OA vs Shields

[Fyron]

Keep in mind you still have to be able to pay for and support those ships...

[Atrocities]

Originally posted by Imperator Fyron:
Keep in mind you still have to be able to pay for and support those ships...

An excellent point as always. They will do you no good in mothball.

[Asmala]

Originally posted by Imperator Fyron:
I did say higher level shields, not lower level.

OA III: 5 hp/kT
PSG V: 10.375 hp/kT (don't forget the structure of the comp itself)

Twice as much raw defensive strength.

Shields aren't so good those numbers would indicate. First there is the cost issue, PSG V costs 800 minerals when OA III costs 130 organics. The cost difference is remarkable, especially when you can get most of time surplus of organics.

If you use TDB against PSG V component's actual hit points are 375/4+40=134 -> 134/40=3.3 hp/kT which is less than OA III's 5 hp/kT. You can get same kind of result, though not so good, by using SD and a normal weapon.

[Fyron]

Except that the shields are actually still stronger than OA with a SD... Now if you can guarantee that 2 SD will always hit...

Also, TDB is a racial weapon, so not a good solution.

The cost of shields is not that significant in the long run.

[ December 26, 2003, 07:59: Message edited by: Imperator Fyron ]

[Asmala]

Why should 2 SD always hit? Of course there will be misses both in SD and normal weapons.

Btw, I've been astonished how ingeniously AI uses SD in big battles. If ship has SD and multiplex tracking and its primary target has no shields left it uses SD against shielded ship while using normal weapons against shieldless target. Impressive from AI.

I'd think the cost is significant particularly in the long run.

[Taera]

the point is, your shielded battleship would build in 4 rounds, while my organic ship would build in 3 or even 2. My ship would cost half as much to support, and for every shielded ship of yours i'd have two or three organic-armored ships of mine. And, the only true counter to my strategy is a racial tech people hardly ever take.

[Asmala]

Taera, you're a way too optimistic. Using armor instead of shield won't reduce the build cost that much. Also you won't have two or three organic armored ships against every shielded ship but perhaps 1.5 or even less. Remember engines, sensors, weapons and ship control costs a lot of minerals.