Minefield Limit Loophole

I have not used fighters since the first week I got the game because they die too easily. Something just occurred to me though which would make them very usefull ! Launch them on the strategic map one at a time into different squares and have THEM sweep the minefield one at a time ! Put just a cockpit and engines on, making them really cheap. So if you are not able to sweep free with a minesweeper, you might be able to clear it with fighters....

[zen.]

The DevNullMod (I've installed but haven't played), I think, allows Point Defense to shoot down mines. This certainly gives even regular combat ships some chance of taking down a few mines. Although IMHO, if ships can shoot down mines, more than 100 mines per sector should be set.

In a related question, how many thousands of units/ships do y'all set before it actually -slows down- your computer/turn processing? I've kept my units at 4000 and 2000 ships per empire, but haven't played a game to that point yet.

zen

[raynor]

quote:

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I have not used fighters since the first week I got the game because they die too easily.

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Fighters die entirely too easy if you launch them from carriers in a strategic battle. But they are immensely powerful if you launch the fighters in one large group *before* entering combat and then fight the battle.

[Nitram Draw]

Especially with the bug in the to hit/to miss modifier! The only drawback to large Groups of fighters is IF you get hit by a high damage weapon you have more potential losses and they still die like flies to dedicated PD ships.

[Prostetnic Vogon Jeltz]

quote:

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Originally posted by zenbudo:
In a related question, how many thousands of units/ships do y'all set before it actually -slows down- your computer/turn processing?

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I haven't got that far with 1.35 yet but during my Last game with the previous patch (255 systems, 20 races, 2000 units in space limit) turns took forever and combat was painfully slow. I was running on a P3 750 and strategic combats involving large fleets with carriers would take 30 mins to resolve. Shortly after this I abandoned the game due to a "fatal exception" error.

My race had already hit the 2000 units in space limit some time before this. I suspect there is/was a bug whereby the game would check the number of units in space before launching/moving each fighter in combat.

Another possibilty is that because I tend to use stacks of special purpose fleets, the game was having trouble reconciling the formation requirements of the fleets with those of fighter units?

The AIs' turns took a very long time too - implying that the problem was more to do with the first possibility than the second.

I've left the units in space limit at the default for my current game and am avoiding carriers.


[This message has been edited by Prostetnic Vogon Jeltz (edited 30 May 2001).]

[geoschmo]

quote:

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I suspect there is/was a bug whereby the game would check the number of units in space before launching/moving each fighter in combat.

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It's not supposed to do this. My understanding is that the unit in space limit does not apply to units launched and recovered during combat.

But that's the thing about bugs. You never know.

Geo

[Baron Munchausen]

This "variation" on the mines per sector limit may add a little uncertainty to the game, but it's a poor substitute for uncertainty of how many mines will actually HIT. Until mines are given a real chance to hit or miss I will just play without them.