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« on: September 20, 2013, 02:10:08 AM »
So there i was. My frigate fleet led by my Oddysey had just finishing the second engagement in a row with pirates in Askonia when i realized another fleet's inertia was going to impact mine when i unpaused. I did. I got attacked, and disengagement didn't work out as i hoped even with my 7 burn. My Oddysey was out of commision due to CR, as were two other ships. All i had to defend with were two of my 'converted-for-AI' Tempests and a Wolf. Set the Wolf and a Tempest on fighters, a decision i would regret in hindsight, and transferred command to my former flagship, the AKS Armageddon, Tempest. The cut down for AI version had no extended shields, accelerated though, and Graviton Beams. Not what i used to fly with 270 degree shield and Phases.
Started distracting the bigger enemy ships, like Tarsuses, and a Mule but soon realized it won't be long. While most of my fleet would be fine, the Oddysey would not. I regrouped near it and thank the lord the Terminator drone does point defense aswell. The enemy had bombers and two fighter wings, and while my graviton beams managed to stray them off course enough, i still had to maneuver my little frigate and its shield to take the brunt of bombs and missiles. As the plating on the Oddysey started to buckle, each individual tiny missile ment a chunk of its hull down. The Tempest wasn't doing well either, now at half-hull, huddled at the engine of the Oddysey defending left and right with beams and shields what missiles i could. Had a little flashback back when i was flying in Freespace 2 and defending capships against missiles and how i thought it was easy enough. Not so much here. As each other ship in the fleet managed to succesfully retreat, my prized flagship was shifting between engine flameouts and spurts of overheated plasma pushing it slowly and painfully forward.
I was sighting of relief when i finally saw the Wolf return and the wave of succesful retreats continue but the good joy didn't last. Seconds later an offscreen fighter squad launched tiny missiles that in any other situation i'd discredit as just space fireworks. If i had a phase frigate i could phase under the Oddysey and come out the other side to meet them. If i had a properly fitted Tempest i could move around the ship with enough speed, maybe. None of those was applicable then as the final blows breached the flagship and the last thing i saw was a bright blue haze. Oddysey down, Tempest down.
Post OP situation: The other Tempest seemed to be dead aswell and the Wolf soon followed, overloaded by the sudden explosion. Support ships and two CR0'd combat ships manage to escape mostly, if bruised here and there. This would take some rebuilding.
Summing up.. All of this made possible by the CR mechanic and the new engagement changes. So GJ dev-team!
