Beams v Missiles

[Caduceus]

i.e. I posted the same category question. I forgot that I had posted it already.

[Smolf]

If you are playing against the AI, you can use missiles for quite a long time because they don't research PD early in the game.

Human opponents always research PD early in the game so your few early research points are better spent on improving your direct fire weapons. And don't forget that you only get experience from direct fire weapons...

[Aris_Sung]

I too like to play with combined arms tactics (like Gozra). So although beams are the weapons of choice for main combat, I also find the missiles can be a great help to.
I find it frustrating sometimes to send fighters after a well PDC protected ships only to have their numbers cut down quite a bit before they reach their target. (Fighters are an integral part of my combat tactics.) So that's where some missile ships come in. They'll basically launch some missiles at a time to provide cover for fighters, so that my fighters that are equipped with rocket packs and beams can actually get at the target. Most times I get acceptable losses in my fighter squadrons, which shows that missiles shouldn't be dismissed too quickly.

[brianeyci]

One thing not mentioned...

Beam and missile research is parallel with organic races. So, you do not lose any research when researching organic weapons if you want to convert to missiles later.

About the only reason why you'd research missiles, researching conventional missiles seems stupid because it sets you back hundreds of K of research points that are useless later on when they adapt and mount PDC.

And, you can do the nasty tactic if you're really rich of retrofitting all your ships in the middle of the battlefield to missile boats and annihilating your opponet if you notice they don't mount PDC to save space if you're organic (I have yet to pull this off though).

Brian

[geoschmo]

Aris_Sung said:
Most times I get acceptable losses in my fighter squadrons, which shows that missiles shouldn't be dismissed too quickly.

Except that the missles are inferior weapons which are providing cover for your fighters which also inferior weapons. In the stock game against a moderatly skilled human player you are throwing good money after bad so to speak. Fighters and missles are both inferior to beam weaponed ships. Adequate PDC will illimnate the threat from both, and your fighters will be targetted by beam weapons in addition to the PDC.

Fighters and missles both have their place. Early in the game for sure, and in very specific situations they can be moderatly useful in the late game, but neither is good as a front line weapon. Combined force tactics simply don't work in late game stock SE4. Against an enemy in even roughly equal numbers, you will lose. In fact, using fighters and missles are a force multiplier for your enemy. Use them and you will find youself losing battles where you have the other guy outnumbered.

[Aris_Sung]

I haven't gotten that far in my game yet, so I may not be the 'late' as you describe it. I also play stock games more than I play against Human players(there's never enough time to do the fun stuff). (I sorta have an affinity for fighters, those one-man ships fighting to win and survive.) But I understand what you're saying, and I'll keep your comments in mind, if and when I do get time to play that far.
Maybe, making PDC a little less accurate could be put into SEV, which could make fighters important again for everyone!

Thanks for the input,
Aris

[Fyron]

Quite a few mods address the problems with fighters and missiles in stock SE4 and make them actually be useful. You would be surprised what making PDC actually be a balanced device can do.