Formations, Strategies, Etc. -- The ***** List

[Gozra]

that definitly makes sense within the confines of that example. But It is almost universal. It appears to be the situation in most games. And early returns indicate it happens in SEIV GOLD also.

[oleg]

There is no much difference between Gold and non-Gold in this respect. Gold Version is better because MM ironed out the order of movements, like defenders goes first. Still, somebody will move first and get advantage. Or disadvantage if it is non-warp-point battle and you close in and expose ships to enemy fire.

[Stone Mill]

Hi,
I've been playing this game since Day 1 with a few of my friends (many many simultaneous games)...

I am also bewildered with the amount of swing battles where the results are all or nothing. I don't know that I've ever seen two evenly matched big fleets duke it out until only a few ships remain. One fleet is almost always completely routed. It almost seems that one sides's ships are triggered to act as if they were commanded by intoxicated pilots.
And quite often it is the player with the higher turn order who loses. I have moved and fired first many many times, and still got routed against an evenly matched fleet.
I asked my oponnent what he was doing, and I think it had something to do with ship /fleet orders. He really took the time to tweak them, whereas I only did so at a basic level. Given, I really don't think orders have been the entire difference. The underlying code driving the combat somehow produces lopsided battles. It still seems crazy that it happens.

And yes, this is frustrating after you have invested an entire game assembling a proud battle fleet, which gets whacked by a comparable fleet due to a coin toss. Afterward, the surviving enemy fleet is intact to have it's way with you.
If combat were a bit more even, you would have lost, true, but you would have at least inflicted fair casualties to slow him down... and he would be discouraged from advancing so quickly (his repairs must be made, and you would have time to throw together some ligimitate defenses.

We are just used to it by now, it's "How the game plays." Still, I do wish this could be somehow corrected a bit.

[Suicide Junkie]

The all-or-nothing effect is largely brought on by shields.
Shields are the essence of all-or-nothing, since they regenerate fully after each combat.

You would probably be very interested in the B5 mod style of defenses, where it is all about armor.
Not perfect armor, either; shots will skip past your armor once it starts getting thin.

Since the defenses are mostly armor, every shot will do more or less permanent damage, and even your victorious fleet will have serious repairs to complete before pressing on to the next combat.

[Gozra]

The all-or-nothing effect is largely brought on by shields.
Shields are the essence of all-or-nothing, since they regenerate fully after each combat.
I am curious to know the proof and reasoning behind that statement