The Paradoxian Federation – Aurora Forum Game II, run by Rendap.

[Capt. Kiwi]

I thin their PD would prioritise the 36ers over the little missiles... meaning to get close enough to beat the PD, you'd be so close that even gauss weapons could hit your battleships.

Of course, there's not a huge difference in power between a huge missile with one warhead and a huge missile with many. I'd guess you could get 9 seperate warheads in a 36, off the top of my head.

 

[Rendap]

@ Reis - The unknown bugs of the universe will soon become known bugs of the universe... And they will need to be killed. And you will need ships and weapons for that. And you will need to build them - And you will need minerals for that - And you will need to explore to find those - And you will need to start over and keep going in this loop forever!

@ Taii - As Kiwi stated, size 36 missiles might be worthwhile in very specific situations. But I would rather see a number of smaller missiles to throw around, since they are more likely to pass through PD. Also, with regards to your size 9 and 16, as Emu stated earlier, they can be picked up faster. Size 6 or below have the same profile (basically) and therefore follows the same principles. From there, it's just a matter of how many goodies you can pack into the suckers before throwing them at targets.

@ Randy - Likely, and I'm certain that Blue Emu would be up for the challenge of designing it. I hope not, since I don't want to loose our MK researcher to any further brain damage.

@ Taii - If you are going to get a Battleship into short range of enemy ships, I would recommend skipping the missiles and go for massive energy weapons instead. The size 36 missile is a fun one, but not one that I see as plausible. However, the idea has been forwarded to the designers and we might just see something like this show up in game...

And if I should make a guess, I think that it was precursors that shot you down in Alpha Centauri. Normally, NPR needs more than 1 salvo to kill your scouts, depending on size and armor of course.

 

[Capt. Kiwi]

Unless he means warhead damage 36? I notice he uses square numbers. You could probably fit a damage 36 warhead into a reasonably sized missile, although not a size 6 at early tech.

Note that you don't have to use square numbers for the missile size, it's for the warhead damage.

 

[Rendap]

Unless he means warhead damage 36? I notice he uses square numbers. You could probably fit a damage 36 warhead into a reasonably sized warhead, although not a size 6 at early tech.

Possible of course. I think we could fit that in a size 9 or 12 mine at the moment. Probably more like size 16 if we also needed it to go anywhere.

 

[joebthegreat]

I think the obvious conclusion is that fleets should consist entirely of carriers. Fighters should be both the PD, ASM, AMM, and sensors.

A good fleet should be capable of launching upwards of 1000 size one missiles in an alpha strike.

Now get cracking. I expect to see ship design ideas that can make such a fleet possible!

 

[Capt. Kiwi]

I think the obvious conclusion is that fleets should consist entirely of carriers. Fighters should be both the PD, ASM, AMM, and sensors.

A good fleet should be capable of launching upwards of 1000 size one missiles in an alpha strike.

Now get cracking. I expect to see ship design ideas that can make such a fleet possible!

This is entirely doable, but possibly too overpowered to be interesting. With the exception of defending against ambushes, it could get badly hurt there.

 

[joebthegreat]

This is entirely doable, but possibly too overpowered to be interesting. With the exception of defending against ambushes, it could get badly hurt there.

You can make up for it being overpowered by declaring war on everything that moves, as well as fighting the inter-galactic invaders, as well as recklessly charging forward into starsystems with no rhyme or reason.

Make the galaxy a chaotic hell-hole!

 

[Rendap]

@ Joeb - Your request have been forwarded to the designers and researchers for investigation. Now you should go back and research the Ion Engines so we can start looking at the ideas...

@ Kiwi - Overpowered, probably. But of course I could change the range to 10k km or so to make it more... Interesting! for our fighter pilots.

 

[joebthegreat]

Engines are such complicated things! I've followed the advise of several friendly mechanics, but hitting it with a big hammer has so far done nothing!

 

[Rendap]

Engines are such complicated things! I've followed the advise of several friendly mechanics, but hitting it with a big hammer has so far done nothing!

Rule 1 of Engineering: If it's not working, you are not using a big enough hammer.

 

[Taiisatai64]

Rule 1 of Engineering: If it's not working, you are not using a big enough hammer.

If the hammer doesn't work, use a magic wrench.

If fixing cars, tighten the engine bonnet, as learn't from Farcry 2. Only works if the engine is smoking but flames are for some reason not visible.

 

[Vainglory]

Instead of giving Freighters and Colony Ships their own jump drives, I've been building them without jump drives and providing a civilian Jump Tender for them. This gives me more control over just where our civilian shipping-line Freighters and Colony Ships end up, because I won't offer them jump assists, so they end up stuck in the Sol system or confined to "safe" systems where I've built a network of jump gates.

That leaves the question of just how I should design my civilian Jump Tender. Since an assisted jump requires that the Jump Tender have BOTH a jump drive and a hull displacement at least as large as the ship requiring assistance, the Tender must be pretty massive... so I've given it the largest civilian jump drive that I've designed, then added a Tractor Beam, loads of fuel tankage, and as many (civilian) engines as I can cram onto it within that displacement.

This makes good use of the mass needed to perform its role as jump tender, by equipping it as a Tanker (it will spend a lot of time hanging around the jump point anyway) and as a high-performance Tug (to be used in that role whenever it's not needed as a Tender).

Another idea that I'm planning to try is a Recce Fighter... a Fighter equipped only with sensors and fuel tanks, intended to be carried to an unexplored jump point in another ship's Boat Bay, and make an assisted jump into the unexplored system. This allows us to get a look at the target system, while limiting our risk to a tiny craft that can be replaced in a week or so, if it ends up lost to alien uglies.

I've never designed a jump freighter before. I always just churned out gates instead; I always considered civvie jump drives deadweight when trying to max the tonnage within the vessel. I had never thought that civvie jump freighters might jump into danger... beware of JGs from other empires though. From early in my last major campaign I had civvies visiting "The Confederation of Enroth" on multiple planets in systems I'd never discovered. I was always too engaged with precursors, swarm, and some angry guys called "The Confederation of Amol" to discover all CoE's planets but my civvies were happily disappearing off the map into systems I could only see when they detected something of note there.

I think the recce fighter is a good way to go. I tested the idea just recently with my current empire, built a little FAC with half the displacement as sensors, sent it to snoop around. I think I'd keep sending survey ships in first because scouting with a FAC/FTR first seems tedious micromanagement, but having the ship on hand for a system where I've already lost vessels or with wrecks in it is a good idea.

@ Rendap

That Blackadder scene is coming to mind...

I'm not a coward. I just want to go into battle in the strongest ship we have. Preferably something impervious to enemy fire.

 

[unmerged(105596)]

Do I get to see Massive Dreadnoughts Roaming The Interstellar Space Firing Full Broadsides in this game? Ie. beams, up close and personal!

 

[Rendap]

Do I get to see Massive Dreadnoughts Roaming The Interstellar Space Firing Full Broadsides in this game? Ie. beams, up close and personal!

Maybe - Depends on what whacky designs I come up with. At the moment I'm thinking along the lines that if PD is good, then a lot of PD must a lot of good and think of all the PD we can fit in a Dreadnought!!!! Only PD - No Offensive Weaponry!!! I think that even Vainglory would be happy flying in that, until we meet something that can kill it. Or I kill it.

We'll figure something out!

 

[reis91]

How's Electronic Warfare implemented in this game? I've noticed some techs in that area...

 

[Rendap]

How's Electronic Warfare implemented in this game? I've noticed some techs in that area...

If you use ECM, the range of the enemies Fire Control is reduced by x%. If you use ECCM, you reduce the effect. You can't boost your FC range this way.

You can also load it into missiles to reduce targeting range.

I am not certain if it does anything for hit range.

The Administrations policy on ECM / ECCM is that we know of it's existance and will work as fast as possible to get into range so we can shoot the damn things opposing us!

 

[Rendap]

Ok, The Administration will leave the Polish Branch in app. 1 hour on the journey back to the office. Arrival is expected between 1700 and 1800 GMT, depending on how fast LOT is and whether they manage to actually deliver my luggage.

When that is sorted, we will see if we can get some more Survey Ships blasted outa space!!!!!

 

[randakar]

I'm sorry, I left the luggage handling department to Ensign Ook!

Also known as The Librarian ..

 

[Rendap]

The Administration would like to extend it's thanks once again to the Polish Branch for it's hospitality.

Furthermore, the administration hereby announces it's plans on honoring the Polish National Airline Company LOT by designing and building a small scout ship which will be sent to Gliese 1 to serve as target practice for our enemies!

Updates will commence again shortly, but won't be that many tonight.

 

[Rendap]

Captain Boris ze Spider II - Crew Training 50, Fleet Maneuver 234, Survey Bonus 20%, Factory Production 30%, Fighter Operation 10% - Assigned SC Marco Polo
Captain Kingepyon - Fleet Maneuver 105, Survey 27%, Terraforming 15%, Xenology 20%, Espionage 10% - Assigned Geargia Bruce Geology Team, currently stationed on Mars.
Captain Adamus - Crew Training 75, Fleet Maneuver 217, Assigned FT Dione
Captain Velko - Crew Training 25, Fleet Maneuver 214, Terraforming 10%, Logistics 25%, Assigned FT Hyperion
Commander GaiusC - Crew Training 25, Fleet Maneuver 242, Survey 15%, Xenology 10%, Logistics 10% - Currently avaiting assignment, Earth
Colonel Hearth - Ground Combat 10% - Assign 1st Heavy Assault Infantry, Earth

All updated on front page, Please let me know if I'm missing someone. I know that I haven't updated everything yet on all, but at least everyone should be there.