Re: Overall Strategy and Massive Confusion
 

Oh, while I'm on the subject, another diVersionary naming tactic I use is to make sure each of my various stellar manipulation ships is a different class even if they have identical components. I don't do that for ship types with much more numerous members, since it makes for a _lot_ more work, but stellar manip ships are rare an expensive. I don't want one unlucky combat to let my enemies know which of my ships have sunbusters or warp-openers and which are just storm-clearers.

Alternately (there's _always_ an alternately), the ship classes "Nova1", "Nova3" and "Nova6" could have actual sun-destroying components whereas the classes "Nova2", "Nova4" and "Nova5" are actually just repair-and-resupply ships. Try to avoid having them get into combat, to keep your enemy from discovering that you're using this tactic. After the first system-bombing, he won't know which task forces are major kamikaze threats and which aren't - hopefully, he'll think they _all_ are. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

One can always rename a ship, but one can't always easily change their class designation.

Confusion to the enemy!

Re: Overall Strategy and Massive Confusion
 

These namign strategies are great, i used the remnaming of the ships to great effect in tricking an enemy into thinking i had a plauge ship heading his way (bubonic) and had at least 3 more wiating (0004) and have done similar with my fleets, it doesn't hurt to change the numbers alittle to confuse them. but what happens when your queue runs into that number along the way? i guess it would just skip it. The note taking is smart, i have started that for all my PBW games, (AI isn't enough of a challenge that i need it, i can afford to screw up a little). and BeeDee10, does the enemy get to see your class designation? Going through neutral humans to spread disinformation is also a great tactic. another great trick is to make transport/colonizers with deeper purposes, means a lot of wasted effort on storage components but few will trouble with what appears to be a simple pop transport (can even back that up with a name...) and then their system goes up in smoke as the start of an intergalactic war. (was a pop deal previously).

Re: Overall Strategy and Massive Confusion
 

You guys should try Interspector to take your notes. You can arrange your text in a tree. It's a great organizer.

http://www.popupsolutions.com/interspector

it's not free, but the demo is quite good.

Re: Overall Strategy and Massive Confusion
 

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Skulky:
These namign strategies are great, i used the remnaming of the ships to great effect in tricking an enemy into thinking i had a plauge ship heading his way (bubonic) and had at least 3 more wiating (0004) and have done similar with my fleets, it doesn't hurt to change the numbers alittle to confuse them. but what happens when your queue runs into that number along the way? i guess it would just skip it.
&lt;snip&gt;
<hr></blockquote>

Actually, the computer will just start numbering from whatever number you forced onto the ship name. I.e., if you build another "bubonic" class ship, it's number would be 0005. I figured this out a while ago, when I tried tracking refitted ships by incrementing the 1000's digit ("Lion 0001" refitted to "Lion II 1001"; the next Lion II to roll off the construction queue was then called "Lion 1002" by the computer).

Re: Overall Strategy and Massive Confusion
 

I always just use the age old expedient of giving my ships regular ship names, e.g., the TCS Victory or the HMS Repulse (depending on what kind of empire we're talking). Same for the classes. Obviously I can see at a glance what components a ship has, but to my opponents "HMS Coral Sea, Gloucester Class" doesn't mean squat. Plus, it just makes your navy seem more organized and professional (not to mention cool http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif )

Re: Overall Strategy and Massive Confusion
 

Thanks to KDC for the good idea. After looking at the program you suggested, I found a shareware program that I think is great for this kind of note taking. It will keep notes and pictures in a tree structure. The address is below.

http://fileforum.betanews.com/detail.php3?fid=974700247

Re: Overall Strategy and Massive Confusion
 

I just took a sneak peak and it looks cool. Still how many functions do you need in something for keepign notes? i guess if your really dedicated you could take down everything.

Re: Overall Strategy and Massive Confusion
 

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Praetor:
I always just use the age old expedient of giving my ships regular ship names, e.g., the TCS Victory or the HMS Repulse (depending on what kind of empire we're talking). Same for the classes. Obviously I can see at a glance what components a ship has, but to my opponents "HMS Coral Sea, Gloucester Class" doesn't mean squat. Plus, it just makes your navy seem more organized and professional (not to mention cool http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif )<hr></blockquote>

Praetor, you join myself and Tampa Gamer as the archetypal military history nuts - I do exactly the same as yourself. I havn't played against humans yet but really dont see how sight of something called "FNS Agamemnon - BC nike class" is really going to help them much. Actually, I do designate my vessels with code if they are specialised eg CLE escort cruiser, CLX heavy weapons cruiser CLA assault cruiser (ie beam heavy) that sort of thing - I may have to stop doing that

Re: Overall Strategy and Massive Confusion
 

Hmm, Making a note, wondering if Growltigga is disseminating misinformation for my sake. Disseminating some of my own: While I am still learning I tend to name my designs using the abriviations of the Hull, Speed, and equipment on board. A ship of mine might look like this: FF PDC 6. Frigate with Point Defence Cannons and Speed 6, (not that I would ever build such a usless thing).

Re: Overall Strategy and Massive Confusion
 

When I see military ship names, and I want to know what they are, I'll search the net. One player I played with, named his ships in French. A simple internet translator was all that was needed to bust this code wide-open. I agree with just naming things out-of-the-blue, for no reason. I use the empire name "The Pootopians", and prefer to name my ships in a similar fashion.

I use "Green Poo", "Brown Poo", "Poo on you", etc. etc. Hell, half the time, I don't even know what they mean. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

--Ed