SE5 Demo Bug Reports & Annoyances/Requests

[RonGianti]

tmcc said:
I still hope this is fixed because as it is now it is ridiculous. I tried 1 missile FG with 3 CSMs against two DDs each with 4 PDC, 2 DUC and combat sensors.

What are the other factors in this equation? Level x CSM vs. Level x PDC?

Plus, what type of PDC? There are like, a lot. I've yet to get to test with them all, so please share.

[Q]

Regarding PDC/missiles: I reported earlier that the combat speed influences the PDC efficiency. Higher speed decreases the PDC effect!!

[Phoenix-D]

Q said:
Regarding PDC/missiles: I reported earlier that the combat speed influences the PDC efficiency. Higher speed decreases the PDC effect!!

And vice versa, right?

I hope that doesn't apply to Strategic combat. :/

[Captain Kwok]

Strategic combat is just the same as tactical minus the graphics component - so it's likely to carry over there. However I think the current workaround in that PD weapons should fire at an increased rate is a good solution. Although I'm running some more tests to confirm the effectiveness of this change.

[jimbob]

Phoenix: Yes, they were boarding one at a time. You're probably correct, but I still don't think this is a good way for the combat to work. Furthermore the odds of one boarding party to one crew quarter should be even enough (IMO) for the boarding party to cause some degree of damage.

Kwok: Thanks for forwarding that to MM. Tell them I'll buy the game either way, but a fix will make me extra giddy.

Cheers all.

[EDIT] Oh, and is there a way to avoid ALL the boarding parties heading for the same target ship? Would task groups change this?

[narf poit chez BOOM]

Maybe boarding parties are killed one component at a time?

[Q]

Blockade of an enemy colony by a fast ship with "don't get hurt" strategy can be very powerful, too powerful IMHO. The ship can fly away and avoid combat indefenitely without leaving the sector therefore maintaining the blockade.
And in SE V a blockeded colony not only produces no resources but costs maintenance!

[Captain Kwok]

The boarding parties from multiple ships shoud be easy enough to implement though - be sure to send an e-mail to MM about it.

[tmcc]

RonGianti said:

What are the other factors in this equation? Level x CSM vs. Level x PDC?

Plus, what type of PDC? There are like, a lot. I've yet to get to test with them all, so please share.

All weapons are level 5 plus PDC has the benefit of level 5 combat sensors. PDC is just that Point Defense Cannon. I have teated the Flak Cannon and Bomblet Missiles with very similar results. Increased range of the Bomblets Missile does not provide any benefit in actual combat due to increased reload time.

As I watch combat it appears that missiles come in as a stream and the PD weapons target the first one and all fire at that one. I think it is necessary to re-work the targeting algorithm so that the PDC fire is spread out. Increasing fire rate would help but the problem of all firing at one missile would remain.

Also I do not know why PDCs from non targeted vehicles are exceptionaly useless. I have not seen one hit yet and I have seen many fire after the missile actually hits the target.

[dmm]

tmcc said:
As I watch combat it appears that missiles come in as a stream and the PD weapons target the first one and all fire at that one. I think it is necessary to re-work the targeting algorithm so that the PDC fire is spread out. Increasing fire rate would help but the problem of all firing at one missile would remain.

Also I do not know why PDCs from non targeted vehicles are exceptionaly useless. I have not seen one hit yet and I have seen many fire after the missile actually hits the target.

I have not seen either of these behaviors, but I have about twice as many PDC on my direct-fire ships as there are missiles on the missile ships. You seem to have about the same number of PDC as missiles.

What I see is that, at slow combat speed (either tactical or strategic), all of the missiles in the first salvo from the leading missile ship get destroyed by the PDC from the leading direct-fire ship. Unfortunately, the PDC from any other direct-fire ships ALSO fire at the first salvo (and of course they never hit because, in my situation, there is nothing to destroy). The problem is that, when the second missile ship comes into range and fires a salvo, there is no PDC left in the entire direct-fire fleet -- everyone is still reloading -- so the second salvo gets through untouched and does massive damage to its target.

Substituting PointDefenseBlasters (PDB, which are based on meson blasters) for PDC (based on DUCs) halves the reload time and eliminates the above problem (or at least substantially reduces it).

However, if I run combat at fast speeds, then I get substantial "leakage" through the PDC, even when I have twice as many PDC as missiles. Perhaps it is the behavior you describe; I can't tell for sure. But it seems to me to be more like 1 or 2 out of a 5-missile salvo getting through, rather than 4 out of 5.