Any use for a really small carrier?
 

I've built a destroyer with two capital weapons, ECM, solar sails and solar panels. And a fighter bay level 1 and a cargo bay.
The Destroyer can launch one fighter each combat turn up to a totaal of 12 small fighters.
The 12 fighters and the ship arrives a firing point approximatly at the same time. In a battle group of 4 destroyers that makes 48 fighters and 4 destroyers for the cost of two ordinary small carriers with a total of 36 carriers.
The fighters may have rocket pods.
Is this a good early game strategy (I haven't got into anyy fight with them yet, and the simulation results are non-conclusive).
I was thinking of pairing them with an orinary fighter carrier to overwhelm any point defence so that some of the major fighter Groups get a chance to fire. Do pint defense cannons target "Strongest" first or?
I quite like these destroyers as I haven't seen any of them before (Maybe becourse they're useless?!?)
They come at half the price of an ordinary carrier and can fire 14-26 weapons at first combat turn (per destroyer and it's own fighters) depending on the fighter arnament, I like that!

Are they useless? Should I stop making them?

In the simulator one on one against my other top-design destroyer I loose three fighters (that one has a Point defense cannon and 5 Depleted Uranium cannons level 5 instead of Two for the fighter destroyer)

[ January 03, 2003, 17:19: Message edited by: Ruatha ]

Re: Any use for a really small carrier?
 

If you see a need by all means keep building them, as to targeting I think it's first in range gets nailed first

Re: Any use for a really small carrier?
 

If you ae playing against humans the suprise factor might be worth somethng.

Re: Any use for a really small carrier?
 

Hehe, surprise at a warp point maybe? Not to mention and armed ferry, use them to haul fighters to planets at contested border maybe?

Re: Any use for a really small carrier?
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I never play against the AI

Re: Any use for a really small carrier?
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Not much use at a warp point, they launch one, then get their bays shreded. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...s/rolleyes.gif

I even use frigates this way...
"What the big deal, I can handle 5 targets... um 10 .... um 15 ...um

Re: Any use for a really small carrier?
 

THe other advantage is that cargo/ fighter bay components are generally cheaper than weapons, so you can build your mini carrier faster than an equivalent warship. The ship's "weapons" - ie the fighters - can be built simultaneously on non-spaceyard planets.

I often build boarding ships with a fighter bay and space for a few shield-depleting fighters. That works fairly well for me.

You should play Devnullmod, which has a cute, small, fast "escort carrier".

Re: Any use for a really small carrier?
 

"I never play against the AI"
Well, then you have just given your oppoenents something to think about. Hmm.

[ January 03, 2003, 19:18: Message edited by: Gryphin ]

Re: Any use for a really small carrier?
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">How are you managing that? When I have a carrier launching fighters on several consecutive combat turns, the fighters get strung out in a chain with each group a full move or more apart.

Oh, wait, I see you have the launching ship charging into the combat, as well. I usually trade armaments for cargo space and have the carriers set to Don't Get Hurt.

Re: Any use for a really small carrier?
 

I like the idea ruatha, maybe a new stratergy to defeat my enemies even, i've tried everything else