More newbie stuff

bmills · #1 January 23rd, 2001, 10:15 PM

I'm playing in a large, cluster map, but once I explored my little corner I discovered that there are no jump points to the rest of the map. Can this be true? Am I marooned, or is there some alternative way to send ships across empty space?

What's the deal with fighters? I've designed a few and tried them out in the simulator, but in every fight a normal ship fires once and bLasts however many scads of fighters I've tried to send against it in one volley. What's the trick?

Alpha Kodiak · #2 January 23rd, 2001, 10:32 PM

On fighters:

Launch them in small Groups instead of one large mass. Damage from ships weapons spreads through an entire group of fighters.

The other nasty trick I have found, if you can pull it off, is to move your carrier close enough to the target (this part CAN get hairy) for the fighters to fire on the target when they launch. Then you can launch the fighters and have them fire before the enemy can respond.

rdouglass · #3 January 23rd, 2001, 10:45 PM

To get out of your 'corner', research Stellar Manipulation.

Daynarr · #4 January 23rd, 2001, 11:13 PM

Also use 1.19 patch, this fighter thing was hapening in 1.02 Version. It has been fixed since then.

bmills · #5 January 23rd, 2001, 11:46 PM

I always research stel. man. because it has some handy techs. Do I need to go higher before I get some nifty gizmo, or am I missing something? Right now the problem seems to be that there's nowhere to click to give my ships movement orders to distant systems. They ignore me.

As for fighters, how do you split them into Groups? When I try to use them in the simulator it just piles them all into one group no matter what I do.

Hope I'm not sounding too clueless. Thanks.

Instar · #6 January 23rd, 2001, 11:49 PM

Shielding on fighters protects them very well. I can fit maybe two shield gens on if Im not going weapon crazy or engine crazy.

dmm · #7 January 23rd, 2001, 11:58 PM

quote:
Originally posted by bmills:
...there are no jump points to the rest of the map. ...Am I marooned...?

If you're just using the demo, yes, you're marooned. The demo has limited tech levels. (Else why bother buying the game?)

quote:
Originally posted by bmills:
...What's the deal with fighters? I've designed a few and tried them out in the simulator...

To get Groups in the simulator, I think you need to design a carrier and include it in the task force that you're testing. Then the simulator will load your fighters into the carrier. Then start combat, and launch the fighters in Groups.

Added: And if you're just using the demo, you can only get small fighters, which aren't very good.

[This message has been edited by dmm (edited 23 January 2001).]

DirectorTsaarx · #8 January 24th, 2001, 09:28 PM

You open warp points with the "Gravitational Quantum Resonator"; you get the first of these components at Stellar Manipulation Tech level 3, and you can open a warp point up to 100 light years away. Higher levels of Stellar Manip. should give higher levels of the device, with longer ranges.

Given that you're using a cluster-type quadrant, you may be in trouble. IIRC, a cluster quadrant creates Groups (clusters

) of four or five systems close together, with long distances between Groups. So, if you've explored your entire cluster, you may be many hundreds of light years from the next cluster, and even the highest-tech warp point opener may not get you to the next cluster/system.

For this reason, I'd be hesitant to use the "not all systems connected" option in cluster quadrants.

Your ships are "ignoring" you? There've been a couple times this happened to me (generally if the path is too complex), but easily remedied by issuing a "warp" order instead of a "move" order. Of course, if you're having trouble finding warp points...

Elmo · #9 January 24th, 2001, 10:00 PM

Director Tsaarx

How do you calculate light years on the galaxy map? Thanks.

Elmo

quote:
Originally posted by DirectorTsaarx:
You open warp points with the "Gravitational Quantum Resonator"; you get the first of these components at Stellar Manipulation Tech level 3, and you can open a warp point up to 100 light years away.

<snip>...

Puke · #10 January 24th, 2001, 10:17 PM

quote:
Originally posted by DirectorTsaarx:
So, if you've explored your entire cluster, you may be many hundreds of light years from the next cluster, and even the highest-tech warp point opener may not get you to the next cluster/system.

the highest level of warp point opener will cover over 50% of the map. if you have only two clusters on oposite sides of the map, there may be a problem - however if you have a star somewhere roughly around the center of the map, it should be able to get to literally anywhere.