Decoying PD

James Sterrett · #1 December 11th, 2000, 07:18 PM

Arguably the balance is correct as it stands now.

When small numbers of CSMs are involved, then small numbers od PD will suffice to deal with the threat.

As the number of CSMs grows, the amount of PD needed to defeat them also grows.

The breakpoint at which the number of PDs is most effective is hard to judge. I suspect almost everyone will design ships with one or two PD just to be safe. However, this won't help when you're faced with a true massed wave of CSMs (a massed planetary defence launch, for example). When faced by this threat, you need much heavier point defence.

The downside of putting lots of PD on your ships is the loss of space available to everything else. You can get around PD with tactics - sometimes. We all know how to duck and weave and decoy around computer CSM weapon platforms. CSM ships can give you a lot of trouble if you haven't sufficient mass of PD.

PD is also useful against fighters, which increases the value of having them around. IMO, if the balance needed changing, I'd assume the decoys are already in the model and up the CSM warhead sizes by ?15%? and speeds by +1 instead, to make the CSM threat more deadly, forcing the defending player to make more difficult choices about the balance between offensive weapons and PD, and more difficult tactical choices on the duck/weave/decoy of CSMs at the edge of their range envelope.

Psitticine · #2 December 11th, 2000, 08:37 PM

I also think the balance is OK as it is but I've thought about adding small missiles tomy own Version. They'd do proportionately less damage for their size than their big brothers but you can put more of them into the air (err, the vaccuum) at once and have a much better chance of overwhelming PD.

Seawolf · #3 December 11th, 2000, 09:23 PM

Ok,

IMHO Decoy missiles would not be very useful. The reason is that then you get into the tech difference issue. Would a level 3 PD be fooled by a level 2 decoy? Also if you create smaller misslies to release more numbers why can't the PD shoot "weaker" shots more frequently? I see a cycle that really has impact on the basics of the game.

Also consider if missle smaller is should have a smaller engine which makes the missile moves slower. Giving the PD more time to shoot at it and washing out the benefit.

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Seawolf on the prowl

Baron Munchausen · #4 December 11th, 2000, 09:47 PM

I use mounts for smaller seekers. Yes, mounts work for seekers!

You just have to install them. I have a "Reduced Seeker" mount that makes 1/2 size missile components firing 1/2 damage missiles. This is indeed useful for over-whelming enemy defenses. But, for all the ranting about the AI being stupid it's at least smart enough to use a mount whenever it can! It can be a real problem to wade through the clouds of WP fired missiles when you want to take out an AI defended planet. But, most will think that's a good thing.

Psitticine · #5 December 12th, 2000, 05:53 AM

quote:
Originally posted by Seawolf:
Also consider if missle smaller is should have a smaller engine which makes the missile moves slower. Giving the PD more time to shoot at it and washing out the benefit.

Hmm, if the rest of the missile is smaller too, a smaller engine would be balanced out by a smaller total mass!

Vilemare · #6 December 12th, 2000, 12:16 PM

Recap. Conclusion.

Current PD-saturation based missile envelope does not need decoys. Missile variant requiring combat support tech and having higher damage tolerance (high ECM) might be cool but not really needed. Smaller or larger missiles have the same feeling - it might be nice to have some, but are they really needed. A salvo of missiles is a saturation weapon anyway - quantity over quality in the SE4 universe.

Or so I gather ... thanks for the input.