Thoughts on planet defenses

[javaslinger]

I'm starting a new game and I'm hoping to try out a defensive strategy. In the past my defense has consisted mostly of mining warp points.

This time I'd like to try working with weapon mounts, satellites and perhaps some other uses for mines. Oh, and fighters launched from planets? Can you do that?

Anyway, I'd like to know what experiences you have all had with these things. Are they a waste of time? Or do they do a good job in defense?

Thanks,

Ken

[Marty Ward]

They all work well as planet defenses. A mix of each type will probably hold off most attacks. The only differance with defending planets instead of warp points is that it takes a lot more micro-management.
You can build and launch mines, fighters and satellites from any planet, not just ones with spaceyards.

[This message has been edited by Marty Ward (edited 01 May 2001).]

[nerfman]

One thing that is weird. If you want to launch satellites to defend your planet be carefull. First launch in tactical. If you already have deployed the sats or deploy them all at once in tactical, then the computer will lump them all into one group. This may possibly allow the enemy to attack on the opposite side and be able to glass your planet w/out getting into your sats weapon range.

The best way is to launch each sat individually. Click orders and then launch and then just move one over and hit close. Do this until all are launched. The computer spreads them all out somewhat evenly this way. That way at least a few sats can engage before they can attack your planet.

I still very much recommend defending the warp points. You get a number of strong advantages:
1) your opponent can't see you and must enter the fight blind
2) you will start any engagement at short range. Build your ships/fighters/sats to maximize firepower in close quarters and you will be able to crush the enemy in only a few turns.

If you really want to defend at the planets I recomend fighters. Other players can't tell if they are on the planet (giving you the element of surprise) and they can manuever, and thus keep opposing enemies out of range of your colony.

Hope that helps a bit.

[Q]

One of the cheapest and fastest possibilities to defend a planet is launching mines in the orbit of the planet. If you really are in trouble, this could save you!

[Taqwus]

Q --

Agreed. In my present game, where I've been continuously at war for 14 or so years (Mega-Evil, 255 systems...), any new colony in a current (or probably soon) war zone typically emergency-builds a small stack of mines, followed by the usual YSR combination. I'm too lazy to build WPs and ship 'em out. http://www.shrapnelgames.com/ubb/images/icons/icon7.gif One such minefield took out a fleet of 15 small Rage ships; I moved the few ships present away from the outpost, the Rage fleet attacked the now "undefended" colony, and was completely obliterated.

But the best defense is generally an offense sufficiently active and powerful to wipe out all nearby colonies that would be useful as staging Posts for attacks on you, combined with lots of intel points to help plug any leaks (CI on an attacking fleet, say). Combine with warp point defenses, except against human players with stellar manipulation and lots of resources (which they probably will have soon, with stellar manipulation...).

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