Weaknesses of the Networkers:
  1. Cannot be taxed at all.
    2. Tim's Response: OK My Reply: I didn't see a problem there. It's a big weakness.
  2. Finite ordinance. They use 1/2 as many beams as any other race because their shields weaken beam weapons so much they think beams are a waste of energy.
    3. Tim's Response: This will be a part of the ship design process. Ships have large and small weapons, Max Large Weapons: 20 Max Small Weapons: 30 The large weapons also come in different sizes, you can limit the max size of a large weapon a ship can have: Max Large Size: 30 40 50 60 150 700 800 2000 My Reply: I had my design started before reading that Tim was apparently doing away with the beam and fighter/thorp weapon division. I compensated to the best of my ability.
  3. Cloaking a planet cools the planet and Networkers can only cool a planet to whatever temperature makes the natives most happy. A planet must be hot to cloak and will only cool until the natives are comfortable at a rate of 1-4 degrees a turn. Networkers are impervious to climate.
    4. Tim's Response: The ground unit can do this. My Reply: I designed a building to do this. I modified this plan to actually cool a planet only until the locals are comfortable. This adds complexity. Siliconoid worlds couldn't be cloaked.
  4. No reproduction will occur until a factory has been built. Even their home world must have natives on it.
    5. Tim's Response: OK My Reply: This is a limiting effect to counter the advantages I built into the Networkers. This and No Tax put a severe cap on Networker capacities so I can go with these ships.
  5. The Tachyon pulse does not work in their dense shields. The strain of the shield density increases the potential for a cloak failure in all races, but prevents decloaking devices from working. Their ships are, therefore, unprotectable. Cloaked ships in the field will be felt, but cannot be seen or attacked unless the cloak fails. Towing a Networker ship allows the ship to be located close enough for an attack.
    6. Tim's Response: OK My Reply: I gave the Networkers some cloakers. Since this also applies to the Networker fleet, I could create a cloaking hyperdrive ship.
  6. Networker production at factories, mines and starbases will halt if the natives become unhappy.
    7. Tim's Response: OK My Reply: A nice balance which requires the Temple ground unit.
  7. The population which will colonize a planet without natives is too small for adequate defense of that planet.
    8. My Note: This isn't something which can be desinged in or out.
  8. Once the enhanced shield fails, their ships have very low masses and most do not last long.
    9. My Note: I hope I got the masses low, but Tim doesn't seem to have Designed a reletive shield strength capacity into the new Host program. I compensated by adding weapons and giving the ship modifiers adjustments so that the ship takes less than 100% damage. The life support modifier might still be too high. Networkers don't need life support aside from power. They do eat, but that's a form of mineral absorption like the capilary action of plants. They are almost as hard to kill as rocks.



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