capturing planets in PBW games

[Arkcon]

Originally posted by trooper:
if the transport is included in the fleet, the strategy for both the transport and the fleet is the fleet strategy, isn't it ?

No, the troop transport ship must have the capture planet strategy, or it will break from the fleet and run for the corner. Notice, your supply and repair ships are part of the fleet, but they never approach the planet either.

Originally posted by trooper:

When you defend a planet this time, are mines, fighters and satellites stored in the planet cargo automatically launched to join the combat, or are they given to the enemy ?

Units in storage of a captured planet or ship become yours. You can never capture units in space

[dogscoff]

What if you have all troop transports and no attack ships? Will they try to take the planet anyway, even if there are weapons platforms?

Sometimes I want to send in a heavily shielded/ armoured transport to take the weapons platforms intact.

[geoschmo]

Originally posted by dogscoff:
What if you have all troop transports and no attack ships? Will they try to take the planet anyway, even if there are weapons platforms?

Sometimes I want to send in a heavily shielded/ armoured transport to take the weapons platforms intact.

Yes, if their are only troop transports and no attack ships they will rush the planet straight away. The same occurs if during combat all your attack ships get destroyed or disabled. Your troop ship/s will rush the planet, even if there are still active weapons platforms left defending it.

Geoschmo

[Arkcon]

Originally posted by dogscoff:
What if you have all troop transports and no attack ships? Will they try to take the planet anyway, even if there are weapons platforms?

Sometimes I want to send in a heavily shielded/ armoured transport to take the weapons platforms intact.

I've done that against the AI. The troop transport, if it has one weapon, like CSM, will stay with the fleet be closer when it's time to drop troops. 'Tho more often than not, it gets targeted by the weapon platforms and vaporized.

It is fun to use well defended troop ships to capture a planet with weapon platforms intact -- and have the planet start shooting down sats, fighters, space yards in orbit.

[ January 22, 2003, 13:52: Message edited by: Arkcon ]

[geoschmo]

Originally posted by Arkcon:
I've done that against the AI. The troop transport, if it has one weapon, like CSM, will stay with the fleet be closer when it's time to drop troops.

Really? Because in my experience placing a weapon on a troop transport has no effect. If the ship has capture planet orders it will still run for the corners until the planet is defensless. Also in my experience if you have a fleet of only armed troop transports and no attack ships they will rush the planet as usual, but not fire their weapons, except for PDC. The only way I have been able to get armed transports to use their weapons is to change their ship orders, and doing that makes them not drop troops.

You aren't confusing the troop transports with the PDC only ships where you put a single weapon on it to keep it with the fleet are you? I'd be interested to know how you got this to work.

Geoschmo

[ January 22, 2003, 14:05: Message edited by: geoschmo ]

[dogscoff]

Thanks for the answers. A few more questions:

Do those reload-time weapons work against planets? That would be a great weapon if it could somehow be used during planetary invasion: knock out their guns temporarily and then send in the troop transports.

Oh, and would fighters be counted as attack ships in your earlier responses?

[Arkcon]

Originally posted by dogscoff:
Do those reload-time weapons work against planets? That would be a great weapon if it could somehow be used during planetary invasion: knock out their guns temporarily and then send in the troop transports.?

I've been playing with the crystaline racial trait and I can tell you, the energy dampner will not target sats and planets. Dunno 'bout the mental flailer.