SEV early game battle strategy vs. SEIV

[tmcc]

I have been playing SEIV with the TDM mod for some time. In that version my early game research priorities are to get CSM-II, DUC-III, and PDC-III. I then create a small weapon platform that has 1 missile, 2 DUCs on large mounts and 2 PDCs. This allows you to tag threats at 10 squares with CSM and then 8 with the DUCs which gives at least 1 and usually 2 firing opportunities before the attacker can respond. Building a handful of these on a planet makes it pretty safe from most early game threats, especially using tactical.

So, I followed the same strategy last night with the SE-V demo and got completely glassed by 4 frigates with 3 DUC-II each against 5 of my WPs. I did add combat sensors to the platform. First, large mounts do not appear to give a range benefit over a standard mount. Second, to hit modifiers seem to strongly favor the attacker in this case. The 5 CSMs that got away all hit one FG and then the remaining 3 FGs destroyed the WPs. End result was one glassed planet vs. 1 dead enemy FG,1 badly damaged and 2 fully intact.

Need a new strategy. The FGs did not have PDCs, so I will go with an all CSM platform and see what happens. Two good notes is that a small WP can be built on any planet in 1 turn as opposed 2 in SEIV and cargo space on domed worlds seems to be way up. Any comments on what works are more than welcome.

Also note, the computer attacked with 4 FGs on turn 30 because I built a colony in his space (after a few warnings). This was followed by another attack of 5 FGs on a different colony with similar results 2 turns later. All that from the peace loving Abbidon Enclave. I guess the AI is not so bad as in stock SEIV.

TM

[PDF]

Something looks wrong here : you had 5 CSM, 10 DUC on Lge mounts and 5 PDC (useless in this case), the frigates had total 12 DUC and your WPs were destroyed ? What were the structure points of each ?

[tmcc]

PDF, your analsis is correct. The WPs are 200Kt with no armor. I think the Abbidon frigates had something like 345 structure points. I assume this must include armor because they are only 250Kt ships.

TM

[Captain Kwok]

The structure does not include armor. The amount you're seeing is due to the fact that each engine has 20HPs for 10kT structure...

[tmcc]

So Kwok, you area a Beta tester. What works for early game defense?? I need some sage advice.

[Captain Kwok]

Fighters are probably overpowered in stock and will be helpful against the AI - although their combat hull bonuses are not being applied.

Which AIs are being aggressive in your experience?

[StarShadow]

Hmm, I would guess that mounts aren't properly working in that case. Planets get a 30% combat bonus by default, plus combat sensors (if you use them), and a 200% defense penalty, it's hard to miss something as big as a planet.

Combat works much differently now, ships/planets/etc, are set to evaluate weapons use vs targets. I think an example would explain it better:

You have a ship with five meson blasters and two targets.
You go into combat and let the computer do the fighting.
2 hits will kill each ship (assuming both hit). The computer (fighting on your behalf) will fire 4 at the first ship and 1 at the second. The weapons are evaluated at half damage (ie the comp fires twice the damage amount needed for a kill), to maximise the chance of hitting.
If one target is in range, while one is not, the computer will (possibly) unload completely into the one availible target, which is bad, because that second ship might be within range 2 seconds later...while your missiles will need 4 more seconds to reload.

My suggestion, build (at least) twice as many WPs as think you might need.

[tmcc]

I agree with doubling WPs, at least. I think I might try puting some in the cargo hold of my colonizers because you can't build them fast enough on a new colony to stop a determined attacker that is established and wants you out of the system. This was usually not a problem against the AI in SEIV.

TM

[PDF]

Hmm, all this sounds rather buggy/unbalanced ... I would have expected better balance/more sensible combat in this 5th SE installment

[AgentZero]

PDF said:
Hmm, all this sounds rather buggy/unbalanced ... I would have expected better balance/more sensible combat in this 5th SE installment

You'd think so wouldn't you. But then, stock SE has never really been balanced. Such niggling details have been left up to our lovely modding community.