Satellites and multiple targets

[Wardad]

I wonder if a stack of Weapon Platforms behave this badly.

Anyway, The Ionic (engine damage) beam has the same sickly green appearance as the Computer Virus. The other weapons were easy differentiate. Mixing up the direct fire weapon types in a stack seems to be the best way to multiplex the firing.

I futher mixed up a stack by creating two engine damage sats named SAT_A_ED and SAT_A1_ED and seperated the firing order by deploying other SATs inbetween. It helps.

I have been playing a simultaneous game now and there's no manual deployment. All of the SATs in a tranport get deployed. Is it first loaded first laid (Sorority System) or alphabetical order? What about remote load command? Which one gets loaded first.

I've had enough of SATs for now. I only use them early game anyway. Except for recon sensors.

[ 01 April 2002: Message edited by: Wardad ]

[Fyron]

IIRC, it deploys all units in the first loaded, first deployed method. This can be used to your advantage with troops: make 2 types, one filled with shields and only one weapon, and the other type with only one shield and a bunch of weapons. Load the shield troops first, and they will be shot first in invasions, soaking up alot of damage.

[ 01 April 2002: Message edited by: Imperator Fyron ]

[Wardad]

SATs in a stack are not individually targeting. SATs of the same design (name) are bundled together for targeting.

ex..

1. All 5 SAT1s target 1. 2 SAT1s kill it, so 3 SAT1s don't fire until next round.
2. SAT2s fire on next target 2, depleting shields.
3. SAT3s are shield depleters, so a new target 3 is picked.
4. SAT4s are missles, all SAT4s fire at target 2.
5. SAT5s damage target 2.
6. SAT6s are missles, al fire on target 2.

note: (first laid, first to fire, all SATs use first startegy)

Stack Mulitplexing is helped by changing the (only X) weapon type, the design name, or killing the target.

I don't know if a stack of Weapon Plateforms follow the same rules, but I have my suspicions.

[capnq]

I thought they had fixed it so that the "defending player" goes first which means the sats should go first.

MM thought so, too. However, from the beta history, v1.69:

7. Fixed - AI was not always moving on the first turn of Tactical Combat
if it was the first player.

[Gryphin]

Nice work WarDad
Seekers:
As far as I know the way a Multiplex or stacked units work:
All of the same weapon will fire at the same target untill destroyed.
Since the algorythm is:
Fire First CSM at First target
Is Target Destroyed? No (since the CSM has not reached it yet)
Fire 2nd CSM at First Target
Is Target destroyed? Nor (since the CSM has not reached it yet)
Repeat. It will fire all of the CSMs at the same target because it has not destroyed it yet.

Multiplex works with direct fire since a direct fire weapon might destroy the target befor the next one fires.
This implys that you should not expect Mutiplex results from Seekers.

[Wardad]

High Gryphin,

Your basically right.

However SAT stack mutliple targeting can be improved by the strategy used. Only one strategy will be used, and it is from the first SAT design to fire.

So, if your stack was peppered with engine damage weapons or computer virus, you might want to use a Fastest targeting strategy.
If you had Null Space or Tachyon weapons, you might want to use a Strongest or Until Weapons Gone targeting strategy.
If you wanted to be a sneaky SOB, you could target vulnerable, unarmed support ships ;-)
etc...

Happy Hunting

[Wardad]

Bump

So, I wonder if the patches change anything?

[ March 01, 2004, 15:47: Message edited by: Wardad ]