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Our Jump Tender and the Mobile Fleet have both reached the jump point to Ross 154.
Our fleet train is still en-route... Tankers loaded with rocket fuel, Troop Transports loaded with Space Marines under the Major Generals Jeray2000 and Health, Drop Ships to land the troops on the enemy-controlled planet, Salvagers to dismantle the wrecked Precursor ships, Freighters to drop off Deep Space Tracking Stations in the enemy system, more Freighters to hold any components looted from the enemy wrecks...
But there's no need to wait for the fleet train to catch up, since we won't need any of that stuff until after we fight the space battle.
We will open the engagement by launching a spread of fighters to pass through the jump gate and spread out, searching for any enemy ships that might be lurking in ambush near the jump point.
Our fleet train is still en-route... Tankers loaded with rocket fuel, Troop Transports loaded with Space Marines under the Major Generals Jeray2000 and Health, Drop Ships to land the troops on the enemy-controlled planet, Salvagers to dismantle the wrecked Precursor ships, Freighters to drop off Deep Space Tracking Stations in the enemy system, more Freighters to hold any components looted from the enemy wrecks...
But there's no need to wait for the fleet train to catch up, since we won't need any of that stuff until after we fight the space battle.
We will open the engagement by launching a spread of fighters to pass through the jump gate and spread out, searching for any enemy ships that might be lurking in ambush near the jump point.
Commodore Jukaga leads his squadron through the jump Gate, and then heads out in a search pattern to coreward. As soon as the last of the Snake Eyes pass through the Gate, Commander Bojangles follows with the Blue Blasters and heads out to spinward. Two more squadrons follow them, to cover the rimward and widdershins segments of the search pattern, while Rear Admiral Iche Bins holds the other ten fighter squadrons in reserve, waiting for the situation to clarify before committing them.
Contact! An enemy active sensor has been detected. It is coming from a position out in space, but very close to the planet that we suspect harbors a Precursor base!
Judging by the wavelength used by the enemy sensor (R79), it has no possibility of locking onto our fighters at this range. It will, however, spot our fleet the instant we transit in. But there's no help for that... we cannot launch an attack on the enemy unless we have him painted by our own active sensor, so the fleet must come through.
First, however, we will finish our search pattern and give all the fighter pilots time to recover from jump shock.
Judging by the wavelength used by the enemy sensor (R79), it has no possibility of locking onto our fighters at this range. It will, however, spot our fleet the instant we transit in. But there's no help for that... we cannot launch an attack on the enemy unless we have him painted by our own active sensor, so the fleet must come through.
First, however, we will finish our search pattern and give all the fighter pilots time to recover from jump shock.
At this early stage of the engagement, I am only running the clock 30 seconds at a time. We are, however, getting full 30-second increments... which is almost a guarantee that we haven't been spotted yet.
The "visible" enemy (actually just an active sensor source, we can't spot the enemy ship responsible until we bring in our AWACS) is less than 11 m-km away from the jump point; which won't leave us much time to recover from jump shock before his missiles arrive once we give him a target. Let's get our Fighters into over-watch positions before bringing in our fleet.
The "visible" enemy (actually just an active sensor source, we can't spot the enemy ship responsible until we bring in our AWACS) is less than 11 m-km away from the jump point; which won't leave us much time to recover from jump shock before his missiles arrive once we give him a target. Let's get our Fighters into over-watch positions before bringing in our fleet.
The enemy ship has gotten under weigh, heading out on bearing 113 degrees.
Not sure what he's up to... flanking us? We'll stick to the plan, anyway. Take up over-watch positions with the Fighters, then bring in the fleet.
Not sure what he's up to... flanking us? We'll stick to the plan, anyway. Take up over-watch positions with the Fighters, then bring in the fleet.
OK, the fighters are in position. We'll now bring in the fleet, and immediately turn away and start running down-range. The reason for that maneuver is that our first concern will be to recover from jump shock so that our Point Defense can offer us some protection from incoming enemy missiles, so we want to put some room between ourselves and the enemy.
Meanwhile, the enemy is so close to us that it's possible that our active sensors can paint him for our fighter squadrons, jump shock or no.
Meanwhile, the enemy is so close to us that it's possible that our active sensors can paint him for our fighter squadrons, jump shock or no.
Dang... the fighters are still in jump shock, a full two minutes after jumping in. I'm going to have to wait until they recover before bringing in the fleet. I hope it recovers a bit quicker...
The fighters are just coming out of jump shock now, about two and a half minutes after entering the system.
Oh, man... that's going to be tight. At 70,000 kps (which might be a bit high, but we've actually seen Precursor missiles move FASTER than that) it takes a salvo of missiles about two and a half minutes to travel 10 million km. The enemy is almost exactly 10 million km away.
So his salvos will start arriving at just about the time our crews are starting to come out of jump shock.
Well... go big or go home! We'll do it. I have a feeling that our planned turn-away is going to turn out to be a REALLY good idea!
Oh, man... that's going to be tight. At 70,000 kps (which might be a bit high, but we've actually seen Precursor missiles move FASTER than that) it takes a salvo of missiles about two and a half minutes to travel 10 million km. The enemy is almost exactly 10 million km away.
So his salvos will start arriving at just about the time our crews are starting to come out of jump shock.
Well... go big or go home! We'll do it. I have a feeling that our planned turn-away is going to turn out to be a REALLY good idea!
The mobile fleet jumps in, sensors pinging...
... and there's a bunch of them! At least five enemies, although the ones on the planet are probably PDCs. Still, they'll be just as dangerous, since we are only 10 m-km away. Our own missiles can reach more than 90 m-km, so I'm sure we're well inside the enemy's effective range.
Now let's see if our Fighter squadrons can get a lock, or if we have to wait for our AWACS to come out of jump shock.
... and there's a bunch of them! At least five enemies, although the ones on the planet are probably PDCs. Still, they'll be just as dangerous, since we are only 10 m-km away. Our own missiles can reach more than 90 m-km, so I'm sure we're well inside the enemy's effective range.
Now let's see if our Fighter squadrons can get a lock, or if we have to wait for our AWACS to come out of jump shock.
Urrrgh... no lock. We'll have to wait until our AWACS (or at least, some active-sensor equipped ship) comes out of jump shock. Meanwhile, Rear Admiral Iche Bins scrambles all of our remaining fighters. They cannot launch missiles until our computers recover enough to provide a firing solution, but at least if worst comes to worst we can avoid having the fighters destroyed inside the Carriers.
If the enemy "pings" that are shown as heading 270° don't change direction when they've detected us, they'll be ground installations, without any doubt. By necessity, even such installations have to show a direction, and as far as I remember, they're always quite rounded (180/90 for instance) - unless they're always 270, but that's been too long since I last played Aurora.
We have a total of seven contacts, including two on the surface of the planet which I am almost sure are Planetary Defense Complexes.
Our active-sensor equipped ships are still in jump shock, so none of our weapons can get a firing solution on the enemy yet (computers are even more confused by jump shock than people are).
All of our fighters have been launched and are spreading out to take up position between our fleet and the enemy. Our fleet has turned away and is running down-range at maximum speed, not in hopes of getting out of the enemy's range, of course... we jumped in within freaking PD range, let alone missile range!... but simply to prolong the enemy's missile running times and so give our crews and computers the maximum amount of time to recover before his salvos start arriving.
Our active-sensor equipped ships are still in jump shock, so none of our weapons can get a firing solution on the enemy yet (computers are even more confused by jump shock than people are).
All of our fighters have been launched and are spreading out to take up position between our fleet and the enemy. Our fleet has turned away and is running down-range at maximum speed, not in hopes of getting out of the enemy's range, of course... we jumped in within freaking PD range, let alone missile range!... but simply to prolong the enemy's missile running times and so give our crews and computers the maximum amount of time to recover before his salvos start arriving.
Our main fleet has been in the Ross 154 system for 40 seconds (the game is very slow when I just bump it along in 5-second increments) and there is no sign of missiles yet. I don't really expect them until after the two minute mark.
EDIT:
OK, I tried a 30-second increment instead, but it got chopped at the 5-second mark. We are definitely under missile fire... they just haven't reached us yet.
EDIT:
OK, I tried a 30-second increment instead, but it got chopped at the 5-second mark. We are definitely under missile fire... they just haven't reached us yet.
Tactical:
Here's the enemy:
Four of them (two Enkeldoorn and two Janse van Rensburg) are headed straight for us. One (Goiingsak) is laying back, behind the planet that I assume is their base. Two others (almost certainly PDCs) are parked on the planet's surface. Not sure who is shooting at us... maybe all of them.
And our deployment:
Our Fighter squadrons are spreading out and waiting for somebody (anybody!) to get their computers straightened out enough to paint the targets for them.
Here's the enemy:
Four of them (two Enkeldoorn and two Janse van Rensburg) are headed straight for us. One (Goiingsak) is laying back, behind the planet that I assume is their base. Two others (almost certainly PDCs) are parked on the planet's surface. Not sure who is shooting at us... maybe all of them.
And our deployment:
Our Fighter squadrons are spreading out and waiting for somebody (anybody!) to get their computers straightened out enough to paint the targets for them.
Erk, that's really bad luck to have jumped there when the planet was at its closest to the jump point.
PDCs have way more missiles than ships, in my experience, but usually can be less of a hassle because, once you got rid of the ships, they're relatively easy to catch unaware with a fighters' first strike. But since we basically jumped on top of all of them, that's a lot of missiles heading towards our fleet. Let's hope some defenses and ships aren't missile-launchers.
Unless I'm sorely mistaken on how the game works, it makes even more sense to flee exactly in the opposite direction to incoming missiles - their relative speed will be that lower than if we stood still, and targetting systems are way better, the lower the enemy speed is, so this increase the odds for our own anti-missile systems.
PDCs have way more missiles than ships, in my experience, but usually can be less of a hassle because, once you got rid of the ships, they're relatively easy to catch unaware with a fighters' first strike. But since we basically jumped on top of all of them, that's a lot of missiles heading towards our fleet. Let's hope some defenses and ships aren't missile-launchers.
Unless I'm sorely mistaken on how the game works, it makes even more sense to flee exactly in the opposite direction to incoming missiles - their relative speed will be that lower than if we stood still, and targetting systems are way better, the lower the enemy speed is, so this increase the odds for our own anti-missile systems.