A Questionaire - redux

[DirectorTsaarx]

Originally posted by Elowan:
This is a questionaire addressed mainly to the SE veterans - but all may participate. If you decide to participate - please answer truthfully. No strategic misinformation please.

First part: On a scale of 1-10 with '0' being 'no value' plz rate the importance of the following (in your experience) in SEIV:

Weapon or Facility -- Value/Strategic/Tactical

1. Long Range Scanners -- NA/5/0
2. ECM unit -- NA/10/10
3. Combat sensor -- NA/10/10
4. Tractor/repulse beam -- NA/5/5
5. Scattering armor -- NA/6/6
6. Stealth armor -- NA/7/7
7. Cloaking -- NA/9/9
8. Tachyon (I think you mean ionic) (engine destroying) cannon -- NA/8/8
9. Frigates -- NA/5/5
10. APB cannon -- NA/8/8
11. Null space cannon -- NA/6/6
    

Second part:
A) Name your favorite ship type/size and why.
It depends; Battleships and dreadnoughts both get the heavy weapon mount; dreads trade off movement for a couple extra weapons (or extra shields/armor). So they're both pretty good attack ships; however, the punch of a single baseship is fun to watch. Too bad they have such high combat penalties.
For transports, I like medium transports for most jobs - big enough to carry a useful amount of pop/sats/mines/drones, but not so big that it's difficult to fill all the cargo space. I use large transports mainly for troop transport or filling ring/sphereworlds with population.
Frigates & Destroyers make for good stellar manipulation craft (well, for lower-level components); other support ships (dedicated PDC or supply) are generally a size or two smaller than the main attack ships. Obviously, cruiser hull is perfect for spaceyard ships; light cruiser works pretty well for repair bays.

B) How far do you research propulsion and why?
To Quantum Engine I (level 10, I think); best movement bonus, and by the time I get that far on the tech tree I'm not generally concerned about resources, so researching the Last two levels of engines has little benefit.

C) Do you use training facilities and why?
Sometimes; typically if the AI has serious combat bonuses I'll use training to even the playing field. I don't get much time to play, so I avoid multiplayer and don't feel terribly guilty about using advantages that the AI doesn't use.

Thanks!