Video: Terran fleet vs Xenon wharf

[Ragnos28]

This time I test a terran fleet vs Xenon wharf: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HoQLw4_UeqE

Enjoy!

Note: Even with 5 stars captains, the AI of destroyer pilots leave much to be desired so I did not use destroyers in this engagement.

[mr.WHO]

Note: Even with 5 stars captains, the AI of destroyer pilots leave much to be desired so I did not use destroyers in this engagement.

That's what drive me insane wit L/XL captains - they never do what I expect from them - when I want long range, they charge point blank into gravitron nest. When I want them to attack something safe at close range, they decide to stick at maximum range.


This seems either random or terribly broken.


It would be nice if L/XL captains would decide to stay at long range if target has many L-turrets operational and go boint blank if there are no L-turrets or they are mostly destroyed.

[KextV8]

The most effective way I've managed to use Destroyers against stations In Sector, is to put them in formation with me set only to follow. Then let only their turrets attack. Its pretty effective, since they won't try to move or use their main guns. They'll just pepper everything with turret barrage.

Out of sector its whatever, they work fine.

[Ragnos28]

The most effective way I've managed to use Destroyers against stations In Sector, is to put them in formation with me set only to follow. Then let only their turrets attack. Its pretty effective, since they won't try to move or use their main guns. They'll just pepper everything with turret barrage.

Yes, I think I could have order my destroyers to move next to the Asgard. But I also wanted to show the "default" behavior based on assignment.
Case in point, my destroyers where asign to the Asgard on defence command, yeat the 5 stars captains decided to stay near the gate, even tho I was clearly attacked. The Tokyo was asign on follow command and yeat, as you have seen, came to my rescue So, it is posible that the follow command to actually be more efective that the protect command in a combat situation... But my logic was that the destroyers should be on defend comand, to protect my Asgard in case of ambush by multiple K's in closed range...very weird.

[Wraith_Magus]

That's what drive me insane wit L/XL captains - they never do what I expect from them - when I want long range, they charge point blank into gravitron nest. When I want them to attack something safe at close range, they decide to stick at maximum range.


This seems either random or terribly broken.


It would be nice if L/XL captains would decide to stay at long range if target has many L-turrets operational and go boint blank if there are no L-turrets or they are mostly destroyed.

Or what we really need is a set of rules of engagement where we just TELL our captains "stay at long range, stupid!"

[SunGod1]

Yep... we need commands for the main battery. Such As: Attack the Fargin Station at max range you bonehead.

[Dreez]

Letting the AI handle capitalships in a fight is like giving your savings to a gamblingaddict for savekeeping....

I think the best solution would be to allow capitalships to use torpedo turrets, and being able to order them to stay at aprox max range,
but that would also require significantly increasing the amount of missiles that all capitalships can carry.

The same issues were very present in X:R and we finally learned that the only ship the AI was able to
utilize effectivly in combat, was the Balrog corvettes with torpedos, they would stay ranged and "nuke the place for orbit".

Personally i don't understand why torpedos are limited to light and medium ships...

[Ragnos28]

Personally i don't understand why torpedos are limited to light and medium ships...

I don't mind that we have specialized ships for torpedos (I use frigates for that with great succes). I just want the destroyers (or how I see it - mobile artilery) not to hug the stations.

This is a example of how a fleet should work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SPhn0XYaFI&t=18s
Notice how the destroyers (with low rank captains, mind you, 2 maybe 3 stars) stay at the distance and engage the station with their baterry and I might add that I give them a simple atack order, not some fancy, come to my position and stay there order.

So what we need is an "atack at range" order for destroyers. I am not sure if that "coordinated atack" order can accomplish that for destroyers, will have to test it at some point.

[Dreez]

The problem with "Attack at range" command is when you attack a station with multiple modules, either the ship will
orbit the module or the center of the station itself, in which case you will end up running into range of guns sooner or later.

Some of my complexes are several hundred meters in certain directions, and having a ship in orbit at specific distance there,
would be highly troublesome to calculate. And if i were to set the range to max range, from which part of the station
should "max range" be calculated from ?.

I've love a feature that stopped capitalships from going suicidal on us, but exactly how to do it,
i believe is harder to program than we think.

[mr.WHO]

I've love a feature that stopped capitalships from going suicidal on us, but exactly how to do it,
i believe is harder to program than we think.

It's much easier than you think - each module has x,y,z coordinates, so do the attacking ship.

It should be like that:
1) Ship get attack command and target the station.
2) There is a single check to find the module closest to attacking ship (so you don't target the module on the other side of the station - that's rudicilous).
3) Ship proceed to attack the target module at max weapon range (the max range should be defined by either weapons with longers range, or by weapons with most dammage - like destroyer batteries).
4) every time the target module is destroyed, go back to point 2.

The only factor would be the performance, because I assume if hundred ships attack there would be performance drop every time they re-target for next module.

[BigBANGtheory]

The best method I've found is to manually pilot an Asgard and blow the graviton turrets off the station asap. Once that is done just order in your fleet to finish off the station and go do something else. I don't trust the AI (or command scripts) atm, its just not up to the job imho.

[mr.WHO]

The best method I've found is to manually pilot an Asgard and blow the graviton turrets off the station asap. Once that is done just order in your fleet to finish off the station and go do something else. I don't trust the AI (or command scripts) atm, its just not up to the job imho.

Same - I'm calling Asgard "The can opener", because it's the only thing that can safely, reliably and relatively quickly deal with all Xenon stations.

[Ragnos28]

The best method I've found is to manually pilot an Asgard and blow the graviton turrets off the station asap. Once that is done just order in your fleet to finish off the station and go do something else. I don't trust the AI (or command scripts) atm, its just not up to the job imho.

With the Asgard, EG gave us real fire power at our disposal. But that means that destroyers have lost their role in a fleet (terran one at least). Maybe use them to engage some K's that try to defend the xenon stations, but Asgard can do that as well and better, just turn around..buzzz...bye bye K's..back to station blasting.

Anyway, I would rather not throw away Syn's as I do Behemoths or Oddy's

Note: I used to name my destroyers, now I am just Behemoth 1-10...what?...all of them got blown up?...oh well..time to build (or capture) another "set"

[KextV8]

Anyway, I would rather not throw away Syn's as I do Behemoths or Oddy's

Note: I used to name my destroyers, now I am just Behemoth 1-10...what?...all of them got blown up?...oh well..time to build (or capture) another "set"

Syn is very good for tactic I mentioned as all 8 L turrets are positioned so that they can hit a station. Put Paranid(best range) Large Plasma in them, and flak in the mediums , set destroyer to follow you in fleet formation, set it's turrets to attack all enemies, then inch your way up till their turrets start firing.

It looks very cool when you have a firing line of several of them, and the DPS is high enough, no need for main batteries.

[Midnitewolf]

The whole "stars" system is stupid. I mean you have to have a behavior script written for 5 different behavioral setting depending on the "skill" of the captain and then have all 5 scripts try to work together within the framework of formations and orders which are in their own right governed by 5 scripts of behavior for the captain. It is no wonder it is nothing but a massive mess of randomness that only induces rage and frustration.

What would be 100x more enjoyable is your ships doing what you tell them to do but we can't have enjoyment in this game, not when rage and frustration are possibilities.

[Ragnos28]

The whole "stars" system is stupid. I mean you have to have a behavior script written for 5 different behavioral setting depending on the "skill" of the captain and then have all 5 scripts try to work together within the framework of formations and orders which are in their own right governed by 5 scripts of behavior for the captain. It is no wonder it is nothing but a massive mess of randomness that only induces rage and frustration.

What would be 100x more enjoyable is your ships doing what you tell them to do but we can't have enjoyment in this game, not when rage and frustration are possibilities.

I couldn’t agree with you more.