What's your best carrier design?

[Shadow99]

Actually fighters no longer slow down my strategic combat (except for when I fire large Groups, say 100+ with at least 2 guns a piece). & the problem with the AI is two fold:

1) Does not build enough fighters (Oh wow you ahve 16 fighters I am so scarred! Not...)

2) Builds crappy fighter designs, partly from lack of reasearch into fighter weapons... I've never seen them build more than a light fighter with say 1 gun mount several engines & the required control systems... (fighters armed only with say a Missile Pod I is something I see alot)...

If they were to do these things well they could take on much larger threats than they do, but as is they are under teched & under staffed compared to human opponents...

Btw as for the original question I build combat carriers designed to aid the fighters from behind in combat, so for me a heavy carrier with 6000 cargo, 30 fighter bays (or 15 of my hangar bays), with 1500 shield pts., & a massive weapon mount (or two) are what I use...

[Mephisto]

quote:

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Originally posted by Shadow99:

1) Does not build enough fighters (Oh wow you ahve 16 fighters I am so scarred! Not...)

2) Builds crappy fighter designs, partly from lack of reasearch into fighter weapons... I've never seen them build more than a light fighter with say 1 gun mount several engines & the required control systems... (fighters armed only with say a Missile Pod I is something I see alot)...

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Hang on, I'm just creating a Earthforce race that will use fighhters from start up, will build many of them (hopefully) and will use ECm, ECCM and shields even in fighters. Only thing left do to is making a sound research file so the AI gets to all the required tech. I tested it with high research, it is working so far.

[This message has been edited by [K126]Mephisto (edited 12 December 2000).]

[Talenn]

Mephisto: REALLY looking forward to that one!

As for carrier design? Well, I'm all for the carrier following the squadrons in and taking part. I tend to make my carriers missile armed so as to help in overloading enemy PDs.

Generally when I decide I'm going to play a 'fighter race', I research up the missile tree for support. Its a great force multiplier for your fighters when every ship in the fleet is sending in missiles for support.

Talenn

[KiloOhm]

That's what's wonderful about this game, eveyone gave me a slightly differen't tactic, there are soooo many options.

I think I like the idea of adding some missles to it to help overload PD turrets. While the AI may not be smart enough to build PD anyway, It'll at least let me try out some carrier designs to hopefully puy up a better fight against real opponents.

Thanks for the advice everyone!



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Regards,
KiloOhm

[Richard]

Actually I generally do not put any sort of defenses on my carriers. I generally put in as many extra cargo bays as I can to hold extra fighters. Then I rely on PD cruisers and my other support ships to do my dirty work.

I also split my fighters into three Groups:

CAP (fighters with limited engines but plenty of close in anti fighter firepower to ward off any guys who get through my PC)

Escort Fighters (a decent amount of engines and a mix of anti fighter and anti-ship weopns)

Bombers (Middle range of engines and no anti fighter weopons, just hopped up on missile pods).

I then stick the CAP between my PD cruiers and carrier and launch the remaining sets to go get my enemies.

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Sarge is coming...

Richard Arnesen
Director of Covert Ops
Shrapnel Games
http://www.shrapnelgames.com

[greghacke]

Richard's post is why I really love Malfador and Shrapnel. they don't just publish games, they _actually_ play them!