Order of weapons fire / damage?

[AMF]

OK, so a related question that I have always puzzled over and never fully answered:

who fires first in a (strategic) combat?

I know that if one side is at a WP and the other side warps in, then the defender goes first...

but I recently had a combat where I was the defender and it really looked like none of my guys fired first, and, well, I lost my entire fleet (and it looks like I am going down in flames becuase of it)...

so...who first first?

thanks,

Alarik

[Slick]

From the FAQ:

6.8.4 Firing Order
6.8.4.1 In Gold, the defender goes first in combat. If there are multiple defenders or attackers, then the order that they go is randomly determined. eg: If A attacks both B and C in a sector, then the movement order could be B, C, A or it could be C, B, A. (Imperator Fyron)
6.8.4.2 The Defender is anyone that was in the sector already. Attacker is someone that just moved into the sector. Or, if all parties were already in the sector, the Attacker is the one that issues the Attack order. In a Simultaneous game, I would assume that if both players give the attack order at the same time, the lower player number gets to be the attacker. (Imperator Fyron)
6.8.4.3 For warp points: If A warps through and finds B already in the sector, B is the defender and A is the attacker. But if A warps through, and then B moves onto the sector in a later game day, B is the attacker and A is the defender. (Imperator Fyron)
6.8.4.4 For planet attacks using fighter: The planet is generally on the defender side, unless the person owning the planet sends ships in to stop a blockade. Whoever moves first (the defender) is the one that gets to launch fighters first. (Imperator Fyron)


Also note that "firing first" is influenced by movement speed. If 2 fleets are initially positioned far from each other, the one who fires first is the one who is in range first (usually at the end of a turn).


Slick.

[ March 23, 2004, 20:14: Message edited by: Slick ]

[Yef]

Originally posted by hicksz:
I have notice that it's hard to destroy the self-destruct device and the ECM. I would fight the AI and try to damage their ships enough so my boarding parties can try to capture the ship and 7 times out of 10 (for me at least) those would be the Last component left. Very fustrating.

Yeah, I know what you talking about. It make no sense to board a ship with a self-destruct device, so I did what any sensible person would do: I erased the self-destruct component.

Since them (and after starting a new game because the old one got broken) everything plays like a dream.

[ March 23, 2004, 20:40: Message edited by: Yef ]

[Yef]

Originally posted by alarikf:


....but I recently had a combat where I was the defender and it really looked like none of my guys fired first, and, well, I lost my entire fleet (and it looks like I am going down in flames becuase of it)...

Dam, why that never happens to me?
I always win, mostly because the AI can't put together a fleet as big as mine, so I take on their fleets at piece meal.
I would be sooo cool to lose to the AI.

Aside from attacking Homeworlds, all other fights are way too easy. When it comes to a war of attrition the AI can't compete.

The only thing the AI managed to do quite well its sabotages, and that only until I found out the tactic of colonizing a system with at least 2 breathable planets with low resource output and devoting it to Intelligence, no matter how bad my research situation.

[ March 23, 2004, 20:49: Message edited by: Yef ]

[Atrocities]

you just have to love the FAQ.

[AMF]

Bah! It was to another player that I suffered this. The AI would *never* get me in the position I'm in in this game...(ie: really really screwed)

And, well, I did see that answer in the FAQ, but, gosh, I would swear that although I *was* the defender, my guys still didn't fire first. Maybe it's something with my strategies...

Originally posted by Yef:

quote:

---

Originally posted by alarikf:


....but I recently had a combat where I was the defender and it really looked like none of my guys fired first, and, well, I lost my entire fleet (and it looks like I am going down in flames becuase of it)...

Dam, why that never happens to me?
I always win, mostly because the AI can't put together a fleet as big as mine, so I take on their fleets at piece meal.
I would be sooo cool to lose to the AI.

Aside from attacking Homeworlds, all other fights are way too easy. When it comes to a war of attrition the AI can't compete.

The only thing the AI managed to do quite well its sabotages, and that only until I found out the tactic of colonizing a system with at least 2 breathable planets with low resource output and devoting it to Intelligence, no matter how bad my research situation.

---

[Fyron]

Being defender means you get to go first. But, you might still end up firing after the attacker, depending on the distance between the ships, speed, range, etc.