A question about solar panels

[rdouglass]

Originally posted by Slick:
....If the intent was that supplies should also represent crew support, some component like Life Support would use supplies each turn even if the ships don't move.

Slick.

That's the way SEIII worked IIRC. In some ways that was better - in other ways the current system is better. I think it would be nice to have both; not from the MicroManage perspective but from the 'reality' perspective. For instance, any ship with crew quarters will use some supplies each turn reguardless of ship movement / combat (don't fighters do that now?) Ships with just MC's should not use 'em unless move or fire....

I know this has been discussed many times - just my $.02 ...

[Slick]

Originally posted by rdouglass:
(don't fighters do that now?)

Yes, and it can be turned off in settings.txt.

Slick.

[Dingocat85]

Originally posted by oleg:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Slick:
I have always thought that Solar Sails should add movement without using supplies. It just doesn't make sense. I suppose it is easy enough to mod them some supply generation and I know that some mods do this. But a stock Solar Sail sure doesn't act like you might expect if you are comparing it to a sail on a real sailboat i.e "free" movement using energy from wind (or in space, solar wind).

Slick.

You still need some energy (from the crew at least) to rig sails and hove the ship

---

Solar sails actually can give you free movement, in some situations. Strip a ship of its engines, and give it a solar sail. Voila, free movement, no Quantum reactor required

[Fyron]

No supplies limits you 1 move per turn though, so you have to add a supply storage comp.

[ April 23, 2003, 00:26: Message edited by: Imperator Fyron ]

[Loser]

Originally posted by Dingocat85:
Solar sails actually can give you free movement, in some situations. Strip a ship of its engines, and give it a solar sail. Voila, free movement, no Quantum reactor required

Great. Now all I need is engines that I can blow up on command, and a small supply component, so that my ship will be able to move a bit better when it had _nearly_ run out of supplies.

Come to think of it, it's not unreasonable to expect to destroy _any_ component on command. Others wouldn't have much reason, since the enemy can just repair the component if they catch your ship.

Of course, if you have blown up your engines _before_ the enemy closes in to capture your ship, your enemy will be sorely inconvenienced.

Yeessss, how deeeviiious...

[Dingocat85]

Originally posted by Loser:
[QBOf course, if you have blown up your engines _before_ the enemy closes in to capture your ship, your enemy will be sorely inconvenienced.

Yeessss, how deeeviiious...[/QB]

I have an even better idea - wouldn't it be great if, the instant your ship got captured, your ship got destroyed, and the enemy's did too? Wait, what does this 'Self Destruct Device' do?

[Loser]

Originally posted by Dingocat85:
I have an even better idea - wouldn't it be great if, the instant your ship got captured, your ship got destroyed, and the enemy's did too? Wait, what does this 'Self Destruct Device' do?

You have a good point. And that crazy bLast-the-engines idea would only work in Tactical combat.

There is also the option of setting the secondary attack priority to Ram. If I am not mistaken, that will make a ship, once deprived of the ability to shoot at its enemies, into a rampaging juggernaut of

"HHUUG MMEEE!"
*WHAM!

Which ought to vex any capture ship attempting to close with it. That has some significant entertainment value as well. I will have to try that out.

Come to think of it, I don't know if I've seen much of any ram-strategy out of the AI... do any of the AIs ever ram?

Is ramming even a viable tactic? I seem to remember something about Organic-Armored Ram Escorts, but does anyone make use of this sort of thing?