x3 AP magnatar carrier setup

[DrwHem]

I am playing a vanilla run with only bonus pack dlc enabled. I have 3 novas and a magnatar now and was wondering how to setup it up so it can be as close as possible to the mod carrier command software. is there a way to set it to auto deploy fighters when enemies jump into the sector and also have the magnatar try and stay out of the fight?
right now i do everything manually and its tedious.

[Triaxx2]

Carrier Command Software is vanilla... Unless some mod has the same name. Personally I'd say use the wing commands, putting one ship into the wing and having the other two set to protect it. They should dock on the Magnetar with it, and then launch when it does. It'll keep the Magnetar from having to be attacked to make them launch, but it's still somewhat manual.

[RAVEN.myst]

Carrier Command Software is indeed vanilla - you can get it from Split and I think Teladi equipment docks. If you want your docked fighters to autolaunch, set the Magnetar as their home base. I don't know quite how effective/reliable it is, though, as I prefer to micromanage this aspect, and so I don't use this (I'd rather have to manually launch when needed, than have them auto-launch when NOT needed, such as when heavily outmatched - then it's potentially a hazardous PitA to get them re-docked and away in time.) As for "launch and retreat" functionality, I'm not sure - there might be something along those lines in the Carrier Command Software, but I haven't looked very closely.

[Alan Phipps]

Personally when I want carrier fighters to attack things, I do not homebase them but put the fighters into groups and give the group leader an order:

Protect carrier ... launch when enemies in sight but stick close by and do not attack unless the homeship is attacked and takes initial damage. Redock when no enemies in sight.

Attack nearest enemy to carrier ... launch when enemies in sight and attack them straight away. Redock when no enemies in sight.

Attack target of carrier ... launch when enemies in sight but do not attack anything unless the homeship is attacked first or the homeship is then set to attack something. Redock when no enemies in sight and the homeship is not set to attack anything.

The escorting fighters in the group are set to attack either the target of the group leader, or the nearest enemy to the group leader. Make sure the escorting fighters are as fast or ideally a bit faster than the group leader.

If I need to change the stance of the fighter groups, I only need to change the orders to the group leaders. Or I can stand a whole group down so that it doesn't launch at all by giving the group leader the order 'none'. (Which is why I don't homebase them.)

[Timsup2nothin]

I am mostly with Alan, but for "mini-carriers" like the Magnatar in question there aren't enough fighters involved for "groups." I just give the assigned fighters "attack target of" the Magnatar and set the Mag to a very high missile use probability. When I order the Mag to attack something the fighters pop out and attack it, and since they are much faster they get to the target well ahead of the transport, accompanied by a stream of missiles. If the target is something that four fighters can't deal with before the transport gets into range then I shouldn't be launching a Magnatar at it.

[RAVEN.myst]

@Alan and Tim:
Thanks, chaps! You've given me some options I somehow hadn't considered. And I LOOOVE "delegated" force projection, and particularly carriers with fighters (my preferred way to get stuff done - get someone else to do it! In-game, at least... ) - some consider them too fragile and thus subject to excessive attrition, but I've generally found that (so long as my engage-or-not decision is sound, much like Tim's last comment) this isn't an issue. But with this food for thought, I think my carrier-hosted squadrons will get even better. (Ah, good ol' X3 - bottomless cup of new stuffses to learn!)

[SirNukes]

Just as a warning, the commands "protect", "attack target of", and "attack nearest enemy" will only cause an escort ship to attack an enemy if they come within 3 km range of the escort. This should work okay for a Magnatar, but doesn't scale up well to capital ships, where the escortee gets peppered with long range weapon fire while the escorts fail to react. This also puts the Magnatar in some danger, though that might be desirable so it can soak some hits.

Another option is to use the fleet mechanics. Set the Magnatar as fleet leader, join the fighters into the fleet, give the leader a Call to Arms (puts the fighters under fleet control), and then give the Magnatar an order to defend a sector. This will have the fleet leader move to the center of the sector and sit there, and the fighters will launch at enemies entering the sector. It limits the fighters per target to 3, which nicely matches your 3 Novas. They shouldn't launch at enemy M8 and larger ships.

[Timsup2nothin]

For the record, four Nova Raiders with PBGs and a Magnetar full of aurora missiles can take out a pretty astonishing array of targets. The missiles arrive first in sufficient numbers to distract the target defenses and thirty-two PBGs pack an absolutely enormous wallop.

[RAVEN.myst]

... the commands "protect", "attack target of", and "attack nearest enemy" will only cause an escort ship to attack an enemy if they come within 3 km range of the escort. This should work okay for a Magnatar, but doesn't scale up well to capital ships...

I now do remember trying this, with capital carriers, which may account for my discarding the notion. With a tough TM like a Zephyrus, as you say it might be an advantage, thanks to its shield thickness.

thirty-two PBGs

/me reaches for his marshmallow roasting sticks...

[Triaxx2]

I've more than once seen a group of Susanowa's in Savage Spur completely strip the shields from the Deimos the Paranid insist on sending in. I believe enough PBG's will turn most fights.

[Alan Phipps]

@ Tim: ".. a Magnetar full of aurora missiles .. " Do you really mean Aurora missiles (synaptic dumbfires) for the Magnetar that are more intended for the player to personally aim and launch IS and then choose the detonation time? I am not too sure how much a distraction dumbfires really pose the target if they are launched inaccurately. They might be very effective against big slow targets though.

Personally I would have the Magnetar use Dragonfly homing missiles for target distraction and fighter patrol suppression even though they have comparatively weak warheads. (Sure, I would choose a different balance for OOS use though.)

[Timsup2nothin]

@ Tim: ".. a Magnetar full of aurora missiles .. " Do you really mean Aurora missiles (synaptic dumbfires) for the Magnatar that are more intended for the player to personally aim and launch IS and then choose the detonation time? I am not too sure how much a distraction dumbfires really pose the target if they are launched inaccurately. (Sure, it would be different mechanics OOS though.)

My bad...dragonfly missiles.

[Alan Phipps]

Heh, my edits crossed with your reply Tim.

[jlehtone]

Just as a warning, the commands "protect", "attack target of", and "attack nearest enemy" will only cause an escort ship to attack an enemy if they come within 3 km range of the escort.

No wonder I can kill big Terrans at leisure. I'm probably over 10 clicks from nearest escort when their leader turns to dust. Hence no observable reaction. When the leader has already died, the next of kin finally wake.

Escorts of something like Kyoto stay clearly over 5 clicks from their leader. Big box. Somebody should reconfigure Goner Transporter Device for that formation.