Ad Astra! ... an Aurora Forum Game, run by blue emu

[GaiusC]

I think it might actually take less missiles to just go for the kill, if we're right in saying the first PDC killed was an anti-missile installation. It might be easier to just take it out, rather than empty it.
Perhaps we should deliberately design size 8 missiles with different speeds.

I'm not sure. I wonder if the Prix isn't half-asleep when there's no activity in the neighborhod, which explains it didn't react until missiles were quite close. In which case it's quite useful to have a massive first strike that is launched at the same time, with same speed, and hits at the same time. Otherwise, there's always the risk of the PCD shooting down salvo that move at different speed.
Well, I guess it depends on the range of their PD weapons, first of all anti-missile missiles. At least, with 100 m range, our fleet should be safe. (by comparison, my Precursors PCDs can send size-1 missiles at 40m km; weirdly, they tend to do it in big salvos of 50 missiles, which is a bit unsettling - specially when there're 80 of them in a row)

but I've read on the Aurora Forum that the Prix can park missiles in orbit, and they attack you if you get too close. I'm pretty sure our PD can handle it, though.

Indeed But in such cases, wouldn't this hidden battery be linked to some sensor or buoy that would activate the missiles?

[blue emu]

I'm a bit held up at the moment because of a msstdfmt.dll error. I think I finally got it fixed, though. Friggin' Windows 7 Grrr... I had to find the folder where the cmd prompt .exe is stored, right-click on it and tell it to "Run as Admin" (well, duh!... how else is it supposed to be run?)

That should allow me to finally cram that .dll into the registry, which should in turn allow me to open the freakin' F9 window wuithout crashing, which in turn should allow me to designate that Prix world as a Human colony, which in turn should allow me to drop our troops on it without the game losing track of them.

Why is life so complicated?

[Ciryandor]

Fast way to open the command prompt on Win 7

Type CMD on the search program bar; once it appears on the recently used list, if you need to run as Admin, rightclick then run as admin.

[OrangeYoshi]

and also sent for the Troop Transports and Drop Ships to come and occupy the planet.

Ready for action!

[Nabobalis]

I'm a bit held up at the moment because of a msstdfmt.dll error. I think I finally got it fixed, though. Friggin' Windows 7 Grrr... I had to find the folder where the cmd prompt .exe is stored, right-click on it and tell it to "Run as Admin" (well, duh!... how else is it supposed to be run?)

That should allow me to finally cram that .dll into the registry, which should in turn allow me to open the freakin' F9 window wuithout crashing, which in turn should allow me to designate that Prix world as a Human colony, which in turn should allow me to drop our troops on it without the game losing track of them.

Why is life so complicated?

You can just install some clock program that should be located somewhere on the aurora forums that adds the .DLL during installation.

Edit: http://www.pcwintech.com/simple-shutdown-timer

Have you even slept today? :P

Edit2: Can't you add colonys via the right click button on the systems map?

[blue emu]

Have you even slept today?

In fact, that's my next order of business. I'll see you people later this evening... when we snap up those wrecks, drop the troops in, and start prospecting the ex-Prix world for cool stuff.

[A_Dane]

wow.. we already reached dropping troops on the world? Bloody exams taking all my time

[TheLoneGunman]

In fact, that's my next order of business. I'll see you people later this evening... when we snap up those wrecks, drop the troops in, and start prospecting the ex-Prix world for cool stuff.

Sounds good El Presidente!

[Pal]

<personal log: Dr. Michael Pal, 2038-08-09, 23-40>
What a day! When the news of our victory reached the labs, my assistants flocked to the windows to gaze at the fireworks. I just gave them off for the day and headed for the city myself.
I didn't even know there were so many people in Geneva. Or, for that matter, in the entire Alps District. I guess every single citizen went out on the streets to party!

Unbelievable what kind of effort the officials put into this, no way that was being set up spontaneously! It's not just the fireworks and flash concerts, but also the amount of public security teams and refreshment tents...

Anyway, I think I had enough syntho'hop for today, tomorrow's going to be another long day at the labs. I wonder if Dr. Müller will show any hint of a hangover... She looked quite "merry" dancing at that lantern pole...
<end of entry>

--

Good job, glorious Emucrat of mine! :-)
My hour will come in about ... ten years, when my character will have finished his research into terraforming! Then people will be celebrating *my* achievements! *muahahaha*

[Jos de trol]

hmmm the new fighter model is aptly named I guess?

WIMPs would be moving in random directions in this halo, at velocities similar to the sun's. "You find yourself in a situation similar to a car moving through a cloud of gnats," Collar explained. "The faster the car goes, the more gnats will hit the front windshield."

[TheLoneGunman]

hmmm the new fighter model is aptly named I guess?

Atleast we didn't call them the "WIMP" class.

[Raaritsgozilla]

Yay in go the Marines! Let me at em!

[TheLoneGunman]

Since our Benevolent Blue Master is still slumbering, we should all be discussing plans for future anti-Prix operations.

What should our next step be?

I'd suggest upgrading our ships with these new engines, designing new faster missiles using the new tech, and then preparing an expedition to one of the other Prix infested worlds.

I also think we should build at least another 2 or 3 Rocks (Rock IIs with upgraded engines and armor?).

Thoughts?

[Capt. Kiwi]

It takes time to upgrade the fleet, and the current tech seems to be doing its job. Especially since it's pretty easy to incorporate new missiles and fighters without changing the warships.

I'm still in favur of leaving this fleet as is, and building a second fleet with latest tech (possibly transferring and upgrading some of the current vessels if we feel we have more than we need for one fleet). We can then alternate which leet is left as is and which one is upgraded to latest tech, as the tech becomes available. Of course this option probably consumes the most resources, but it leaves us with much more capability - and we now have over 100 systems to take cotrol of. I wouldn't want a surprise attack from one direction while the fleet is at the other end of the jump network, locked in battle with Prix.

[blue emu]

I also think we should build at least another 2 or 3 Rocks (Rock IIs with upgraded engines and armor?).

Thoughts?

The ESND Diorite and ESND Andesite are already under construction... 20 layers of armor (instead of 16) and 5625 kps (instead of 4000).

Rock III class Cruiser 22,400 tons 333 Crew 2121 BP TCS 448 TH 2520 EM 0
5625 km/s Armour 20-70 Shields 0-0 Sensors 1/1/0/0 Damage Control Rating 1 PPV 0
Maint Capacity 59 MSP Max Repair 52 MSP

Magneto-plasma Drive E0.77 (12) Power 210 Fuel Use 7.7% Signature 210 Armour 0 Exp 1%
Fuel Capacity 100,000 Litres Range 104.4 billion km (214 days at full power)

Active Civ Search Sensor MR12-R100 (1) GPS 1600 Range 12.8m km Resolution 100

This design is classed as a Commercial Vessel for maintenance purposes

[TheLoneGunman]

The ESND Diorite and ESND Andesite are already under construction... 20 layers of armor and 5625 kps.

Excellent!

Estimates on the cost of upgrading engines for the Combined Fleet would also be nice.

[blue emu]

... building a second fleet...

One thing I would like to do is to flesh out the fleet with non-jump-capable ships. With 18 jump-capable ships already (4 CA, 6 CL, 6 DD, 2 CC), we have plenty available who can escort a squadron of non-jump ships through a jump point and into battle. We could more-or-less triple the number of ships by building non-jump vessels... and they could carry more weapons, armor, beam defenses and shields because they aren't carrying jump drives.

[TheLoneGunman]

One thing I would like to do is to flesh out the fleet with non-jump-capable ships. With 18 jump-capable ships already (4 CA, 6 CL, 6 DD, 2 CC), we have plenty available who can escort a squadron of non-jump ships through a jump point and into battle. We could more-or-less triple the number of ships by building non-jump vessels... and they could carry more weapons, armor, beam defenses and shields because they aren't carrying jump drives.

So could we develop a slightly smaller (tonnage-wise) version of each of our respective ships that would be more heavily armed/armored and could be brought into the system by her jump-equipped "sister ship"?

Edit: (Excluding whatever ships we need to bring our non-jump capable ships into a system.)

[Capt. Kiwi]

One thing I would like to do is to flesh out the fleet with non-jump-capable ships. With 18 jump-capable ships already (4 CA, 6 CL, 6 DD, 2 CC), we have plenty available who can escort a squadron of non-jump ships through a jump point and into battle. We could more-or-less triple the number of ships by building non-jump vessels... and they could carry more weapons, armor, beam defenses and shields because they aren't carrying jump drives.

That would be a good way to go. But if we doubled the fleet size, would we better off keeping it combined? I'm not sure we'd need a 36 (or more) ship fleet for anything other than a massive engagement, and hopefully our intel will be good enough to avoid that except where we choose to. We might want to look at splitting the current fleet more or less in half, and filling out the two halves with non-jump ships, and a few more carriers and Battle class in all likelihood. The mine layers, bombardment ship etc can be transferred to where they're needed, depending on which fleet is bombarding a planet etc.

[blue emu]

So could we develop a slightly smaller (tonnage-wise) version of each of our respective ships that would be more heavily armed/armored and could be brought into the system by her jump-equipped "sister ship"?

Basically, yes. They need not be smaller... same size is fine. They cannot be larger, though.

At the moment, only our six Mountain-II class carriers, our four Spy class recce ships, our single Peeping Tom class Battle Management vessel, our two Rocks, our single Culverin Monitor and our single Cornucopia Ammunition Tender are non-jump-capable. That's fifteen ships, and none of them except the Carriers are front-line combatants. By building a bunch of combat ships without jump drives, we can certainly increase both our firepower and our defenses.

That would be a good way to go. But if we doubled the fleet size, would we better off keeping it combined? I'm not sure we'd need a 36 (or more) ship fleet for anything other than a massive engagement, and hopefully our intel will be good enough to avoid that except where we choose to. We might want to look at splitting the current fleet more or less in half, and filling out the two halves with non-jump ships, and a few more carriers and Battle class in all likelihood. The mine layers, bombardment ship etc can be transferred to where they're needed, depending on which fleet is bombarding a planet etc.

Sounds good.