FIghter missile pods, too powerful?

Triumvir Emphy · #1 March 19th, 2001, 06:14 PM

this brings us to the wave motion gun vs DUC debate again, the rocket pod works on the principle that you need to be able to kill ALL your opponents in the first wave, else you loose all.

For the price of a rocket pod you could put 3 ducIII's on the fighter and get the same damage in 2 and a half turns.

I suggest people use a combination of both, have the rocket pod fighters just a little slower than the duc fighters, this seems to work well in simulations (strategic)

Aussie Gamer · #2 March 19th, 2001, 11:54 PM

If you look at the amount of damage over the 30 turns, taking into account that you are most likely only fighting for 20 turns, then all the weapons are reasonable equal for size to cost to damage ratio.

I will match your missile fighters against my organic lightening ray fighters any time, even if they could fire at each other.

All weapons of a fighter group are used on one target per turn, so you would kill a group off but the rest would surive, shooting at you for the next 19 turns.

Will · #3 March 20th, 2001, 06:17 AM

Just some corrections/comments here, to show that Rocket Pods are not that powerful...

Rocket Pods are direct-fire weapons, and they CAN miss.

Rocket Pods can fire ONCE in combat. Easy to get around with Tactical, just have your carrier pick them up and relaunch, but then you have to worry about the carrier getting shot up. With Strategic combat, this isn't an option, so you better have overwhelming power.

As stated before, it takes a long time to research up to the level to get a truely useful fighter using Rocket Pods. Small and Medium would be too easy to kill, and/or be too slow to do much good.

Rocket Pods are only really useful when they have lots of backup. It's one of the most inflexible designs you can make.

mac5732 · #4 March 20th, 2001, 09:10 PM

In my opinion, leave the rocket pods as they are. In WWII SPD's and TP's always went in with ftr escort or they became dog meat, alla
battle of Midway. However, if they did get thru the ftrs and PD and hit, they did extensive damage. The same with SEIV, by using ftrs, it causes your opponent to use them as well. Otherwise it makes the ftrs useless and not worthwhile to build or use. I think it adds to the game, you have to defend against them or suffer decent damage, it also causes you to build ftrs to help protect your ships, planets and bases. Take the damage they are capable of doing out of the game and you eliminate their use. Why would you want to build ftrs or carriers to carry them if they only caused minute damage or less.. Just an opinion Mac

geoschmo · #5 March 20th, 2001, 09:13 PM

quote:
Rocket Pods can fire ONCE in combat. Easy to get around with Tactical, just have your carrier pick them up and relaunch, but then you have to worry about the carrier getting shot up.

Excuse me but did I miss something here? I have been playing this game for months and always use tactical. You can pick-up fighters and relaunch them during combat?

How do you do that?

Geo

JDL · #6 March 20th, 2001, 09:52 PM

ok I see your points, let me counter.

A deadly first strike is worth its weight in gold because all those 30 turns with DUC is useless if your fighters get taken out with each turns worth of PDC's

If you swarm and kill 90% of his forces in the first strike let your escorts take the rest.

Set strategic fighter tactics to:

Primary - optimal range
Secondary - don't get hurt

They'll shoot and scoot

Point 2
You don't need medium or large fighters

You need SWARMS of small fighters.

More bang for the buck

BIGGEST REASON OF ALL: NOOOO MAINTENANCE

30 light fighters w/ missile 3 on each planet is a really decent defensive setup too. (which really isn't that expensive research wise) you probably already have missile 3 at this point anyway.

[This message has been edited by JDL (edited 20 March 2001).]

Triumvir Emphy · #7 March 20th, 2001, 10:03 PM

An other reason Rocket pod fighters are not too powerfull is that they only fire on ships/planets.

If you are fighting a carrier/fighter heavy opponent, his main weapon is fighters not carriers, i usually don't even bring my carriers to battle, they just ferry fighters from system to system. Fighters to be usefull in planet defense need to be able to attack all kinds of targets.