So, since there is a problem with marines just waiting around to gather intel and deliver the nuke, I suggest that SOP should contain some regulations about them.
Nukes should probably be limited to the very dire situations, or really long operations where noone has a clear upper hand. I think you will agree that USCMC are here to liberate and save the colonies, not to turn them into radioactive ashes.
Besides that, I think that nukes shouldn’t be allowed to be bought untill 2 hours 30 minutes into operation, and even then, not essentially allowed to be delivered groundside. Long timer, I know, but marines should try to kill the threat and save colonies, not to destroy everything because they can do it.
I don’t have a problem with the way the testmerge functions now except for one thing - I’ve seen a couple rounds where the marines have managed to win before the nuke goes off. In both of those situations, command said “we’re still nuking the planet” - I don’t really understand command’s thought process on this other than OOCly ‘we put some effort into doing the nuke so we’re going through with it no matter what lol’ - what are people’s thoughts on how this situation should be handled/play out? Due to the server restarting there seems to be no time for an IC resolution in any case.
Nuclear Weapon Deployment: Deployment of nuclear weapons in an operations zone following the announcement by ARES that the area is clear of Xenomorph threats is not permitted unless given explicit authorization by High Command.
Make it a non-modifiable SOP. Leaves the door open for events or admin shenanigans.
In answering the OP. Considering how hard it is to actually get a nuclear weapon, I suspect that in the circumstances where the Marines get one, the op has likely reached a point where it would be permissible to use it. The nuke already has a timelock of 90 minutes as well.
The reason is. It takes a lot of effort to set the nuke off. I would rather the nuke be something that unlocks after two hours or more and is buyable with points without the decryption minigame.
The more prominent reason people currently want to nuke anyways is simply because nobody has done the full process.
For me personally, if I wanted to go through the full process because I put effort into it and didn’t want my effort to be OOCly ‘wasted’ or if I hadn’t done it before and just wanted to see it through - then I would do it on a CM testserver to not affect anyone else - at least when it is fullmerged.
But I guess it can be considered more acceptable during the testmerge phase, fair enough, I will lighten up for now
Ah yes, another 2 hour LV round where marines afk’d on beach.
I thought nuke was added to “end stalemates.” But now 90 marines refuse to push 12 xenos and just cadehug till it’s handed to them on a silver platter.
If nuke was truly meant to end stalemates it needs to change; either:
-Remove it (maybe at least from LV because the map is too small and asymmetrical, very marine-sided in terms of nuke)
-Increase time limit like OP suggested, maybe like 4 hours or an actual stalemate round number (although I think that’s how it was before? Not sure, but I also worry marines will just cadehug for twice as long if that happens)
-Only make nuke purchasable under certain pop conditions; for instance, when xeno:marine ratio is too even for marines to push, but too few xenos to siege. Nuking the colony should be an absolute last resort, not even worth considering if there’s even a slight chance marines can win without it.
-Put some necessary intel for it deep caves, or around highly contested xeno territory so marines actually still have to push and secure an area for IO, and aren’t just ignoring half the map and sitting behind cades while they wait for it.
Idk just spitballing
Some, or all of the solutions above could be applied to potentially help balance it and make rounds more engaging.
Yes, add in SOP something sounding important saying “Only set off the nuke in very dire situations, or you end in front of a court in sol for your warcrimes”. It is just that unrealistic to blow up a whole planet, who was probaly terraformed for lots of cash and got a colony built on it (Colonies probaly cost lots of cash too), because command wants to see a firework and doesn’t want to push the three remaining runners.
