Carrier strike Groups
 

This might have been discoverd by others, but for those who haven't, it's a great idea. Simply build two or three carriers, fill them with large fighters and let them loose into your enemy's systems. I've learned that just one carrier is able to destroy every colony and ship in a system, even homeworlds. It's also far cheaper to build six cariers than to build a fleet of battleships, for those who can't afford the big fleets.

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Mako the Space Shark

Re: Carrier strike Groups
 

Mako,

Simple response is to builds Sats and ships with nothing but PDC on them. I have done so and at higher levels they kill fighters but the bunch.

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Seawolf on the prowl

Re: Carrier strike Groups
 

I love players like you. When I play hot seat, one of my friends uses tons of fighters in his fleets. I always obliterate him because he has not learned that PDC's kick fighter and missle butt.

This tatic also works great against AI's. Most AI are too stupid to utilize fighters, and therefore are useless. Thats when I use fighters.

Mephisto's Mod uses the EA, and they use fighters. This surprised the hell out of me the first time I engaged them in combat. I lost my entire fleet to them. 16 ships up against 8. Even though I had a two to one margin on them, they still wiped me out. I promptly updated my designes with Point Defense Cannons. I also established 3 Sat types at the warp points. Point Defense, Missle, and Beam. I deploy 75 of each, and NO AI as of yet has been able to penatrate my defenses.

This buys me time to build up a new navy and such.

One thing I should point out is that I have also adjusted the KT amount each fighter type can carry. I increased each by 10. To me, this gives the fighters a tad more importance in the grand scheme of things.

I use fighters, mines, and sats to defend my worlds. They work fine, but are quickly picked off by the AI as soon as it realises that I am using fighters, it begins using PDC's.

This negates my fighters stratigy, but also sets the AI up for a big fall. Once I know the AI is producing large numbers of ships with PDC's, I start building heavy beam ships.

Sometimes, I may have two types of the same class of ship. IE, two Battle Ships with the same components except one will have PDC's for AI's that use fighters and missles, and the other will have Beams for the AI's that don't. I then deploy these Batttleships according to the territory I am defending.

I seldom if ever use my carriers as I have discovered that they often are the first thing lost in battle. Most AI's target them right off as easy pray. Even the fighters I do get launched are often more than not, wiped out seconds after the AI begins its turn. So in essance, fighters are good for a select portion of the game, but after that, its a no go.

Re: Carrier strike Groups
 

I love players like you. When I play hot seat, one of my friends uses tons of fighters in his fleets. I always obliterate him because he has not learned that PDC's kick fighter and missle butt.

This tatic also works great against AI's. Most AI are too stupid to utilize fighters, and therefore are useless. Thats when I use fighters.

Mephisto's Mod uses the EA, and they use fighters. This surprised the hell out of me the first time I engaged them in combat. I lost my entire fleet to them. 16 ships up against 8. Even though I had a two to one margin on them, they still wiped me out. I promptly updated my designes with Point Defense Cannons. I also established 3 Sat types at the warp points. Point Defense, Missle, and Beam. I deploy 75 of each, and NO AI as of yet has been able to penatrate my defenses.

This buys me time to build up a new navy and such.

One thing I should point out is that I have also adjusted the KT amount each fighter type can carry. I increased each by 10. To me, this gives the fighters a tad more importance in the grand scheme of things.

I use fighters, mines, and sats to defend my worlds. They work fine, but are quickly picked off by the AI as soon as it realises that I am using fighters, it begins using PDC's.

This negates my fighters stratigy, but also sets the AI up for a big fall. Once I know the AI is producing large numbers of ships with PDC's, I start building heavy beam ships.

Sometimes, I may have two types of the same class of ship. IE, two Battle Ships with the same components except one will have PDC's for AI's that use fighters and missles, and the other will have Beams for the AI's that don't. I then deploy these Batttleships according to the territory I am defending.

I seldom if ever use my carriers as I have discovered that they often are the first thing lost in battle. Most AI's target them right off as easy pray. Even the fighters I do get launched are often more than not, wiped out seconds after the AI begins its turn. So in essance, fighters are good for a select portion of the game, but after that, its a no go.

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"We've made too many compromises already, too many retreats! They invade our space and we fall back -- they assimilate entire worlds and we fall back! Not again! The line must be drawn here -- this far, no further! And I will make them pay for what they've done!" -- Patric Stewart as Captain Picard

Re: Carrier strike Groups
 

Sorry about the double post.

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"We've made too many compromises already, too many retreats! They invade our space and we fall back -- they assimilate entire worlds and we fall back! Not again! The line must be drawn here -- this far, no further! And I will make them pay for what they've done!" -- Patric Stewart as Captain Picard

Re: Carrier strike Groups
 

If there are enough fighters, your PDCs aren't going to take them all out. Figure a group of 20 fighters, each with one Sm Shield III (thats 60 shields) or with two even (Ive made a lot of fighters with 120 shields) and PDC's do 65 damage, thats hardly enough to take the fighters out. So say that maybe 15 fighters get through, and launch their rocket pods. If each fighter has one rocket pod, thats a lot of damage.
If you build ships very PDC heavy, youd be weak to the beam weapons.

I try to balance regular beam ships with carriers. I have maybe 9-11 regular ships along with 1 or two carriers. The punch is really awesome.

Re: Carrier strike Groups
 

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Instar:
If there are enough fighters, your PDCs aren't going to take them all out.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I usually give my warships a minimal load of PDCs, but I fly in an inverted V with dedicated-PDC-only-LCs at the tips of the V. it works well.

if engaged in tactical combat against a human, it would be very vulneralbe to beam ships taking out the PDC boats and then the formation being overrun by fighters or missiles. I dont think I will ever get to play TAC vs human in a major game, even on hotseat or IP play, just because of time restraints. the formation rocks for strategic combat though.

Re: Carrier strike Groups
 

Just create BB hulls with nothing but PDC. That will usually clear off a large group of fighters.

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Seawolf on the prowl

Re: Carrier strike Groups
 

I love fighters myself, and I utilize them quite frequently in my games. When the AI starts equipping their ships with PD, I start launching my fighters in Groups of 1 via the Lauch Units, Move One button...yes, it takes awhile, and yes, controlling some odd 20 to 100 individual fighters can be a tedious experience, but I win, and plus its just cool to see that huge swarm of fighters. Why do I do it this way? Well, the main reason is PD, especially the higher levels, can take out multiple fighters if they are stacked. Sorry, but if I'm gonna use those things, you're going to have to take them out one at a time =) No easy breaks with me. The AI usually doesn't have the firepower to take out my fighters fast enough, especially since I equip the mediums and heavies with ECM. I usually prefer the Small fighters because they are cheap, I can crank them out fast, and losing them is no big deal. I arm my carriers with heavy and large weapons, and provide a barrage of long range firesupport from behind my screen of fighters, and I shield the carriers well. What does this all add up to? Very dead enemies. =)

Re: Carrier strike Groups
 

Noh noh noh noh. You guys are using the wrong numbers here. Image a carrier, filled with 188 large fighters. These have 120 shield point's each, fires electical dishcharge or whatevery they are called. (range 3, reload 1, dmg 20)

Now, I've named this particular design "Predator Mk I". Why? Becuase they'be got a combat speed of 9. (max quantum engines, an afterburner)
If the enemy got's 2 PD's, he just might damage a fighter. Ever heard of small ECM III??? 188 fighter awaiting out of range divided in Groups of one 36 and the rest 38.

The can, per turn make:188x20=3760 dmg. That will easily swat a dreadnought with the AI's shielding. In one shot per fighter. The fast reload rate and heavy shielding will make it work against fleet's of say 2-8 ships, tough the largest fight my carrier been in is 7 Cue-Cappans. I think I lost 20-25 fighter's due to the fact that those psychic stuff can fire at fighters.

Well, losing a fighter or two isn't such a great deal handling these kind of numbers are they? http://www.shrapnelgames.com/ubb/images/icons/icon7.gif