Best Planetary Defense: Discuss.

[Taqwus]

I find that a surprise salvo of Crew Insurrection ops can also be quite useful as a spot-defense. Of course, it doesn't scale -- no matter how many intel points you have, you'll only CI twelve ships a turn, at best. But if you're up against fleets large enough that twelve ships per turn doesn't even matter, by that time defense is probably not a viable option.

------------------
-- The thing that goes bump in the night

[LazarusLong42]

Perhaps I'm the only one who feels this way... but if you have an opponent seriously glassing your planets, I consider it too late.

In other words, your defense should not be near your planets, but at warp points leading into your space. If the enemy fleets get past _that_, then you're screwed, but you would have been just as screwed if that large choke defense had been split up defending planets.

There are several exceptions to this rule:

1. Early game (<~20 turns). A few WPs can take out any rush fleet. Or should be able to.

2. Very late endgame. If your opponent is opening warp points into your system, you have othe rproblems on your hands. The best defense here is not to let your enemy survive that long

LL

[DocShane]

I agree with most of the Posts here. There are a lot of good suggestions. They emphasize the most important element of any plan against humans: be versatile.

I have really frustrated some enemies by radically altering my strategies mid-game. You will wipe out an attacking fleet only to be confronted by another fleet 10 turns later, fine-tuned to your strategy. What a surprise when he finds out his PDF are completely useless against your missiles that have magically morphed into "super-duper mounted" WMGs! Anticipate what your enemy will do and give him the opposite. Even if it fails, it will damage his pride and confidence.

Don't forget that there is no "secret" weapon that unbalances the entire game. Only players who don't know how to counteract those weapons.

Remember that space stations can be altered almost instantaneously. Have Versions that contain all PDF, or all direct fire weapons, or the occasional long-range WMG. Retrofits on PBW games take only 1 turn.

Cargo facilities can turn moons into battlestations. Large weapon platforms can be designed into a variety of useful configurations. Don't stick to one pattern.

Warp points are the choke points of civilization. Guard these with mines and satellites or fighters to clean up the fodder.

Scatter single mines around that empty space between the planets. Send those unescorted crippled ships leaving your system to get repaired a final "bon-voyage!"

The power of the cloak is also powerful in the midgame. Great the invading fleet with equal numbers of ships that mysteriously appear from nowhere.

When the enemy opens a new warp across half the galaxy into your system, don't blow up your star. Let him enjoy the pleasure of killing off your planets one by one. While all this is transpiring, warp to his system and destroy his commerce with your cloaked star destroyer.

------------------
The Good Doc

"Henceforth I spread confident wings to space
I fear no barrier of crystal or glass;
I cleave the heavens and soar to the infinite.
And while I rise from my own globe to others
And penetrate even further through the eternal field,
That which others saw from afar, I leave far behind me."

-Giordano Bruno
"On the Infinite Universe and Worlds," 1584

[tesco samoa]

Play the game with the wp mounts. Increased range really kills ships quickly.

If you have a huge planet and 1 moon. Maxed out on units it will take the player a long time to take that planet out.

In the modded game I play Weapons Platforms have 4 mounts. 200k 400k 600k and 1000k Range increase is 2,3,4,6 and damage is 1.5,2,4,6

Cost is the factor. The size stays the same.

So if you build the 1000k weapons platforms and fill a planet with them.... Well you get the picture.


Forces the player to build task forces just to take out one planet.

More realistic.

From testing I have lost fleets of 100 battleships attacking a well defended planet.

You need combined forces to take them out.

Fighters, missles, Direct fire ships, Troop transports.

Amazing.

Now if it could only be done with tatical combat.

------------------
L? GdX $ Fr C++ SdT T+ Sf* Tcp+ A M++ MpTM ROTS Pw+ Fq+ Nd Rp++ G+

[rdouglass]

quote:

---

Originally posted by tesco samoa:
...In the modded game I play Weapons Platforms have 4 mounts. 200k 400k 600k and 1000k

....

So if you build the 1000k weapons platforms and fill a planet with them....

---

What are you modding to get 1000Kt Weapons Platforms??? Telll me more!!!

(Of course, I'll post this and my browser will crash!!!)

[rdouglass]

quote:

---

Originally posted by docshane:

...The power of the cloak is also powerful in the midgame. Great the invading fleet with equal numbers of ships that mysteriously appear from nowhere....

---

That IS a cool strategy. I will many times send out fleets with all but 1 ship cloaked. The enemy sees 1 ship and thinks 'Easy pickings'. When he attacks all my other ships are there to 'greet' him.... works real well and suprises the $#!t out of most of 'em....

[Commander G2]

As a refinement of the mine strategy suggested by others, consider making a cheap mine with only one warhead so you can build as many as possible. Force your opponent to build many mine clearers. In a game I am currently in, I have held off a power with 3 times my mineral resources just by putting so many mines over every planet. He can now clear my mines, but he had to delay his offensive about 15 turns. With the cheap mine strategy, you must watch any unit limits that might be imposed in the game.

Another thing you can do is mine some of your planets heavily and some lightly just to show mines to any scouts who come snooping to see if you have any. Defend the lightly mined ones with fighters and WPs.