More newbie stuff

[bmills]

I'm playing in a large, cluster map, but once I explored my little corner I discovered that there are no jump points to the rest of the map. Can this be true? Am I marooned, or is there some alternative way to send ships across empty space?

What's the deal with fighters? I've designed a few and tried them out in the simulator, but in every fight a normal ship fires once and bLasts however many scads of fighters I've tried to send against it in one volley. What's the trick?

[Alpha Kodiak]

On fighters:

Launch them in small Groups instead of one large mass. Damage from ships weapons spreads through an entire group of fighters.

The other nasty trick I have found, if you can pull it off, is to move your carrier close enough to the target (this part CAN get hairy) for the fighters to fire on the target when they launch. Then you can launch the fighters and have them fire before the enemy can respond.

[rdouglass]

To get out of your 'corner', research Stellar Manipulation.

[Daynarr]

Also use 1.19 patch, this fighter thing was hapening in 1.02 Version. It has been fixed since then.

[bmills]

I always research stel. man. because it has some handy techs. Do I need to go higher before I get some nifty gizmo, or am I missing something? Right now the problem seems to be that there's nowhere to click to give my ships movement orders to distant systems. They ignore me. http://www.shrapnelgames.com/ubb/images/icons/icon9.gif

As for fighters, how do you split them into Groups? When I try to use them in the simulator it just piles them all into one group no matter what I do.

Hope I'm not sounding too clueless. Thanks.

[Instar]

Shielding on fighters protects them very well. I can fit maybe two shield gens on if Im not going weapon crazy or engine crazy.

[dmm]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by bmills:
...there are no jump points to the rest of the map. ...Am I marooned...?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
If you're just using the demo, yes, you're marooned. The demo has limited tech levels. (Else why bother buying the game?)
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by bmills:
...What's the deal with fighters? I've designed a few and tried them out in the simulator...<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
To get Groups in the simulator, I think you need to design a carrier and include it in the task force that you're testing. Then the simulator will load your fighters into the carrier. Then start combat, and launch the fighters in Groups.

Added: And if you're just using the demo, you can only get small fighters, which aren't very good.

[This message has been edited by dmm (edited 23 January 2001).]

[DirectorTsaarx]

You open warp points with the "Gravitational Quantum Resonator"; you get the first of these components at Stellar Manipulation Tech level 3, and you can open a warp point up to 100 light years away. Higher levels of Stellar Manip. should give higher levels of the device, with longer ranges.

Given that you're using a cluster-type quadrant, you may be in trouble. IIRC, a cluster quadrant creates Groups (clusters http://www.shrapnelgames.com/ubb/images/icons/icon7.gif ) of four or five systems close together, with long distances between Groups. So, if you've explored your entire cluster, you may be many hundreds of light years from the next cluster, and even the highest-tech warp point opener may not get you to the next cluster/system.

For this reason, I'd be hesitant to use the "not all systems connected" option in cluster quadrants.

Your ships are "ignoring" you? There've been a couple times this happened to me (generally if the path is too complex), but easily remedied by issuing a "warp" order instead of a "move" order. Of course, if you're having trouble finding warp points...

[Elmo]

Director Tsaarx

How do you calculate light years on the galaxy map? Thanks.

Elmo

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by DirectorTsaarx:
You open warp points with the "Gravitational Quantum Resonator"; you get the first of these components at Stellar Manipulation Tech level 3, and you can open a warp point up to 100 light years away.

&lt;snip&gt;...<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

[Puke]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by DirectorTsaarx:
So, if you've explored your entire cluster, you may be many hundreds of light years from the next cluster, and even the highest-tech warp point opener may not get you to the next cluster/system.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

the highest level of warp point opener will cover over 50% of the map. if you have only two clusters on oposite sides of the map, there may be a problem - however if you have a star somewhere roughly around the center of the map, it should be able to get to literally anywhere.

[DirectorTsaarx]

I've never tried to open a warp point, so I don't know how to calculate distance on the galaxy map... Puke? Sounds like you have experience with it - any suggestions?

[raynor]

Determining Distances when creating wormholes:

1. Select a ship with a wormhole creator
2. Press the stellar manipulation button (looks like a star) on the top panel.

It then shows you a galactic map and lets you click on the system to which you want to create the wormhole.

On the right, there is a checkbox which says: Show Distances. After you check this box, the map will show you the distance between your ship and whichever system you move the cursor over.

Hope that helps.

[Elmo]

Thanks raynor. Sounds like good old trial and error depending on the size of the galaxy chosen. Seems like starfaring races should be able to calculate distances from the start of the game and take the guesswork out of it. Maybe MM will add that at some point.

Guess I'll also find out if the hole is permanent and whether it is two way or one way when I create one.

Elmo

[This message has been edited by Elmo (edited 25 January 2001).]

[Puke]

i dont have the game infront of me, but (i know, this will suck) with the grid that everyone hates, you should be able to come up with a rough idea of how far things are.

unfortuneatly, there is no way to get the map that shows warp point distances untill you have a component built. then you can calc it between any two systems. the only other place you have a map close to that is in the 'border' window. i dont think it shows distances, but like i said, i dont have the game infront of me right now.

hope that helps. now all those years you spent in high school can be put to use figuring out the line distance between systems on the grid. if you could zoom the map window, you could put it on a 21 inch monitor to get a better measurement http://www.shrapnelgames.com/ubb/images/icons/icon7.gif

[bmills]

I am now merrily making and removing warp points. And I built a special ship with which I am having all sorts of evil fun. It's got a warp creator, a warp remover, a cloak, and a repair bay. It creates a warp point to my enemies' systems, an attack fleet follows it through, whereupon my ship closes the warp point so the bad guys can't retaliate against me. The ship then cloaks and repairs its own components while the attack fleet rains plague bombs on my enemies. When they are sufficiently chastised the special ship creates a warp point, everybody goes home, and I close off my enemies once again. I have wiped out two rival empires without ever fighting a ship-to-ship battle.