Questions:

Joachim · #1 April 28th, 2004, 02:18 PM

[quote]Originally posted by Yef:

quote:
Originally posted by Joachim:

Quote:

Originally posted by Joachim:
[qb]
Edit - learn to spell!

Have mercy!
English is a second language for me.

FREX: for example, and the learn to spell was directed at my own writing - hence the 'edit' tag not at you at all - no offence intended!

And yes, there is a long history of debate regarding point defence and fighters, many people lower the bonus in their games to make fighters more of a viable option.

Alneyan · #2 April 28th, 2004, 04:48 PM

The Meson BLasters have the same range as the Phased Polaron Beams (range 6), and they deal roughly the same amount of damage per kt at range 6. (A slight advantage for the PPB if memory serves, but it is more expensive as well)

They will hit more often than most other weapons because they take less space, and so you will be able to put more of them on a single ship. For instance, you could have three Meson BLasters for the same space as two PPB, meaning you would have three attacks instead of two. But you will do less damage per hit than with the PPBs.

As for troop transports, they should run away when no planet is present, unless you give them a weapon to keep them with the fleet. Otherwise, if there is indeed a planet and you ordered them to capture this planet, they will drop their troops *unless* there are weapon platforms on the planet and weapons able to take down these platforms in the fleet. So the troop transports will NOT make a run for the planet if there is even a DUC I in the fleet, while they would do so if they are on their own, even against one thousand Massive mounted Wave Motion Guns.

However, I have found that a blockading strategy is tough to set up, since the ships are wont to "run away" towards the planet, runing the purpose of this strategy. Is there any way to order a warship to blockade a given planet, without altering its ship orders?

Lastly, Robotoid Factory III and System Robotoid Factory should stack, although they may not be displayed on the planet information screen. (It is the case for the second one if memory serves right) The "specialized" similar facilities aren't exactly useful because they do not stack, and given the hefty cost to research these system wide facilities, you should remain away from them. (Unless you happen to be playing a full tech game, and have some facility slots to use)

capnq · #3 April 28th, 2004, 07:22 PM

I think that blockading the planet with the system's spaceport (edit: not shipyard) will cut off that system's production, but I'm not 100% sure.

[ April 29, 2004, 21:39: Message edited by: capnq ]

geoschmo · #4 April 28th, 2004, 07:36 PM

Nope, you have to actually destroy it. Blockading the planet with the spaceyard will cut the empire off from the production of the blockaded planet only. Doesn't really make sense I guess, but that's how it works.

PvK · #5 April 28th, 2004, 10:10 PM

You guys are also confusing the term Space Port with Space Yard.

PvK

Yef · #6 April 29th, 2004, 01:22 AM

A have a few:

1- I built in the same planet a Robotoid Factory III and a mineral scanner III, both are suppossed to give a 30% bonus on mineral extraction, yet I only noticed the increase when I built the first facility. Does this means that their bonuses don't stack up, or is it just that the bonus for the second facility is not noticeable on the planet's information screen? And what about the system wide Versions of these facilities? Do they stack up?

2- How can I order a fleet to blockade a planet? I haven't found a blockade order in the fleet's row of orders. Whatever I do, they keep getting within range of the planetary defenses.

3- If I place a fleet in every Warp point leading to any given system, will that blockade the entire system, or at least the trade with other empires?

4- I have ships with both Meson bLasters and Phased polaroid beams, but the ones with the MBs seem to hit far more frequently than the ones with the PPBs. The diference I see is that the MBs are 20 kt while the PPBs have a size/weight of 30 kt, which leads me to assume that the lower the size of the gun, the higher the chance to hit. Is this correct?

Thanks.

Joachim · #7 April 29th, 2004, 01:35 AM

Heh ya,

1. Correct they don't stack, and yes that makes scanners pretty much useless

2. Try giving the fleet the order 'Dont get hurt' and make sure ships are set to not break formation. They should hide like scaredy cats.

3. No, there is no way of doing that. Trade is completely abstract. No Battle of the Atlantic in SEIV.

4. No, there should be no difference in chance to hit based on size. Some weapons do have an inherent to hit bonus but not the two you mention. (wave motion gun and mental sing. gen. do as examples.) Look in the Components data file under weapon modifier - that is the bonus to hit, FREX point defence has a 70, meaning +70 to hit (which is why fighters get chewed up)

Edit - learn to spell!

[ April 28, 2004, 12:39: Message edited by: Joachim ]

primitive · #8 April 29th, 2004, 01:45 AM

1: Those don�t stack, but with the new patch the Mineral scanner is 45%. The game should use the value of the best facility but it may believe the Robotoid is 90 % (30 + 30 + 30). Need to test this to know for sure

2: Only way I know is to use individual ships with don�t get hurt order (using Don�t get hurt as fleet order don�t work as it will always break formation and ships will follow their own orders). A minesweeper will do fine. I sometimes build a comboship with minesweepers and loads of PDC rto take out fighters for blockading.

3: No

4: No, there are no differences in the bonuses for MB and PPB. IIRC the Meson bLaster has shorter range though so if you use the default �Optimal� strategy, you will be closer when firing (getting 10 % extra to hit for each square).

Yef · #9 April 29th, 2004, 01:55 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Joachim:

2. Try giving the fleet the order 'Dont get hurt' and make sure ships are set to not break formation. They should hide like scaredy cats.

What about the troop transports? How can I make them keep the formation?

Quote:

Originally posted by Joachim:

4. No, there should be no difference in chance to hit based on size. Some weapons do have an inherent to hit bonus but not the two you mention. (wave motion gun and mental sing. gen. do as examples.) Look in the Components data file under weapon modifier - that is the bonus to hit, FREX point defence has a 70, meaning +70 to hit (which is why fighters get chewed up)

What's a FREX?
And is it realistic to have a +70 to hit bonus for a point defense?
I mean, that would take all the bonuses from the fighters' size, and I would wager that, in real life, for every advancement in point defense there will always be an advancement in fighter tech to counter it. Arm races are here to stay.

Quote:

Originally posted by Joachim:

Edit - learn to spell!

Have mercy!

English is a second language for me.

Fyron · #10 April 29th, 2004, 02:19 AM

Quote:

1: Those don�t stack, but with the new patch the Mineral scanner is 45%. The game should use the value of the best facility but it may believe the Robotoid is 90 % (30 + 30 + 30). Need to test this to know for sure

Nope. Each ability is 100% separate, not connected in any way, shape or form.