Oh, this is fun!

[dbt1949]

You've got a good point. I've managed to build a couple of those systems where asteroids are around a star and then built a couple of ring worlds. Then I transfered populations like crazy into them as well as building planets from all the asteroids.
Now assuming your opponent lets you do that,(a big IF when the opponent is human) that's about all you need to support all the ships you can make.
Add that to the stellar torpedoes(or whatever they're called) that destroys a system.Add some stealth and maybe mine detectors to them and it makes for some awesome destruction.
Of course I'm only playing against the AI and if faced with a human opponent would have to do something else,but it does make for a fun game.
I played a large galaxy with many opponents and only had about 10 systems but they supported one big uber fleet that would pop in and out of a system and cause lots of carnage.
Anyrate,it is fun trying out these wierd strategies and seeing what works.Altho I'm sure I'd get my butt whipped against a human opponent trying these things out.

[Atrocities]

All I have to say is; bring your fleet into one of my controlled systems late in the game and watch what happens to them. Muwahahahahahaaaha

[dbt1949]

I know what you mean.Sometimes the planets will be armed to the gills with large weapons platforms and with the latest tech they'll take out a fleet of 30 ships in no time.
Then I have to redesign my ships and increase the fleet sizes.
Unless they don't have any system wide defenses.Then it's poof! rubble!

[Will]

Originally posted by dbt1949:
they'll take out a fleet of 30 ships in no time.

Which is why people opt for fleets more on the 100-ship range for planets like that

[minipol]

30 ship fleets is what i call a backup system defense fleet. For catching small enemy fleets.
In the endgame I usually have some 100-200 spare DB's lying around mothballed. I have 2 100+ fleets. So when a war is coming my way, i can bump the fleet up to 200 with the mothballed onces and still have some smaller fleets in the backsystems.

Once i have installed system shields, i can bring those smaller fleets to the front also. Anway, then the real fun is going to start: in my recent game against TDM AI, i have 2 ringworlds, 2 almost finised and another 4 will be finished within 8 turns. Yummy.
I cut down my fleet size down by mothballing ships
so the AI doesn't immediately attack me. That would slow things down because of the heavy cost of constructing 6 ringworlds at the same time. If they would do it now, i'm ready. Only 1 system has an open waypoint to another system of the AI (so i can jump in and toy with their planets). I already began concentrating forces there since the AI will probably start an attack soon as i am completing the ringworlds.

On of my gripes with SEIV is that while you are at peace with a race, they send in smaller fleets (+-8 to 10 ships) into your space and once they are at war, these little fleets can cause problems so you always have to keep some smaller fleets around yourself. I use the smaller fleets and large WP for that. Not sure what's best for this kind of defense. Maybe fighters are better, i don't know. I do know that building WP on all your planets ( what i did ) is very costly.

Anyway, that's why i like war, you always can keep your systems clean from those little enemy fleets and once you have system shields, nobody can come in through the back door so you know when and where they are going to come
Makes for a "cleaner" less chaotic game

[mottlee]

Dang 100+ ships in a fleet....I see I need to re-think my games

[ June 13, 2003, 14:01: Message edited by: mottlee ]

[QBrigid]

Wow, so many hundreds of ships, this seems like so much work to control and keep track of.

Plus you have Ring Worlds, dbt1949.
I have yet to be able to do this in se4. Can somebody help me on how this is done

[ June 13, 2003, 14:35: Message edited by: QBrigid ]