Stupid Invasion BS

[Fyron]

I attacked a planet with a fleet and transports in a PBW game. There were a lot of Weapons Platforms on the planet. So, my warships closed and attacked the planet until they were gone. But, they had formed a nice wall around 2 sides of the planet. The transport moved in, but it couldn't find a direct path to the planet, and the warships wouldn't budge. So, the transport just sat there! Arrrgh!

[geoschmo]

Really? Every time that has happened to me the warships start to mill about and make a hole for the transport to get through. It doesn't appear they move intentionally out of his way, but just their random movements make an opening.

At any rate you should be able to get him next turn right?

Ge

[Gorgo]

I have had that too. As you say, Geoschmo, the tropp transport gets through during the second attack.

[Fyron]

A second attack didn't happen on that turn because 1 ship was damaged by 98%. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon9.gif Guess I'll have to wait an extra turn.

[geoschmo]

Oh, what rotten luck. One more hit and that ship would have been destroyed and the fleet would have been free to attack again, but because it was left barely alive your fleet had no movement and couldn't attack. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

[Arkcon]

Originally posted by geoschmo:
Oh, what rotten luck. One more hit and that ship would have been destroyed and the fleet would have been free to attack again, but because it was left barely alive your fleet had no movement and couldn't attack. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif <font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Aww ... it didn't even happen to me and I'm still disappointed. Maybe break the fleet, and the attack will happen next turn -- but if the transport has no movement, it won't close. Damn.

Do you think you had too many ships and thet's why they wouldn't let the transport in? That happens a lot with 25 - 55 ship fleets that I often form in endgame.

[Fyron]

The ship's engines are already repaired, so attacks will continue this turn. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Nuts... not enough troops to take a planet with 4800 pop. That's what I had suspected. Oh well! They are dead now. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

[ August 22, 2002, 23:33: Message edited by: Imperator Fyron ]

[tbontob]

How many troops are required to take a planet of 4,800?

[Grandpa Kim]

I'm waiting for the time my transport gets hemmed in a corner by the sweepers and repair ships. *groan*

Kim

[Fyron]

Originally posted by tbontob:
How many troops are required to take a planet of 4,800?<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">130 small troops with -40% Ground Combat Strength (-50 from trait, and +10 from Berzerkers) aren't enough, that's for sure. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

[Growltigga]

OK, I did this Last night so have some current information.

I have a racial ground combat trait of 90% and am playing engineers (so no bonus). My small troop units mount the cockpit and life support, 1 ground cannon and the rest is armour.

I attacked a 4,800 pop homeworld that had an addtional 100 similarily configured troops on it.

First wave of mine was 350 troops which didn't do it, I then had to ship in another 300 troops over a period of about 9 turns to win.

I have changed settings to 3 ground combat turns per go but that frnakly worked in my favour.

All in all, it tool 650 troops and a year to take down the homeworld

[DirectorTsaarx]

ISTR that most TDM races have lowered ground combat scores as well... I used to increase http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/shock.gif my ground combat strength, until I decided I'd just go with larger troop transports (or avoid the whole invasion thing - sometimes you just want to eradicate the enemy rather than deal with assimilation).

[Baron Munchausen]

It sure would be nice if we had some sort of 'strategy' choices in ground combat, wouldn't it? Say, the choice to tell our troops to 'dig in' and defend instead of attack so they can survive longer while waiting for reinforcements?

[Fyron]

Load them full of shields. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif But yeah, that would be cool.

[Gryphin]

Practical Answer:
The closest we currently can come to that is, (I think SJ or Geo suggested),
Create Heavily Armored / Shielded troops
Load them onto the transport first
Creat Heavily Armed troops
Load them onto the Transport Second

"Real Explanation"
Based on "hear say" that I could never confirm:
A trined bulldoazer driver with a large enough blade in soil with no boulders
could push up a "Wall of Dirt" 10 yards wide sufficient to use as cover for infantry in in 2 to 4 minutes. That of course is if no one is shooting at him.

Using 1/285 miniatures and 30 second turns, there never seemed enough time to prepare that kind of defence in a "Meeting Engagement".