Fractal Softworks Forum

Starsector => General Discussion => Topic started by: ubuntufreakdragon on June 21, 2020, 05:28:22 AM

Title: My current fleet, improvement ideas?
Post by: ubuntufreakdragon on June 21, 2020, 05:28:22 AM
5 Paragons
2plasma (front)
2hight intensity beams
4graviton beams
2heavy needlers
4 salamander MRM
some point defence
40 capacitors 60 vents
hardened shields
stabilized shields
augmented drive field

3 Astrals
2 Lucus SRM
5 Graviton Beams
some pointdefence
20 capacitors
expanded deck crew
augmented drive field
6 lux fighter drone remnant lpc

7 Apogees
1 Autopuls Laser
1 Lucus SRM
2 Pulslaser
1 Swamer SRM
2 ir pulse laser (front)
point defence
14 Capacitors
36 vents
augmented drive field

9 Tempests
2 Pulselasers
Astropos Torpedo Rack
12 vents
safety overrides

3 Atlas
3 Prometheus
both with
militarized subsystems
augmented drive field
Title: Re: My current fleet, improvement ideas?
Post by: Grievous69 on June 21, 2020, 06:09:13 AM
Not gonna lie it seems like you spent some time on the subreddit and then used only the ships that are praised by most, it's a bit boring imo. I like fleet diversity personally.

As for improving loadouts you seriously need to ditch those fighters out of Astrals. The ship system has crazy good synergy with bombers, it's a waste putting any sort of fighter wing there. For example 4 Dagger wings and 2 Longbows is a nice combo.
Title: Re: My current fleet, improvement ideas?
Post by: Mondaymonkey on June 21, 2020, 06:15:52 AM
For the Paragon: Change rear gravitons to something generating hard flux, like pulse lasers. Get rid of salamanders, they just eat your OP. When did they last time actually helps you in battle? Reapers for 2 OP or simple empty mounts. Turn some capacitors into shield conversion front and optionally solar shielding, if enemies have a lot of energy.

SO tempest works best with heavy blaster, not pulse. Second mount fit with anything, leave the pulse or even make empty.

Atlases and Prometheus are not that cost effective as they smaller comrades, but in case of a large fleet you need to enlarge logistic.  :-[ It is pointless to have both militarized subsystems and augmented drive field, as you do not need +3 burn mostly because Paragons in your fleet most probably does not have ADF, and are the slowest vessels. And if your paragons do have it - remove it, as it is pointless. You better use tugs, than waste precious paragon's OP for that.

Suggest to add a couple of salvage rigs. It is sad there are no vanilla cap with salvage gauntry.
Title: Re: My current fleet, improvement ideas?
Post by: Kpop on June 21, 2020, 07:17:21 AM
you already got paragons and astrals, it's just splitting hairs at this point  ;)

I've never used the rear mediums on the paragon in favor of extra points for more hull mods. HIL never really makes it way onto my ships unless I'm expecting phase ships or maybe lots of Hegemony fleets. I use tachyon in the side larges instead. Better general purpose profile. if you have the op stabilized shields paired with forward shields makes the shields deploy extremely fast. I have seen the AI not make very good use of it since there are plenty of times where having the omni shields would have helped, but I feel like situations like that happen more when dealing with lots of smaller ships, but going against fleets stacked with other capital ships or space stations it helps.
Title: Re: My current fleet, improvement ideas?
Post by: Megas on June 21, 2020, 07:25:26 AM
Apogee does not have much OP to spare.  It does not need small weapons at the front.  Plasma cannon is probably the best in the large energy, but if you insist on autopulse, get expanded magazines.  Apogee does not need PD because of its system - unlimited active flares.  Between tough 360 shields and active flares, it does not need PD beams for anti-missile.  What it needs is firepower to kill flankers, and IR Pulse Lasers on the small energy mounts would probably be more useful.  For the small missile, if I do not put Salamander in it, I leave it empty for more OP.  I would not use Augmented Drive Field on Apogee if I have capitals in the fleet.

Astral does not need Locusts, or other weapons for that matter.  Bombers and maybe some PD beams should suffice.  At least two Longbows and your choice for the other four.  None of the fighters in the current release are overpowered enough to compete with bombers.

Atlas and Prometheus has the advantage of taking only one fleet slot.  Fleet slots are a premium resource late in the game.  If you do not have Navigation, player will need at least two Prometheus to haul capitals a significant distance.

If you do not have Navigation, I recommend keeping Augmented Drive Field on capitals because bringing four or six tugs for speed 20 hurts!  Tugs chug fuel and clog valuable fleet slots.  Navigation 3 is +2 burn speed, and you can either drop two tugs or Augmented Engines.  (I prefer dropping the excess tugs.)  Even with Navigation 3 and Augmented Drive Field on capitals, fleet still needs two tugs for speed 20, which is tolerable.  When dealing with zombie pirates or other fires in the sector, burn 20 is a must.
Title: Re: My current fleet, improvement ideas?
Post by: TaLaR on June 21, 2020, 07:44:15 AM
Augmented Drive Field is a massive penalty to combat power (due to OP cost). It's fine to use when you only have 1 or 2 caps in your fleet, but it's better to use massed tugs (4 with Nav3, 6 otherwise) when you have that many capitals.
Title: Re: My current fleet, improvement ideas?
Post by: Mondaymonkey on June 21, 2020, 07:52:09 AM
...or just be satisfied with lesser burn.

No, really, why does everyone so obsessed with 20 burn? I have 16. Enough for me.
Title: Re: My current fleet, improvement ideas?
Post by: Igncom1 on June 21, 2020, 07:54:20 AM
Yeah depending on what you are fighting, you don't need speed. A space station can't run away after all.

I do understand people not wanting to spend as much of their own lifespan holding down the fast-forward button though.
Title: Re: My current fleet, improvement ideas?
Post by: Megas on June 21, 2020, 08:00:58 AM
No, really, why does everyone so obsessed with 20 burn? I have 16. Enough for me.
More time to do what I want in the fringe (exploring, killing Ordos, raiding for blueprints, doing whatever to fix rep lost from expedition spam) before yet another alert forces me to drop everything and rush to save my colonies or the core worlds.

Also, traveling inside a system is tedious, especially if it is big, and I have colonies in it.

EDIT:  Also for running circles around Ordos, and occasionally patrols when I want to steal blueprints in more heavily defended core systems.
Title: Re: My current fleet, improvement ideas?
Post by: Mondaymonkey on June 21, 2020, 08:10:38 AM
Quote
Also, traveling inside a system is tedious, especially if it is big, and I have colonies in it.

1. Traverse jump.
2. Three seconds in hyperspace.
3. Traverse jump.

Does not work for system outer reaches exploration, thought. But for that systems it is easier to build a makeshift nav. relay, not tugspam.
Title: Re: My current fleet, improvement ideas?
Post by: Megas on June 21, 2020, 09:16:16 AM
I meant if I need to visit more than one planet in a system, like when I am transferring commodities to mitigate shortages from disruptions.  In such a case, it is more like...
1. T.Jump
2. Three seconds in system.
3. T.Jump
4. Three seconds in hyperspace.
5. Repeat for more planets.

That can be tedious too.

In any case, that assumes Navigation.
Title: Re: My current fleet, improvement ideas?
Post by: ubuntufreakdragon on June 22, 2020, 03:27:34 AM
Sounds like it's time to raid for some blueprints.
Title: Re: My current fleet, improvement ideas?
Post by: Aereto on June 22, 2020, 06:53:20 PM
Sounds like it's time to raid for some blueprints.
May as well carry starliners and fill the space with marines for an efficient blueprint raid.

Or bomb the defenses to slag if you have fuel to even spare that much.
Title: Re: My current fleet, improvement ideas?
Post by: ubuntufreakdragon on June 23, 2020, 02:27:03 AM
I just enter the system darkened shoot the starbase and raid the spaceport before plundering.
Title: Re: My current fleet, improvement ideas?
Post by: Koyocire on June 23, 2020, 02:25:58 PM
Lol, 21 ships with augmented drive field.  You are better off getting 4 tugs, dropping augmented field drive and replacing it with efficiency overhaul.  You get the side benefit that your ships recover CR a lot faster.
I have no idea what you like to deploy or what your DP limit is set to, but I’m guessing you use your Astrals mixed in with the other ships.  If that’s the case, you would get a lot better mileage out of 6 longbows as opposed to 6 Lux.
You should get a couple of Salvage Rigs...helps a lot to offset the cost of a fleet like that.
From personal experience, when you’ve assembled a doom stack like that it might be time to start a new game.  Nothing currently in the game will challenge you.  I highly doubt flying any of those ships will feel impactful of meaningful.  For all intents and purposes, you’ve won the game.