The best weapons for a close combat ship?

tesco samoa · #1 August 12th, 2001, 01:45 AM

For close range I use combined ship classes.

Say a fleet of 10 ships

3 ships which have computer 3, aux command, max engines, ecm, combat sensor and q.reactor. One weapon the tachyon projection cannon and the rest filled with organic armour. set to point blank strag.

2 ships with the same up front stuff and then 10 pd's, 1 tachyon projection cannon and one shield depletor ( in opposite order ) and the rest armour/ shields.

3 ships with the same up front and as many enveloping acid globes and set to max. range, and round it off with some armour

2 close assault ships with the same up front and then in this order. 2 tractor beams, shield depletors and tachyon projection cannons and 2 repulsor beams and some armour

1 ship maxed out with missles ( seeking parasite ) and everthing up front.

Always make the armour ships the biggest size you got and the rest can be any size.

The armour ships close with the pd ships ( due to the one weapon one them ( that way they don't fight in the famous SEIV X Formation ( yep rip one right to the best cornor on the map ))) , the missle ship backs off and starts firing. The other ships close to a max range and start firing while the close assault ships disable shields and weapons.

Kind of cheating on the close assalt ship but, when in doubt fight with combined forces.

Q · #2 August 12th, 2001, 08:12 AM

I believe there is no "best design". It all depends on the type and design of the enemy ships. That's exactly why SE IV is so interesting. If there was one best design, everyone would build this and the game would soon be boring.

[This message has been edited by Q (edited 12 August 2001).]

CW · #3 August 12th, 2001, 08:21 AM

quote:
Originally posted by Q:
I believe there is no "best design". It all depends on the type and design of the enemy ships. That's exactly why SE IV is so interesting. If there was one best design, everyone would build this and the game would soon be boring.

That's why I'm asking everyone "what would YOU think is the best combination of weapons"! :-p

Lemmy · #4 August 12th, 2001, 10:08 AM

i would go for only weapon killers, and one APB to finish him off. in my latest game, which i haven't played for weeks i'm trying the special weapons like engine killers, shield depleters and shield destroyers. Once you find the right balance between these weapons and normal weapons, you can really make one mean design

------------------
Q: So the date of conception (of the baby) was August 8th?
A: Yes.
Q: And what were you doing at that time?

golf_prez · #5 August 12th, 2001, 09:05 PM

quote:
Originally posted by tesco samoa:
The armour ships close with the pd ships ( due to the one weapon one them ( that way they don't fight in the famous SEIV X Formation ( yep rip one right to the best cornor on the map ))) , the missle ship backs off and starts firing. The other ships close to a max range and start firing while the close assault ships disable shields and weapons.

Please can you expand on this Famous SEIV X formation (problem??)

Are these ships used in Tactical Combat or in Strategic Combat ???

Any suggestions for Strategic ??

thanks!

Baron Munchausen · #6 August 12th, 2001, 10:31 PM

quote:
Originally posted by golf_prez:
Please can you expand on this Famous SEIV X formation (problem??)

Are these ships used in Tactical Combat or in Strategic Combat ???

Any suggestions for Strategic ??

thanks!

I think he's referring to the tendency of 'unarmed' ships to run for the corners of the map. Ships with only PDC are regarded as "unarmed" by the AI and get excluded from formations and sent off to the corners of the map where they cannot help protect other ships from missiles or fighters. So, he puts one weapon in them to keep them in the formation. That's the 'Strategic' formation issue. In Tactical mode a ship with only PDCs stays in the formation and you can move it along with the others.

[This message has been edited by Baron Munchausen (edited 12 August 2001).]

tesco samoa · #7 August 13th, 2001, 02:50 AM

Yep it is the computer controls all. I always use the Stragetic combat. Since you cannot fight in PBEM games any other way.

I have not really played around with tatical combat that much. Just for testing new ships or upgrades against current enemy designs or if I Intel some new designs. Even then I put it on auto and let it go. I arm everything.

You should try the mostly armour or mostly shield ships. They can take a pounding and they will break up the enemy formations.

My only suggestions for stragetic formation is to create specialized ships and max them out on that specialization.

Shield attacking ships, weapon attacking ships, armour or shield ships. Mix up the point blank ships with the longer range ones and pick a good formation. (I find the X and wall formations just get ships bouncing into each other ). If the enemy counters with all armour ships then mothball the shield attacking ships until thier needed again.

I believe that closing on the enemy fast is the number one prority of the fleet. 2 is disable the ships ability to fire, move and command. 3. clean up.

Since you have to close quickly max out the engines. Weapon damage is very important. But you need the ship to have a good reload time. Organic weapons fit this style.

Since ships never fight one on one a short range brawler type ship will not Last very long when they are fighting armour ships supported by missle ships and pd ships.

I would like to hear some other styles?

Or perhaps I should join some email games and learn by experience what everyone else is doing.