defensive setting for ships (Full Version)

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currierm -> defensive setting for ships (12/6/2010 9:07:12 AM)

I was going after an AI player's homeworld, but he buffed up the defenses with a gigantic starbase (at least for the relatively early stages of the game) and a lot of troops. So, I decided to take another planet in the system with about 1.6 billion in pop. Was able to do that without much trouble, but now I need to defend it while I'm building some defenses around the planet. The problem with that is that my ships keep flying off to "engage enemy targets", in this case waltzing right into the giant starbase. I moved most of them to another star system, but even just keeping track of 2 or 3 to prevent them from suiciding is hard. Is there some way to control a fleet or ship agressiveness (after it's created)?



Igard -> RE: defensive setting for ships (12/6/2010 9:36:08 AM)

This is a common problem I'm afraid. If you go into options, then empire settings, you can find a setting called 'Attack Overmatch'. This tells your ships they should only engage an enemy if the overmatch ratio meets this requirement. So the default value of 2:1 should mean that your ships will only engage an enemy if it has a 2:1 advantage. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to work quite like this especially in the case of enemy spaceports. So you find your brave ships gallantly rushing to their destruction. Makes sense if you're a Klingon I suppose.

It makes it extremely difficult to conquer and hold an enemy planet when there's another enemy planet, this one heavily defended, in the same system. The best way to do this is to take the first planet with lots of troops and then retreat your ships to a nearby system and prepare them for the attack on the spaceport (this is where those resupply ships come in handy). Your troops on the first planet should hold out until you can prepare your fleet.



Litjan -> RE: defensive setting for ships (12/6/2010 9:49:16 AM)

You can also alter the "attack stance" of every ship or fleet right in the main window (upper right corner of the "detail window") so they will only engage nearby targets or even only if they are attacked themselves. Maybe this helps?



Igard -> RE: defensive setting for ships (12/6/2010 10:20:00 AM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: Litjan

You can also alter the "attack stance" of every ship or fleet right in the main window (upper right corner of the "detail window") so they will only engage nearby targets or even only if they are attacked themselves. Maybe this helps?


A useful tip and one I should have mentioned. Also use the "," key to cycle the attack stance for the selected ship or fleet.

It usually doesn't work in this instance however, because there are enemy ships nearby that 'lure' your ships towards the enemy spaceport.



Litjan -> RE: defensive setting for ships (12/6/2010 11:03:09 AM)

...but if you set it to "engage only when fired upon" they should keep their feet still - right? Also I am not sure as to how far "nearby targets" are - quite possibly they will attack a starbase at a moon, if they are at the moonīs planet, but I doubt they will jump halfway across a system to engage - this is what the "engage system targets" stance is for...



Igard -> RE: defensive setting for ships (12/6/2010 11:55:01 AM)

Yes, you're quite right in theory, but in practice it doesn't work out like this. The enemy ships will almost certainly attack your fleet and draw them away from the planet. Either towards their spaceport or off into deep space, so it's much more practical to use a 'staging area' somewhere in a nearby system to keep your fleet in one group.

You can give it a try and see how you get on, but I find it far more effective when attacking a system to take the entire system first. Go for the largest, best defended world to begin with and then proceed to conquer the smaller ones.

I don't like telling people what strategy to use, it's totally up to your playing style, but I can't find any way of staging an offensive against an enemy system with more than one planet other than this one.



Litjan -> RE: defensive setting for ships (12/6/2010 12:39:10 PM)

Ah, ok, I didnīt think about the enemy ships. But you are right, the core of the problem is the ships going on suicide missions against starbases, even though the attack-overmatch shouldnīt really allow them to do so.



Igard -> RE: defensive setting for ships (12/6/2010 1:12:14 PM)

It seems to me like it's something that needs to be addressed. I'm just so used to working my way around the problem that it's become my standard tactic for conquering systems.

Anyway, currierm, I hope this is of some help to you.



martok -> RE: defensive setting for ships (12/6/2010 10:52:32 PM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: Igard

You can give it a try and see how you get on, but I find it far more effective when attacking a system to take the entire system first. Go for the largest, best defended world to begin with and then proceed to conquer the smaller ones.

Same here. I don't bother taking a planet in an enemy star system unless & until I can take *all* their planets in said system.



currierm -> RE: defensive setting for ships (12/10/2010 6:37:57 AM)

Very helpful tips- and ones I didn't know about. Thanks everyone!

In this particular case, I started with harsh homeworlds and gave the computer players better ones. So, I needed the cash. But in the future I'll probably lean towards waiting until I can take everything....



J HG T -> RE: defensive setting for ships (12/10/2010 7:21:29 AM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: martok


quote:

ORIGINAL: Igard

You can give it a try and see how you get on, but I find it far more effective when attacking a system to take the entire system first. Go for the largest, best defended world to begin with and then proceed to conquer the smaller ones.

Same here. I don't bother taking a planet in an enemy star system unless & until I can take *all* their planets in said system.



Same tactic here. Also, if you are feeling confident and lucky, scout out your enemys homeworld and see what kind of defences they have. Taking Enemys homeplanet is huge hit to them and almost always seals your victory. It's really damn hard but definetly worth it. PRO-TIP: You need A LOT of groundtroops when taking homeworlds, at least 3:1 or 4:1.



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