Planetary defense measures.

[Pax]

What do folks think of trying to push to a definable border with a low number of choke points, and investing those resources into bases on the warp point -- prevent the AI from ever even entering your systems, let alone threatening your colonies ...

Granted, high maintenance aptitude, and/or Crystalline technology (for the Restructuring facility) would make this more economically feasible ...

... but, bankrupt idea against humans, or just an expensive-but-effective idea?

[Phoenix-D]

Choke points are good, but bases are no replacement for WPs. You have to pay mantaince on bases, and need Cruiser tech before you can build choke-point bases.

That and if someone has better cloak than you have scanners, you're screwed..with close-in defense your planets are still defended. Close-in defense, though, practiclly screams "Defeat in Detail"

Phoenix-D

[Nodachi]

Pax, there are some serious flaws with using bases as warp point defense.

The first thing to keep in mind is which side of the warp point you are on, your side or theirs.

If you are on your side then you are going to give up one of the major advantages a base has - range. The enemy will pop out from the warp point at close range and be able to do damage. So even if you destroy them if you don't have some means of repair you're in trouble if they attack again.

If you are on their side of the warp point then you should be able to out-range them. If your weapons are good you'll be able to hold off small fleets for a while. The problem comes in when your enemy starts to use swarm tactics. They'll swamp you by having more ships than you have guns. As soon as they start doing damage you're in trouble. A human player can be even more creative. Lets say that you've got the absolute best bases that can be built. Nothing can get by them, right? Wrong. I'll just change my fleet orders to "Don't Get Hurt" and sit in the corner for 30 combat turns. The next game turn I'm on the warp point and can give the order to move on through, with no losses!

Now all of this assumes that bases are the only defenses you put up. Add in mines and sats and this will be a whole different ballgame.

[steveh11]

Personally, I'd have said that the best defence is a superior fleet: any fixed defence can be beaten, even by the AI - and a Human player, well, all sorts of ways!

We're talking about the un-modded game, yes? In (for example) Proportions, you can put up some stunningly effective defence, although it can still be defeated - sometimes it can result in a 'siege' though as you batter your way beyond the shields, particularly on Homeworlds, in order to do some real damage. If the defence includes any reasonable number of PDC it can take a LOT of missiles!

In the end, though, the superior fleet is going to win - all defences can buy you is /time/. In the un-modded game, generally not a lot of it!

My opinion only - YMMV.
Steve