defending your empire's borders: what do you do?

Krsqk · #1 July 9th, 2003, 12:29 AM

Natural chokepoints are the obvious choice--the problem is in quadrants such as grid which have few if any systems with fewer than 3 warp points. IMO, border defense in these situations becomes an economic issue--if you can outproduce the other guy, you can support fleets to defend larger borders. Larger borders, in turn, mean greater economic strength, which means larger fleets, which mean larger borders, etc... It feeds off itself, usually with diminishing returns as your borders grow geometrically.

Will · #2 July 9th, 2003, 03:48 AM

Large satellite stacks on warps, concentrated around the choke-points first, then all warp points within my space. Rotate older satellites out to the borders, and have newer designs produced both on borders and deep inside.

Big fighter stacks (usually 100), and several carriers dedicated solely to ferrying fighters from one system to the next. A few of these are usually enough (with satellites) to repel any AI attack.

Small fleets (no more than 15 ships) attacking targets of opportunity wherever possible. I've taken to putting a cargo container on ships and keeping some troops in them, and setting secondary strategy to capture planet.

Larger fleets always available to go into an enemy system, seal off with fighters and satellites, and proceed to destroy all enemy units and capture all planets.

Several BSY's in the core always producing ships, mothballing when they're completed. Just lost some ships? Unmothball the older designs and send them off as replacements.

TerranC · #3 July 9th, 2003, 04:01 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Stone Mill:
--The AI never really figures out mines.

That doesn't apply when fighting against TDM AI. Why? every ship is a minesweeper.

Rojero · #4 July 9th, 2003, 04:03 AM

So whats the point in having minesweepers?
Never played the TDM ...

TerranC · #5 July 9th, 2003, 04:18 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Rojero:
So whats the point in having minesweepers?
Never played the TDM ...

Having a specialized ship is more effective and efficient rather than having a fleet of mediocre minesweeping/attack ships.

Master Belisarius · #6 July 9th, 2003, 04:29 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by TerranC:

quote:
Originally posted by Stone Mill:
--The AI never really figures out mines.

That doesn't apply when fighting against TDM AI. Why? every ship is a minesweeper.

I don't think it's true for all the races...
Most of the best races have attack ships without minesweepers, but include an offensive ship design that works as sweeper.
The advantage, is that the AI include these designs into the fleets... then, the AI will have fleets with minesweeper capabilities.
Using the AI these kind of designs, after some point the mines became less effective against the AI (only with 2 of those ships, could clean a minefield with 100 mines).

Stone Mill · #7 July 9th, 2003, 02:40 PM

True, I admit the TDM does better, as you say.

But when you start breaking the AI down, I found that I can constantly replenish minefields, and they will constantly bash ships against them for losses.

In this way, you can whittle them down constantly. Now, in certain areas where the AI comes with decent fleets, the mines will be swept. But that is no reason not to fill 'em right up again after you take care of that fleet. There is no guarantee the next fleet (or ship) will have minesweepers. The AI does not think like a human in this manner.