Re: The Perfect fighter
 

No, they took out approx 150 fighters with PDC and PPB.

Re: The Perfect fighter
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Whoops! Unit Shield points are treated as damage resistance points. 60 shield = 60kt damage resistance, now add that to all of the componants damage resistance. A fully shielded light fighter can take about 83kt of damage.

Re: The Perfect fighter
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Whoops! Unit Shield points are treated as damage resistance points. 60 shield = 60kt damage resistance, now add that to all of the componants damage resistance. A fully shielded light fighter can take about 83kt of damage.</font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Aha, I have learned something new today then.

At any rate, typical capital ship-mounted PPBs are doing 100+ damage each, which will still cut through stacks fairly quickly anyway, shields or no.

Re: The Perfect fighter
 

I got lucky against one opponant with massive number of fighters. I got them to chase me and they did it in carriers. Since their fleet caught up to mine, we started combat close to each other and I got first shot (kinda like a worm hole defense). I crippled all ten carriers and boarded about 5 of them.
If they had caught up to me with just the fighters I would have lost about half my ships. But... I would have not been running away to the rally point, but would have charged their fleet head on so that when combat started we were on opposite sides of the battle field.

Knowing how to get up close is important with fighters. I was told the fleet movement phase was covered in the Gold manual.

[ December 18, 2002, 19:13: Message edited by: Wardad ]

Re: The Perfect fighter
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Whoops! Unit Shield points are treated as damage resistance points. 60 shield = 60kt damage resistance, now add that to all of the componants damage resistance. A fully shielded light fighter can take about 83kt of damage.</font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Aha, I have learned something new today then.

At any rate, typical capital ship-mounted PPBs are doing 100+ damage each, which will still cut through stacks fairly quickly anyway, shields or no.</font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Great, glad I could help. I'm sure it works that way for Fighters, Troops, and SATs, but I'm not sure about Weapon Platforms.

Re: The Perfect fighter
 

Just to extend on the PDC thoughts. If he has such huge masses of Fighters you do want lots of PDC on your ships. How many do you have on your designs that were in that fight? If only 3 or 4 per ship then I would suggest building a special ship say Cruiser size or so, doesn't matter which hull you use, but fill it up with PDC and shields or armor. Then send those ships in, if you have 15-20 PDCs on your ships you will surely take his fighters out before he can hurt you too badly.

Re: The Perfect fighter
 

Rags,

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I believe you have it now. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif The lightbulb just flickered on!!

Re: The Perfect fighter
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I believe you have it now. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif The lightbulb just flickered on!!</font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Add in a combat sensors. It can help tip the balance.

Re: The Perfect fighter
 

Will make that in the next major fleet!!!

Re: The Perfect fighter
 

I've actually found that fighters can be very useful, even when tech is high. But you have to build lots of them. As in, every single planet you have that's not building facilities or ships, are building fighters (or troops). I had a bunch of movement 2 carriers that only sat on warp points to ferry Groups of 100 fighters to the next system, and transports. Transports were generally used to collect fighters at a single planet for launch, as the fighters are faster than any other ship. "Conquest" fleets would have a faster Version of the ferry carriers, which would split from the fleet, go into the system to be attacked, and launch fighters. The fighters would beeline to all the warps, sealing them off (when you have a single stack of about 100 fighters with Electric Discharge III, there are very, very few ships that will survive a single shot, so it would take a very big fleet to break through). Then small Groups of ships will go in and kill any stray ships, while the main fleet will attack the largest planet, and capture it. That planet immediately starts producing troops to help capture the rest of the system. Very effective when done right.

Anyway, as for your problem... Probably the best fighters are ones with Electric Discharge or Time Distortion Burst (the latter especially with heavy-shielded enemies). If you want to take them out with fighters, I don't quite know what "standard" weapon would work best, but you'll need a lot of them. Your best bet, though, is to have the PDC boats mentioned. Make them as fast as possible, size should be in the Light Cruiser to Battle Cruiser range. Experiment with the ratio of PDC/Armor/Shields, find the best combo.