How best to use Null Space weapons?

[Dingocat85]

Originally posted by Gwaihir:
I was a big fan of racial weapons for a while, but now I tend to use the standard. I haven't really found a racial weapon that tops the standard set if well planned - - - does anyone have a different opinion on this?

IMO, There are two outstanding racial weapons:

1) The Allegiance Subverter:
Once they get Ion Engines III, virtually *every* AI ship fits itself with a Self-Destruct Device, rendering Boarding Parties useless, if you want to keep your ship. And even if you want to destroy both your ship and theirs by boarding their S-D equipped ship, you still have to get through their shields.
With the Allegiance Subverter, *any* ship with a bridge can be yours - SD or no SD, shields or no shields, Security Station or none at all - and if timed correctly (fire rate 25), you can capture two ships per combat, per weapon!
And if you play a low-tech, tech-trading-impossible game like me (all Ice & Gas Colonization Techs I needed to know, I got from analyzing enemy Colony ships ), the AI will never use Master Computers, so you should be safe using the Allegiance Subverter all game long.
[/sales pitch]

2) Organic Armor:
Yes, armor can be a weapon.
Equip a nice, big ship (Battleship, etc.) with, say, 10-15 Organic Armors - if you haven't reached that Tech Level yet, a few Destroyers with 3-4 Organic Armors will do just fine. Then, Ram your target of choice (which should only damage the armor), wait one turn for your Armor to regenerate, then ram some more. So long you keep the boarding parties away, the Organic-Armored Rammer is tough to beat.

[Hunkpapa]

Originally posted by Gwaihir:
waitwaitwait, engine destroyers don't skip shields anymore? do they at least skip armor?
(shows how thoroughly i've researched special weapons)

Someone please clarify do they or don't they skip shields?

[Cyrien]

Originally posted by Dingocat85:

1) The Allegiance Subverter:
...timed correctly (fire rate 25), you can capture...
...the AI will never use Master Computers, so you should be safe using the Allegiance Subverter all game long.

2) Organic Armor:
So long you keep the boarding parties away, the Organic-Armored Rammer is tough to beat.

1> Fire rate 30 not 25. The most you can capture is 1 per combat per ship unless you are using a mod. Also the AI will use master computers. Was just playing a psychic game and half way through my allegiance subverter fleet got wiped out by AI with Master Computer ships.

2> Organic armor raming ships are easy to defeat. After they ram once they lose all their shields if they had any. Then just fire away with engine destroyers. A ramming ship that can't move isn't a threat.

None of the destroys specific component X weapons skip shields anymore.

[Gwaihir]

Re: shield skipping/not - thanks Cyrien

Re: TDBs
I used to always play temporal, because the TDB really is very effective - but it actually takes more research to get TDBs maxed than it does to get APBs and SD maxed, which makes a slightly better ship. True, shield accelerators instead of depleters would be a great addition, but not essential. The modular type is more flexible, too - i can alter the ratios based on how much my enemies use shields. (plus, i get 1500 more RPs . . .)

I agree tho that there is no one killer strategy, unlike in SE3, there are so many variables that any design has a counter-design.

[oleg]

Originally posted by Cyrien:
None of the destroys specific component X weapons skip shields anymore.

WHAT ? Shield generator killers do not skip shields anymore !? Or Computer virus ? Please tell me you are kidding !

[geoschmo]

Originally posted by oleg:

quote:

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Originally posted by Cyrien:
None of the destroys specific component X weapons skip shields anymore.

WHAT ? Shield generator killers do not skip shields anymore !? Or Computer virus ? Please tell me you are kidding !

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No, Cyrien is incorrect. The only specific damage weapon that doesn't skip shields is the engine only weapon.

Engine only = Does NOT skip shields, but DOES skip armor

Virus (MC only) = DOES skip shields and armor
Weapon only = DOES skip shields and armor
Shield Generator only = DOES skip shields and armor

Geoschmo

[JLS]

Originally posted by Gwaihir:
I was a big fan of racial weapons for a while, but now I tend to use the standard. I haven't really found a racial weapon that tops the standard set if well planned - - - does anyone have a different opinion on this?

I agree, the standard ones have more options and have a quicker to research curb.

The Null-Space weapon in conjunction with good combat sensors and any good Primary weapons makes for a great silver bullet .

[ May 03, 2003, 15:24: Message edited by: JLS ]