Re: newby\'s guide to ship and fleet strategy
 

Frigate vs Decoy Cargo
Both Ships: Bridge, Life Support, Crew Quarters
Frigate:
SPEED - 6
DUC V - 3

Decoy Cargo (Small Size):
SPEED - 5
DUC V - 2
Cargo Holds - 8

Results:
Stratigic Combat - 70% Win for Frigate
Tatctical (on auto) - 50/50 (seemed to depend on who scored first hit)
Notes:
In all cases the "victor" was severly damaged
Ships (on auto), fought at point blank range)
The both ships set to ram if out of weapons. The setting seemed to even the odds in tactical)
My Thoughts:
I think less powerful weapons would have been to the Decoys advantage.
The Decoy is good if you want a ship to draw fire, have it available for troop or population movement.
Are willing to pay the extra $1000 mineral cost to build and the exttra maintenance per turn.
Dicey at best
Enjoy

[ 05 February 2002: Message edited by: Gryphin ]

[ 05 February 2002: Message edited by: Gryphin ]</p>

Re: newby\'s guide to ship and fleet strategy
 

I use something similiar to TS, I also love the BCs, They're like the old sailing frigates of yesteryear, strong enough to do some damage, but fast enough to outrun anything bigger.

I usually make up raiding fleets made up of cloaked BCs. Make up is usually 5-10. 3 with heavy (by heavy I meant maxed out mounts) type beam weapons, 2 loaded with missles for planet bashing, 2 strictly pds for aa fire, the rest with various combos depending if/what advance trait I take. Use them for raiding behind the lines, glazing weaker planets, picking off single or small enemy fleets, causes your opponet to build or send fleets to either protect their systems or for search and destroy taking them out of the main line. The number of raider fleets depends on strategic situation.

I also use Torpedos (in fact like them better then msls) and always put some on my killer ships

just some ideas mac

[ 11 February 2002: Message edited by: mac5732 ]

[ 11 February 2002: Message edited by: mac5732 ]</p>

Re: newby\'s guide to ship and fleet strategy
 

Decoy Transports Revisted
I played close to 100 turns with the Decoy Transports decribed below. They proved to be useless except as troop and population transports.
There are two down sides to the armed transport:
They cost more
There is a chance at 1:00 in the morning you will move the ship up to an undefended planet and click on the planet. That will cause the Transport to fire on the planet and kill off population.
The best troop transport design for my style of play is:
Build at least two per race you are at war with
Build them on a Destroyer hull
Make them as fast as the rest of the fleet
Try to research Cargo to increase the troop capacity.
Two fully loaded "DD Troop" ships should be enough to capture and occupiy the planets of at least 3, and possilbly more solar systems.
The first chance I get, I will build a pair Speed 12 Troop ships to move troops and population from inner colonies to the front lines.
Just my style, I hope Tig is making notes.

Re: newby\'s guide to ship and fleet strategy
 

STALL the enemy! It is a tactic that is not talked about often enough. Every newbie should learn it.
In business Time is money, but in war and comedy timing is everthing.

It was still early in the game, I had just over-expanded into the #1 spot. The AIs were all out to get me. Could I hold the choke point to three juicy systems from from my center? Can I tie up that huge battle fleet until help could be built and arrive?
It was a hard fight. Some planets were glassed. But the enemy could never recover from the losses and delays.Help was just next door now.

STALL the enemy.
1. Mines, with five mines I made them take five turns to reach my planet. I layed one per sector.
Why let them go back for fuel and repairs unharrassed? I got a cloaked mine layer in there and shotgunned more mines around.
2. I had transports in nearby systems and refinforced my populations to take a pounding and repell troops.
3.Build WPs as quickly as possible. Also send or build troops to pacify your population. Just try to hold out and make it cost!
3. Use Engine damage weapons, even in WPs. Maybe you can't kill it, but it will take a long time to limp home.
4. Kill or damage the straglers. Pick them off one by one if you can. Stealth helps.

Re: newby\'s guide to ship and fleet strategy
 

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Gryphin:
Frigate vs Decoy Cargo
...
Results:
Stratigic Combat - 70% Win for Frigate
Tatctical (on auto) - 50/50 (seemed to depend on who scored first hit)
...<hr></blockquote>


Why would there be any difference between strategic and tactical on auto? Should be the same thing, no?

PvK

Re: newby\'s guide to ship and fleet strategy
 

PvK,
I thought it should be the same as well. I do intend to try other combinations as well.
I'll post it here.

Re: newby\'s guide to ship and fleet strategy
 

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Gryphin:
Decoy Transports Revisted
I played close to 100 turns with the Decoy Transports decribed below. They proved to be useless except as troop and population transports.<hr></blockquote>

The best "decoy transport" IMO, is a light carrier. I usually research fighter before destroyers. The size 800 gives the Heavy Mount modification, which is deadly against early game ships like destroyers or even cruisers. Light carrier with minium required number of fighter bays (14) still has 380 K to fit in weapons and other battle equipment. After launching fighters, carriers are instructed to follow them and fight like regular ships. Fighter bays provide a good "decoy armor" and give a vital extra protection while heavy mounted weapons and fighters pulverize enemy. I seldom build destroyers and light cruisers. Multi-purpose carriers make up the bulk of my fleets. Besides, it reminds me the cool battle scenes from Babylon 5.

Re: newby\'s guide to ship and fleet strategy
 

oleg, I owe ya one. If you are ever in Boston, the drinks are on me.
Thanks

Re: newby\'s guide to ship and fleet strategy
 

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Gryphin:
oleg, I owe ya one. If you are ever in Boston, the drinks are on me.
Thanks<hr></blockquote>

Oleg, at the rate Gryphin is dishing out the hospitality, let's go to Boston together, we could bankrupt him http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

Re: newby\'s guide to ship and fleet strategy
 

Do any of you guys know how I can get a capture ship to ATTACK a target until the shields are down, then capture?

I just had a fleet of capture ships run to a corner (shot at the enemy as they went by), then, when the warships fought, the capture ships jumped back and forth:
"Hey, theres one without shields to capture"
"Oh, wait, they regenerated 5 points, nevermind"

Obviously the secondary strat of "Optimal weapons range" isn't being used when there are no shieldless ships for the primary strat "board ships".