Relays vs Collectors, which is fastest?

[Echo51]

Always been wondering if it was faster to use relays or connectors to gap large open spaces, so i tested it ;)


Pre-start setup:


and the winner is:

RELAYS!

there ya go ;) obviously, collectors give you some energy, so use them at earliere times...

[Karsten75]

I made a map with an artifact at the end of a row of collectors and relays then used the artifact text to determine the winner. :)

I might still have the map somewhere, once my comp is in full working order I'll try and dig it out.

[UpperKEES]

Yep, it's the delay between building that makes the difference. This indeed only works for larger distances, as the delay grows and finally gets worse than the 10 extra units of energy that you pay for the string of relays.

[Echo51]

Actually, you're right upper, i noticed that, in a earlier test, but forgot it eventually...

[ElderKingpin]

i think collectors take more energy to make per building, and also there are less of them, and when you cover large distances, the delay that happens when the last packet is still coming towards the most recent building becomes greater.

[J]

Relay; 20s+distance from OC
Collector; 10s+distance from OC

Relays have 1 tile more max distance than 2 collectors. (In that way both cost 20 packets and the relay is faster builded)
If you build near OC it's better to use collectors because the energy collection to use later in fight.

[F0R]

to bad they don't give energy

[The smoking revolver]

I can see it now, ENERGY RELAYS! :P :P :P

[SPIFFEN]

Depends on the map ,
but it seems like collectors should be build first , then relays if you have enought energy to do so .

[Karsten75]

I think the balance between collectors and relays is incorrect.

Relays give one a bigger reach. Apart from that and the marginal speed advantage, collectors are always better since they also add to the energy pool.

I would have liked to see a speed advantage added to relays so packets traveling over relay links re substantially faster.

But it is moot now, the gameplay for CW1 is fixed and very unlikely to change in any meaningful way.

[UpperKEES]

Agreed. That's why I proposed here that a relay should be able to take some damage, like most military units, as a speed increase will be hard to implement (although it also has my preference). Maybe something for CW2....

[SPIFFEN]

I just made an map that does'nt have any Emitters ,
but it might can be used to test this .

If not , it still can be fun to see who manage to get the best score =)

Edit : The path is way to long i guess =/
( Might be the map with the longest gameplay without fighting anything )

[Kamron3]

Relays should give a larger bonus (and it can move up one and down one level)

[Echo51]

Collects can move up/down levels too? :P

[ssddgghh]

Why are there speeds at the top in the finish screenshot but none in the start screenshot?