Ramming/Kamakazi tactics

[javaslinger]

This was brought up in another thread, but I have seen little discussion on this tactic.

Has anyone used this very much? sTrategies? Is it worthwhile?

Thanks,

Ken

[Possum]

IMAO, no, not since they changed the ramming rules.

The warheads are just too expensive to be cost-effective, except in rare circumstances.

Ramming does have some advantages. If your enemy has such huge ECM superiority that you can't hit him with direct-fire weps, and such heavy PD that you can't get him with fighters or seekers, then ramming may be your Last resort.

[Deathstalker]

It is quite a viable strategy actually. When programming my AI's for the few shipsets I have made/are making I make the Colonizers all have the 'ram' strategy. The first thing a colonizer usually encounters is an escort when it goes thru a wormhole. The colonizer will ram and usually survive with most comp intact, the escort will usually have most/all weapons destroyed. Instead of the colonizer running/being destroyed it now lives/destroys alot of the time.
Then there is the case of the heavy carrier that has a shipbuilding component and builds fighters with xplosive warheads, basicly uses them as 'missiles'. Nasty in combat when you get hit with heavily shielded large fighters with kamakazie warheads, really makes point defense earn its pay.
I have seen a few other shipsets use the 'ramming colonizer' ploy, at least the Rage did it to me a few games back, surprised the hell out of me, I was ready to board and they just smashed me flat!
Even a non-warhead ship does some ramming damage (not sure how much), so you can either be a target or just ram instead, I have even used this target as POINT DEFENSE, just try using a ship with good shields/armor and ram your way thru a cloud of fighers, 'boooommmm', no more fighters!(good when point defense hasn't been researched/added to ships).

Just my thoughts........someone else will probally think of something I didn't

------------------
"The Empress took your name away," said Chance.
Owen smiled coldly. "It wasn't hers to take. I'm a Deathstalker until I die. And we never forget a slight or an enemy." -Owen Deathstalker.

[mac5732]

I have used ftrs as kk's loaded with warheads
and when in fair to large Groups they have take out a dreadnaught. The only drawback is that once the group hits, their gone. So if you use this tactic you would need a number of kk Groups of ftrs along with supporting ftrs or ships. 25-30 or more ftrs in a group. As for ramming ships I have done this a number of times and once in awhile they do some damage but not very often, but if you have no other option and you know your going to lose your ship, what the hey, take the shot, you never know.

just some ideas mac

[Oggy ben Doggy]

for fighters, isn't it more effient to use those one shot rocket packs?

[Suicide Junkie]

Ramming warheads on fighters do 2 to 3x the damage. Both only work once in combat.

Ramming means you have to rebuild, though.

[Phoenix-D]

My idea was to make long-range "smart" missiles out of fighters; make a 1 KT size and a component that flies and rams. But it never did even a half of the rated damage- though I *was* only testing it against shields..

Phoenix-D

[Will]

A while ago ramming was very powerful, it worked on a 1 to 1 damage ratio. If you have two ships (no shields), one is 800kT, the other 700kT, and the 700kT rams the 800kT, the 700kT was destroyed and the 800kT drops to 100kT... Now I believe it is only 40% (with the above example, the 800kT would drop to 520kT), and both ships can survive a ramming attempt (not quite sure how that works though).

Ramming is still a viable strategy at certain points, such as the colonizer example given, or if you have Organic Tech. A ship loaded with Organic Armor will usually destroy a ship of the same size class, and have enough left over to completely regenerate in a few combat turns. The ship warheads are, IMO, largely useless. The kamakazi fighters look interesting, I'll have to try that out

[Oggy ben Doggy]

quote:

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Originally posted by Will:
A while ago ramming was very powerful, it worked on a 1 to 1 damage ratio. If you have two ships (no shields), one is 800kT, the other 700kT, and the 700kT rams the 800kT, the 700kT was destroyed and the 800kT drops to 100kT... Now I believe it is only 40% (with the above example, the 800kT would drop to 520kT), and both ships can survive a ramming attempt (not quite sure how that works though).

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on a guess, the 800kT takes 40% of 700, or 280, and the 700 kT takes 40% of 800, or 320.

[Phoenix-D]

Don't bother with the fighters, the warheads don't work- at least on shields.

I modded the Kamakaize Warhead to do 8000 damage (showed up in the box as 8k). What did the fighter do when it rammed? 6.

EDIT: just did the same with normal and emissive armor. Same damage.

Just did ANOTHER test. Reduced damage to 200. Same result- 6 damage. Are warheads not working correctly?

Phoenix-D

[This message has been edited by Phoenix-D (edited 07 May 2001).]