Small ships and mines

[Emperor Zodd]

Do smaller ships get to use their extra defense bonus against mines? They should, being smaller,and it would give them a reason to still be built later in the game.

I don't like to see only bigger ships as time goes on. We need incentives to still build and use smaller ships. If the smaller ships are given some kind of advantages over larger ships,this will keep them usefull to have around.

Does anyone have any ideas other than being harder to hit by mines(if it's not so already), that can be added in a patch?

[Eisenhans]

Small ships should get a bonus flying through a minefield. But there should be another bonus/malus for density of the minefield. Like 1000 mines in one place and you will hit one no matter how small you are but 1 mine in one place and it's unlikely to hit it even for the largest ship.

[Emperor Zodd]

Another idea I have,is to make smaller ships more maneuverable than larger ships.
Larger ships will be harder to reverse direction. A large ship would have to move 1 square to the side to turn.

It's a thought,what do you guys think?

[Instar]

Well, small ships do have a defense bonus in combat (chance to hit is lowered)

[Emperor Zodd]

Yes but bigger ships have room for ECM's and armor,and shields.

Smaller ships need something extra.

[Emperor Zodd]

I also think that there should be different sizes for cloaking devices. Small cloaking devices would be discovered first and can only cloak a small ship. Then larger ones would follow as you research the tree.

This will give small vessels more purpose later in the game.

[Emperor Zodd]

Plus,as it is now, a cloaking device is 40kt in size. Small ships don't have room for it. Being small should neccesitate a smaller cloaking device.

[llreye]

Sounds like sizing in MOO2--which I imagine would require some major changes to the game engine. Or many ship size restricted components.
-MKC

[jowe01]

If you give the heavier weapon mounts (which are usually on CapShips "Combat to hit offence minus" modifiers and if you reduce combat sensors and ECM to 15/30/45, you get a very good balance between smaller "Piranha" ships which are able to challenge the larger Flying Fortresses.The mount modifiers would actually reflect the inertia of the heavy guns. The large ships would still be the choice when shelling fortified places like planets and bases, which themselves have "Combat to hit defence minus" modifiers.

I find these modification quite realistic as analogies to 20th century navies and I have therefore integrated them into my personal mod. It works very well.

[General Hawkwing]

Smaller ships also have the advantage of being built quicker. I often build smaller ships for specialized functions in a fleet. Examples include: PD ship, minesweeper, shipcapture w/repair bay.