Drones: Magic Cheat?

[Wardad]

quote:

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Originally posted by dmm:

...A bunch of lousy fighters would work themselves into a frenzy and impale themselves on the Roman spears and hang on as long as they could...

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OH NO! You mean they were SPEAR FODDER!!!

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BTW, the fighter - mine field thing sounds clever. But in Simutaneous Turn mode, can you really execute 1 fighter Groups? easily? quickly?


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SPEAR FODDER

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[PvK]

quote:

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Originally posted by Wardad:

BTW, the fighter - mine field thing sounds clever. But in Simutaneous Turn mode, can you really execute 1 fighter Groups? easily? quickly?

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Yes. Not really. Not really.

It's not really quick and easy in turn-based mode either. Several inputs required per mine destroyed...

I found two main ways to do this in simult. mode. Either build one fighter at a time on planets that you don't need to be building something else, and launch one per turn, or have two things that can store or launch fighter in the same sector, and transfer and launch one per launch location per turn...

So again, it's mainly only good for detecting where the minefields are and aren't.

PvK

[tesco samoa]

WarDad you made my day.
that's great material.

[Suicide Junkie]

quote:

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Well of course the drones would be more expensive than the mines, but you can't detonate mines with mines. And you only need one engine. And you wouldn't want armor. The point is to detonate the mines with the cheapest thing possible that can be built in large quantities quickly.

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Actually, the point is to detonate the mines quickly for the smallest expense on your part.

Mine warhead III's cost 100/60 resources per 300 damage. Small mines cost 100/0
If the enemy is using full, large mines, then small, naked drones would be best.
You get a 4:15 advantage in cost (you:them)

If they're using small mines to block the above strategy,
A large drone, with one ion engine (4 MP) costs 400/100 resources. 4:1 disadvantage for you.
Add in OA 3 ($130 organic for 150 Hp).
2 OA3's will take down two small, one-warhead mines, for the same basic cost as before.
Now, you have a 2:1 disadvantage.

Small drones don't save you much.

[dmm]

Good analysis, SJ. So in some circumstances, the mine-detonating drone tactic is actual cost-effective. But I disagree about the main point. Cost of drones vs. mines is only secondary if you can bLast through a maxed-out minefield, suddenly and without warning, that the other player was counting on for defense of his system. Think of the wasted resources and spaceyard time that he put into making mines, making minelayers, picking up the mines, moving to the minefield, laying the mines, etc. Think of the cost-effectiveness of bLasting his exposed colonies into oblivion with your unscathed warfleet (which your shipyards were building instead of mineclearers).