How Big Does Your Navy Get?

[capnq]

I've only played two games that I recall where my navy exceeded 100 ships. One of those was a solo game that I ended at turn 170, when was in second behind the Xi-Chung, who had declared war immediately after first contact at turn 35.

Playing against humans needs drastically more and bigger ships. There's nothing like seeing, for the first time, a fleet of over a dozen ships of a class two sizes larger than you've ever researched.

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Cap'n Q

The most merciful thing in the world, I think, is the inability of the
human mind to correlate all of its contents. We live on a placid
island of ignorance in the midst of black seas of infinity, and it was
not meant that we should go far. -- HP Lovecraft, "The Call of Cthulhu"

[This message has been edited by capnq (edited 16 August 2001).]

[Kadste]

Of the many games that I have played, most of my empires, after a few hundred turns, have 100-200 ships. Usually just above 100.
I try not to scrap any ships, just refit them into something else, like minesweepers, carriers, or PD ships. 4 or 5 PD heavy cruiser sized ships supporting your dreadnoughts are tough to beat.

What I would really like to see though is an AI that will build fleets in excess of 50 ships. Only once have I seen this, and it was during some testing and the fleet was on the other side of the quadrant, and never came into contact with me.

I have found that if I have a balanced fleet of 10-20 ships, I can easily (read it is usually a totally one-sided slaughter) defeat an AI enemy two or three times my size.

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Never Give up, Never Surrender!

[dominion]

Turn 120 (4th place):
~60 ships -
25 Dreadnoughts (warships)
16 Cruisers (warships)
9 Heavy Carriers
5 Troop Transport
I'm fighting four species right now, with 3 treaties. Few have entered my systems, so I'll have to take the fight to them.

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"Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges"

[Instar]

I can get fleets that are sooo big
Especially in the big galaxies (100+)

[Atrocities]

My fleets range in size from 300 to 500 ships. I usually have 5 fleets, each having 100 ships.

05 Escorts.
15 Destroyers
15 Light Cruisers
20 Cruisers
15 Battle Cruisers
10 Battleships
05 Dreadnoughts
05 Heavy Carriers
04 Large Troop Transports
01 BaseShip
05 Supply/Repair ships.

I also have Tatical fleets and Search and Destory Fleets. Those usually only have about 25 to 30 ships, and are all BC, BS, Carriers.

Then I have my Planetary Defense Fleets. Those consist of fighters, WP, and Sat. Sometimes 50 or 100 escorts or destoryers depending upon the threat. Usually by the time I can aford to produce 500 + ships and maintain them, I seldom need Planetary Defense ships, and either scrap em, merge em with a fleet, or trade them off to the AI. I even mothball some just for ****s and gigles.



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"We've made too many compromises already, too many retreats! They invade our space and we fall back -- they assimilate entire worlds and we fall back! Not again! The line must be drawn here -- this far, no further! And I will make them pay for what they've done!" -- Captain Picard STNG
New Age Ship Yards

[tesco samoa]

I have just learned a very hard lession. Close combat ships should have security stations or marines on board. It is always nice losing 30 dreadnaughts to 50 escorts.

Now the enemy has a fleet of 12 escorts and 18 dreadnaughts.

Or maybe I should place a security station and a self destruct on each ship.

Man am I bummed.

Oh well. Mass retro fitting coming up. Glad I have alot of Space stations.

At least I respect the Marines.

Ouch

[tesco samoa]

Sorry wrong topic. Ment to post it in the close combat ship thread. But to make it an official post. My navy likes to drop about 30 ships every turn

[CW]

I love the Phong! They are giving me 2 FREE battle cruisers a turn. Thanks goes to them and my hard-working battery of 8 subverter sats - best investment I have ever made!