Freet and ship settings in strategic play

[Mudshark]

what setting do you use, and why?

[Fyron]

I use Optimal Range cause it is the best for general situations.

[capnq]

Depends entirely on how the ships are armed, how they've performed in past battles, and what their objective is.

Early game, I tend to go for lots of seekers and Maximum Weapons Range. Once that stops working well, what I shift to depends on what's going wrong.

[Grandpa Kim]

I agree with Capnq; it depends on several factors. To add another, how are your enemy's ships armed?
But one trick that makes sense is to set your "older" ships to point blank or short range. This is probably the only way they will make hits anyway, so if you have them in your fleet might as well make them useful... and this strat is useful in two ways. Besides the reason above, they are now the ships most likely to take enemy fire, allowing your "modern" ships to attack unmolested from a more distant range. Face it, if ya gotta lose a ship or two, it might as well be one of the old clunkers.

This all assumes you have your ships "break formation". Most (but not all!) simul players break formation.

Kim

[ July 19, 2002, 04:27: Message edited by: Grandpakim ]

[Baron Grazic]

Kim.
Now that you have given away your strategy, beware... :-)

[Taera]

Generaly i use several varied ship designs each of which has its own strategy, usualy a modified default or a completely new design.

But in general it depends on the situation - if the enemy is superior in technology and/or outranges my weapons short-range or point-blank would do the trick putting this superiority to end. If the enemy is stronger i just put max range because that way my ships live longer. If i am superior i put optimal range or point-blank for those melee ships. (read - ripper ships)

[Gryphin]

Not that this "real" but imagine the crew of a ship ordered to close to point blank because it was expendable.
I gues there are Earth cultures that would get a bonus for that. In fact, too bad you can't apply a modphyer for the Culture and the Orders.
Note: this is not to start a debate about the "real" aspect of Culture, Orders, and Moral.
It would be neet to be able to apply it.
In some of the minatures games I used to play
"No Surrender, No Retreat" would demoralize some units and have the reverse affect on others.

[capnq]

This reminds me of the old Avalon Hill boardgame Kriegspiel. Part of combat resolution was choosing your units' orders for the battle.

The attacker's options were Engage and Hold, Escalating Assault, and Blitzkrieg; the defender's options were Abandon Position, Fighting Withdrawal, Stand Fast, and Hold At All Costs.

[Grandpa Kim]

Baron Grazic:

Nobody reads my prattle anyway. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif