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Actually, we have no platform that fires ASMs except our strike fighters. But it's certainly true that PD would be more useful in the Advance Force than ASM launchers would be.
Perhaps we should open a discussion on just which roles are still not properly covered in our current fleet organization?
Perhaps we should open a discussion on just which roles are still not properly covered in our current fleet organization?
How about this for a Jump Cruiser?
I'm currently researching a more compact version of the 20,000-ton jump drive, which might allow a second Gauss PD turret.
I'm currently researching a more compact version of the 20,000-ton jump drive, which might allow a second Gauss PD turret.
We have salvaged the other wrecked Enkeldoorn, and recovered enough components to be sure that the Flappies are well ahead of us in Engine tech, behind us in EM sensors, and have a huge lead in ECM and ECCM.
Now heading over to the Goiingsak wreck to pull it apart.
Now heading over to the Goiingsak wreck to pull it apart.
The Salvage of Goiingsak has identified it as another ASM ship. Curious... it acted like an AWACS. Perhaps a hybrid design. We are now salvaging our own wrecks (Fighters and Geologist) en route to the planet to dismantle the wrecked PDCs.
About 2000 research points worth of ECM tech (one Lab produces about 280 per year at our tech level). But we don't actually receive those points until we get the Salvager back to the Sol system, and uplink its computers to Earth.
We can also dismantle the advanced ship components we've recovered, receiving research points equal to 2.5% (per item) of the value of the tech that produced them.
... so dismantling 40 advanced sensors would give us a whole level of sensor tech.
We can also dismantle the advanced ship components we've recovered, receiving research points equal to 2.5% (per item) of the value of the tech that produced them.
... so dismantling 40 advanced sensors would give us a whole level of sensor tech.
ESNS Gould, exploring another jump point leading out of 61 Cygni, has discovered the new system of Gliese 687. An M3V Red Dwarf, one planet and six comets.
Regarding the Flappies in the Sirius system I'd suggest we use that encounter to try out the new jump cruiser and PD fleet goes in first tactic. In the meanwhile we can also increase our AMM capabilities by building more AMM corvettes.
Laser BBs of course.
I knew the flappies would provide us with useful techs. ECM's will help with our PD wall.
For the missiles, are they useful at all? I believe they were size-2 antimatters? IDK how useful those would be compared to our current missiles. If we have a ship that can fire them then I guess they would turn up useful but besides that I would say scrap them.
For the missiles, are they useful at all? I believe they were size-2 antimatters? IDK how useful those would be compared to our current missiles. If we have a ship that can fire them then I guess they would turn up useful but besides that I would say scrap them.
By a curious coincidence, I am already researching a 38 cm (!) spinal mount Laser.Laser BBs of course.
Each hit will do 38 points of damage. Our nastiest missile currently in use with the fleet does 9 points if it hits. The Laser is very short ranged, of course, and slow firing.
My own comments on what's missing from our fleet's table of organization:
Recon. We currently have none. None.
ASM ships. We currently rely entirely on Fighters to actually kill things.
Laser gunships.
Lasers (and all non-missile weapons, in fact) are very short-ranged... and even shorter ranged at low tech levels. But they tend to do massive damage and require no ammo... so you can't run dry, the way you can with missiles.
Recon. We currently have none. None.
ASM ships. We currently rely entirely on Fighters to actually kill things.
Laser gunships.
Lasers (and all non-missile weapons, in fact) are very short-ranged... and even shorter ranged at low tech levels. But they tend to do massive damage and require no ammo... so you can't run dry, the way you can with missiles.
One month to go until we finish the gate joining Ross 154 to Sol. Then we can send in the Engineers to dig up those 206 ruins sites. We are dismantling the last four wrecks now.
Hmmm, so we need a vessel that can launch our ASMs that can also withstand hits. Missile Corvette-Frigate ship.
And we also need a laser cruiser that can go in and clean house without dying.
Hmmm.... what is the effectiveness of large ships such as battlecruisers and battleships? I know we don't have the slipways for it but a ship that will close in and sweep through the enemy after they exhaust their longrange weaponry on our PDCs would need to be beefy enough to withstand close range weaponry and any remaining ASMs
And we also need a laser cruiser that can go in and clean house without dying.
Hmmm.... what is the effectiveness of large ships such as battlecruisers and battleships? I know we don't have the slipways for it but a ship that will close in and sweep through the enemy after they exhaust their longrange weaponry on our PDCs would need to be beefy enough to withstand close range weaponry and any remaining ASMs
Gunships need:
- The speed to run the opponent down. Even at the very highest tech, beam weapons are limited to 1.5 m-km range, so you need to chase your opponent down.
- Armor (and/or shields) to withstand multiple hits. Against a missile-armed enemy, you might get hit a dozen times while closing to gun range.
- Cloaking and/or ECM to evade incoming enemy fire, and ECCM to penetrate or bypass enemy defenses.
Gunships are indeed awesome, but they require high tech in several fields... engines, thrust augmentation, armor, shields, ECM, ECCM, Cloaking, Lasers, Power, Capacitors...
Of course, you don't need to wait until you have all of that before building Gunships. Just be aware that some opponents will be impossible to chase down, or will hammer you if you leave your PD screen, etc.
- The speed to run the opponent down. Even at the very highest tech, beam weapons are limited to 1.5 m-km range, so you need to chase your opponent down.
- Armor (and/or shields) to withstand multiple hits. Against a missile-armed enemy, you might get hit a dozen times while closing to gun range.
- Cloaking and/or ECM to evade incoming enemy fire, and ECCM to penetrate or bypass enemy defenses.
Gunships are indeed awesome, but they require high tech in several fields... engines, thrust augmentation, armor, shields, ECM, ECCM, Cloaking, Lasers, Power, Capacitors...
Of course, you don't need to wait until you have all of that before building Gunships. Just be aware that some opponents will be impossible to chase down, or will hammer you if you leave your PD screen, etc.
Yes, we would almost have to. Remember that our virtual immunity to Flappy missiles in the Ross 154 battle came from two sources, though... slow enemy missiles (basically half-speed because of the homing heads) and a huge stack of Gauss PD Frigates; 13 of them.
Hmmm.... given that the flappies are leaps and bounds further than us on ECM/ECCM technology along with having improved thruster technology, we can mark off a couple of those qualifiers.
Though IDK how far along in technology we go before constructing our guncruisers. It would take years to get ships up and running now, and at least a decade before having more advanced technology for this.
How urgent is this need? If we need the gap filled now I say we take what we learned from the flappies and use it to construct a guncruiser that can fill the hole for the meanwhile.
Though IDK how far along in technology we go before constructing our guncruisers. It would take years to get ships up and running now, and at least a decade before having more advanced technology for this.
How urgent is this need? If we need the gap filled now I say we take what we learned from the flappies and use it to construct a guncruiser that can fill the hole for the meanwhile.
The smaller the better, but a Fighter-sized craft can't carry much in the way of sensors. Our AWACS for example carries nearly 5000 tons worth of sensors.
I usually make my scouts smaller than 3000 tons, and as fast as possible. If they are significantly faster than the Flappies and have sensors that can pick them up well beyond missile range, it would take at least three Flappy cruisers, operating in a coordinated net, to bring the scout to battle.
Actually... I should be more specific. There are several types of scouts, because there are several types of scouting missions. It might be best to break it down by role:
1) Jump point recon. This type of scout jumps in ahead of the fleet, to check and make sure that no enemy ambush is lurking on or near the jump point. The desired characteristics are : quick and cheap to replace if lost, hard to see from a distance, enough sensors to scout the volume of space surrounding the jump point.
2) Flank security. This type of scout operates with the fleet and keeps an eye out for enemy sneaking up from an unexpected direction. The desired characteristics are : hard to target from a distance, long visual range to give early warning of flanking moves.
3) Detached recon. This type of scout enters a system by itself and drives around looking for hostiles. Desired characteristics are : high speed to avoid getting trapped by the enemy, hard to see from a distance, long range sensors to detect the enemy before the scout himself is spotted.