first), so I don't really know how things typically play out. but I do know that I wouldn't have been able to conquer my neighbouring faction so soon without Xenomorph Pheropod. I'd imagine my games would be much, much more difficult if I didn't use them.

What do you think? Have you considered playing with a house-rule which prohibits their use? Thanks in advance.

[Zak0r]

I don't think it is overpowered. To capture the bigger aliens you need to sacrifice units or have a lot of firepower already anyway. Also for each alien you need another "♥♥♥♥"-unit with a device that decreases its strength by 50% of the base.

[ZoSo]

Originally posted by Zak0r:

I don't think it is overpowered. To capture the bigger aliens you need to sacrifice units or have a lot of firepower already anyway. Also for each alien you need another "♥♥♥♥"-unit with a device that decreases its strength by 50% of the base.

Do the other AI factions use Xenomorph Pheropods? Thanks in advance.

[Zak0r]

I've seen them use it sometimes (the pre-AIL-AI).

[Ail]

For the time being I have prohibited the use of those by the AI.

The reason is that it is quite situational and outside of the right situation it's just decreasing your efficiency.

Let's do some maths.

By the time aliens get aggressive on very high alien-aggession, I usually have 3.6 strength troops with + 50% against bio, making them 5.4 strenght against bio without a special-module.
Till the stronger aliens become active, I can also have the +25% attack-module.
This makes it 6.75 anti-bio-strentgh when attacking for 125% of the cost.
Those, when using flanking and attacking from rough terrain or when defending from behind bunker-walls are already strong enough to kill an 8-strentgh alien without risking to die themselves.

A unit with the xeropod has only 2.7 strentgh against bio for a cost of 150%.
So ideally you get 10.7 strenth within two seperate units.

10.7/150 vs. 6.75/125 is about 32% better.

But this does not include how you got the aliens health low enough to capture it with a 2.7 strenght unit.
It has to be damaged before!
How would you do that? Normally by sacrificing another unit, right?

This further diminishes the cost-effieciency of your captured alien.

That's why I prohibited the AI from even trying. Only when executed properly the use of those is slightly better than using something else. But something else, is always better outside the ideal situation.

[ZoSo]

I've only played as The Divine Ascension so far, so maybe converting aliens seemed considerably easier with their 25% attack bonus. I'd imagine that The Terra Salvum would have a much harder time converting them with their attack penalty.

[Zak0r]

True, but Terra Salvum can get bombardments, artillery or at least snipers easily before the aliens even get aggressive.

[Mr.Kill]

Doesn't your upkeep rise massively when you capture an alien?

[Zak0r]

They do have upkeep but not more than similar human units.