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Starsector 0.97a is out! (02/02/24); New blog post: Simulator Enhancements (03/13/24)

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Author Topic: Few ships feel human-pilot friendly  (Read 1484 times)

Megas

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Re: Few ships feel human-pilot friendly
« Reply #15 on: August 18, 2021, 07:27:15 AM »

Phase frigates are bomber flagships.

Harbinger is a bomber flagship (bigger, easier-to-use AMB Afflictor) out-of-the-box, but with skills (Helmsmanship, elite Phase Mastery, Systems Expertise) it can become a brawler (phase, QD, lance repeatedly from medium range in quick succession).

Doom and Ziggurat are brawlers.  Doom nukes things with mines, and maybe getting more shots in while enemy is distracted.  Ziggurat paralyzes and locks things down with unblockable EMP motes while pounding them with plasma cannons and kinetics.

Not fond of bomber flagships for AI because they cannot use them effectively in that role.

I missed 0.7.1a and earlier releases with the no time-shift, no cooldown for phase frigates.  They were brawlers back then, and the AI could use them well.  Afflictor being super Lasher with autocannons and LAGs, and Shade being super Monitor.  Now, phase frigates (and unskilled Harbinger) are bombers specially made for flagship use because the AI cannot pull off the delicate tricks the player can do.
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SCC

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Re: Few ships feel human-pilot friendly
« Reply #16 on: August 18, 2021, 10:43:55 AM »

I missed 0.7.1a and earlier releases with the no time-shift, no cooldown for phase frigates.
I wish they came back. On frigates, it was decent. Ziggurat is too fat to "dodge" like that, so you EMP ships out, unphase while they're unable to shoot back and destroy them with your overwhelming firepower.

Megas

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Re: Few ships feel human-pilot friendly
« Reply #17 on: August 18, 2021, 01:34:24 PM »

Ziggurat with Phase Mastery (and its built-in X-coils) handles almost like the old no cooldown cloak.  Great for brawling.  Phase frigates need something like that so they are not pigeonholed into AMB monkeys, which AI is not good at.

A phase frigate that tries to brawl like a Lasher or other warship will get popped and killed while the cloak cools down.  Thus, it must rely on shield bypass maneuvers and shoot AMBs for cheap kills.
« Last Edit: August 18, 2021, 01:37:44 PM by Megas »
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