Satellites and the Need for Fighters at Games Start

[God Emperor]

Have been refining my early game strategies and tactics and have developed a concern over the use of satellites to wipe out enemy planets.
I typically build an "Explorer" class transport that is equipped with two satellite bays, 3 supply units and 11 satellites. The ship is basically indestructable early on and the satellites provide enough firepower early on to destroy even home worlds (about four salvos required).
The only defence is to have a defensive Explorer (to enable deployment of satellites at distance from the planet)or several frigates or escorts (remember I'm talking early on here). My concern here isnt just the AI (which cant react effectively to this tactic at all), but, in games between human opponents (where the first person to discover an opponents players is at a major advantage because it is difficult to initiate a conclusive battle (Explorer can hide amongst its satellites).

The rationale for having satellites early on is appropriate I think, but, there is a need for a weapon that can target satellites from long range.
My initial thought was to allow Fighters and Point Defence at game start (no carriers though until cruiser tech achieved)to allow players to defend their systems. Point Defence is provided to allow offensive players to counter Fighters if they so decide to specially equip their ships.

Does anyone else have any different thoughts?

[Eisenhans]

Nice strategy! But why not only PD as a counter measure? Build some PD frigates and bLast the sats. Or a WP on the planet. The fighters won't be much use because they could be countered easily with two PD sats or with PD on the transport. (Maybe)

[God Emperor]

WP's do not work as they cannot target the satellites that are deployed within firing range of the planet - eg at 9 or 10 range.
PD's might work - hmm, might have to try the simulator.
As for FTR's being picked off by PD, a decent planet can hold a lot of FTR's - far more than a few frigates or escorts equipped with PD could handle. A mixed force of PD satellites and missile satellites might be a different proposition, but, the transport would still probably be denied deploying satellites within firing range of the planet (my Explorer is limited to carrying only 11-13 satellites). Anyway, I take your point though, I'll check out the use of early ships equipped with PD as a defence against missile satellites.

Also, under my suggestion, I think that the Ftr Bay 1 would have to have its space allowance increased (ie make it take up 60kT space) to make it less attractive for use on transports (I think it should be allowed but just made less attractive). Missile satellite carrying trasnports may be bad, but when the transports can carry fighters as well, they are downright rude (my Skirmisher design transport has two satellite bays, two fighters bays and the rest as cargo bays - can carry 8 satellites and 22 fighters from memory!)

[Tenryu]

God Emperor, You could Mod some planet launch only fighters for early game. And I agree on the fighter bay size issue, however my bay mods launch about the same number of fighters as the equivalent number of 30kt bays. You might want to reduce that and their storage capacity as well.

I have considered 'getting rid of' crew quarters and using that requirement for other things I might want to FORCE on hulls. Just a thought.

Another solution to the bays on transports issue may be to just up the minimum percent that must be cargo, and remove the cargo field from mine layers and sat bays so they don't hold cargo or count there, they just launch junk. Actually been thinking of doing that myself.

I just posted some recent ship work in the MOD section for SE4,( not the lame topic area I started by mistake), my most recent Fighter Bays are in the ComponentsMisc file there.

[This message has been edited by Tenryu (edited 16 January 2001).]

[Barnacle Bill]

I think the root problem here is easy to fix via a mod, since the changes in V1.19. I would say that satellites were probably intended to be a defensive weapon, set out at a sector you wish to defend in advance of combat. Frankly, I find the practice of laying them offensively during combat to be abusive. The fix is to set the parameter in the satellite bay component for the number of satellites you can launch per tactical turn (i.e. during combat) to 0. Leave the other value, for the number you can launch per strategic turn (i.e. outside combat) alone. Then you can use satellites as I'm pretty sure they were intended, rather than as an invincible early-game offensive weapon.

[Tenryu]

[quote]Originally posted by Barnacle Bill:
Frankly, I find the practice of laying them offensively during combat to be abusive. The fix is to set the parameter in the satellite bay component for the number of satellites you can launch per tactical turn (i.e. during combat) to 0. Leave the other value, for the number you can launch per strategic turn (i.e. outside combat) alone. [/QUOTE

Yes! Excellent suggestion, Bill.