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Author Topic: New player, struggling with understanding some game mechanics  (Read 2626 times)

Thaago

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Re: New player, struggling with understanding some game mechanics
« Reply #15 on: March 05, 2022, 06:13:36 PM »

Sunders are glass cannons yeah. Personally I'm a fan of using them later in the game as artillery ships: ITU + advanced optics gives them 1400 range on 500 HE + 200 Kinetic DPS, boosted by their system. An officer can get another 150 range if going for a build that can spare officers for destroyers.
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Ihave500hats

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Re: New player, struggling with understanding some game mechanics
« Reply #16 on: March 05, 2022, 07:13:02 PM »

And last is the AI.  I've tried to read other threads about this and the last 2 issues but I'll admit its frustrating trying to figure out which version of the game the posts are referring to as its gone through so many, and all I have to go by is a date.  Having to research what the current version of the game was at the date of the post is really annoying, to be entirely honest, and that's assuming they're on the latest version.  But using just a recent example of what I don't understand my Sunder's and Condor's are dumb.  They have no officers, and I don't have a colony so afaik there is no doctrine to affect the behavior.  The Sunder was engaging a mule with nothing anywhere nearby with almost full flux and damaged armor but full hull.  The mule had 0 flux, full armor, full hull.  The Sunder sat there at the very limit of its range dropping shield and shooting briefly then shielding up, but still taking damage as it did so; why didn't it just disengage and vent?  And my Condor's usually just wedge themselves between my Apogee's and the target, getting melted.

I've noticed that destroyers and frigates love to push as hard as they can then fail to fall back and die. You're going to have to select them on the tactical display and force them to move back by creating a rally point and sending them to it. If that doesn't work, try making them tactically retreat or have another destroyer or even cruiser support them/attack the destroyer's attacker. On top of that, If you command an aircraft carrier and you are in range (a Heron is good for this), launch all of your wings at close range at the destroyer's attackers and try to save them that way.

Condors in my opinion are dumb unless you force them to go to rally points, which they often ignore to "stay in range" (although that range seems to be within the range of the enemies guns). If you want a better alternative to a Sunder, get a Hammerhead or a swarm of Lashers, as dumb as it may seem, it can be a effective way to take out an enemy fleet.

My fleet normally looks like this:

Flagship:
1 Heron (2 Xyphos, 1 Perdition) (somewhat good for close support of a destroyer locked in combat and at max flux)

Cruisers (optional):
1 Champion (I just love putting a PD system (the remnant one is better) on these things and sending them in to support the frontline)
1 Gryphon (Locust lol)

Destroyers:
These can be mixed and matched (I prefer 3, with 2 or one and 1 of the other):
Mule
Hammerhead

Frigates:
3-5 Lashers or Brawlers (mixing these can be good too)

Auxiliary:
2 Buffalos (cargo)
1 Phaeton (fuel)
1 Salvage ship (optional)

Try to find the augmented drive field and slap it on any of these ships that are slowing down your fleet if necessary.
I've also found that pairing a Hammerhead/Mule with a Lasher/Brawler as support can be good, and then sending the Destroyer to go and Search & Destroy with the Frigate.


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Salter

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Re: New player, struggling with understanding some game mechanics
« Reply #17 on: March 05, 2022, 08:41:51 PM »

Sunders are glass cannons yeah. Personally I'm a fan of using them later in the game as artillery ships: ITU + advanced optics gives them 1400 range on 500 HE + 200 Kinetic DPS, boosted by their system. An officer can get another 150 range if going for a build that can spare officers for destroyers.
They can work either way as I've tried both and found success with both. Especially together in the same fleet. Sunders just a good ship with its slim profile and weapon mounts.
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Thaago

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Re: New player, struggling with understanding some game mechanics
« Reply #18 on: March 05, 2022, 11:13:37 PM »

They are good its true, but I sometimes have trouble with them as SO ships just because of how fragile they are.
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Salter

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Re: New player, struggling with understanding some game mechanics
« Reply #19 on: March 06, 2022, 12:20:49 AM »

SO works if you need a good speedy gunship. Its already pretty fast for a destroyer, but needs to be a bit faster to keep up with a wolfpack fleet. That said there isnt much to be done about crappy shields and armor. The upside of having bad defensive stats is that you lean into the glass-cannon role more.

Condors in my opinion are dumb unless you force them to go to rally points, which they often ignore to "stay in range" (although that range seems to be within the range of the enemies guns). If you want a better alternative to a Sunder, get a Hammerhead or a swarm of Lashers, as dumb as it may seem, it can be a effective way to take out an enemy fleet.

Condors in general are not a great carrier. You cant do alot with it. Most of low-tech's carriers are generally too slow for my taste. Though slow carriers always kind of suck because then you have to build around how to use their bulk effectively.
« Last Edit: March 06, 2022, 12:54:07 AM by Salter »
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