Boarding and Rapid Response Teams

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Thunderfrog
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Joined: Mon, 25. Feb 19, 20:01

Boarding and Rapid Response Teams

Post by Thunderfrog » Sat, 1. Jan 22, 23:17

X3: AP

My hub has hijacked the space between Legends End and the Unknown Sector, where I've placed my PHQ. I've spent days now trying to board a single Argon Mammoth. The problem isn't that I can't connect pods to the ship, its that the RRT's just make the process not worth it.

There's a Mammoth LITERALLY on the other side of the gate. I have 30 drones pegging down shields, I'm in a Gladiator, my save is right after pods are in the air, and my Senshi is winging with me to help defend the pods. Inevitably, the Argon send 4 Centaurs, plus 2 big M2's. All that for one stupid TL. There's no jump beacon, no nothing. Just a giant ass response fleet that endlessly thwarts me. I can swat the M6's one at a time with my two M7's, but inevitably a turret catches our missile chains and we blow up.

Or the entire squadron of fighters pegging down shields dies.

Or 1 or both M7's are lost. There's no profits in this frustrating experience when the computer has limitless ships it can poop out of nowhere with no counterplay, and even if there were, there's no joy in save scumming over and over and over again to lose a 50,000,000 ship to cap a 22,000,000 ship. The Argon have nothing to lose. There's no war of attrition I can win. They just vomit ships at me and - I - have limited resources.

DanKara
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Re: Boarding and Rapid Response Teams

Post by DanKara » Sun, 2. Jan 22, 06:04

If I were in your situation I would try to lure the attacking RRF-ships away from your prey. Don't shoot at them just evade their fire (and jump all your other ships out, let them concentrate on you). Simpely put some distance between them and your prey. Towards the end of the boarding procedere fly back to him (use TurboBooster, fly in a curve or jump to a nearby gate). Transfer eCells and Jumpdrive and jump him out- (You know about the trick to jump 2 ships with 1 jumpdrive?).

But I would have done it differently:
I would have rented a Mammoth (without sentry lasers) and ordered him to fly to a position in a nearby unknown sector. When he arrived in that location I cancel his orders, lower his shields from my Hyperion and cover my BPods comming from my M7M with wasps. I don't think I had ever RRF-ships coming after me... (but haven't played AP that much),

Thunderfrog
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Joined: Mon, 25. Feb 19, 20:01

Re: Boarding and Rapid Response Teams

Post by Thunderfrog » Sun, 2. Jan 22, 19:20

While I greatly appreciate the suggestion, I don't like the idea of "breaking character".

I'm a Terran Commander at war with the Argon Military. I'm not a dishonorable villain who lures civilians and allied military asset pilots into slavery or death! I also don't like save-scumming very much. I would actually prefer it if "dying" sent you to another of your ships or a designated station, and if you couldn't afford a new ship you might take some "repair laser" missions to earn back enough money to restart as an iron man mode. I understand that a lot of people enjoy the more meta-styled gameplay, but that's not just me. I suppose what I COULD glean from your suggestion is that is I can lurk around the edges of their space and wait for a bigger capital ship to leave their primary sectors. Maybe they won't RRF into non-argon core space.

I finally have enough pieces of military hardware that I can cap an enemy ship, but I still have to retreat if they send all the big guns. My primary complaint has been that so far, every attempt, they send in a massively overkill RRF.

Or if I knew all the details of how RRF works, I could make a counter strategy. As is, I had to cut my losses and warp everyone out. I couldn't capture the ship with them protecting it that much. Maybe it will lumber into the Hub where I can try again.

DanKara
Posts: 416
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Re: Boarding and Rapid Response Teams

Post by DanKara » Mon, 3. Jan 22, 14:15

Thunderfrog wrote:
Sun, 2. Jan 22, 19:20
I'm not a dishonorable villain who lures civilians and allied military asset pilots into slavery or death! I also don't like save-scumming very much
I respect and even admire you for this attitude.
But you said yourself, you are in the process of boarding an Argon Mammoth. AFAIK this is not a military but civilian ship, isn’t it? How do justify such villainous act from a “honourable” Terran Commander?
From your introductory post I gathered that your boarding op takes place either in the HUB-sector or in the Unknown Sector (normally next to Legends Home)? Why is the TL there? Who ordered or lured him there?

… And isn’t a battle not fought a victory. I’m not that familiar with writings of Sun Tsu (or the likes). But the way I see it: You achieve your goal of boarding a TL, jump it to safety and avoid unnecessary fighting with RRF. That is a clean and even honourable success. Not?

(And yes Military Capships may wander into friendly, neutral and hostile territories. Deploy advSats to have sector-coverage or use one of the available / despicable search-scripts.)

jlehtone
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Re: Boarding and Rapid Response Teams

Post by jlehtone » Mon, 3. Jan 22, 19:59

Thunderfrog wrote:
Sat, 1. Jan 22, 23:17
... the computer has limitless ships it can poop out of nowhere ...
That is not exactly true. The RRF are limited and it takes a while for them to respawn. Naturally, if you do kill them so slowly that they have time to rebuild, then they are effectively "infinite".

Many a time I did sail to Jupiter during the war. Killed enough Terrans to invite the RRF to the party (they do jump to Gates, btw) and wiped them off too. Then went for the one ship that had Jump Beacon as cargo and boarded it. The RRF, yes, they did beeline to us with maximum effort (as I was their Number One target with Full Honours), but should they fail ... then there was peace, serenity, and time to get what I was there to get. :split:


Sun Tzu wrote: "All warfare is based on deception."

What is more "honourable": to die against superior enemy or to steal a cargo-ship from them?
Goner Pancake Protector X
Insanity included at no extra charge.
There is no Box. I am the sand.

DanKara
Posts: 416
Joined: Fri, 21. Dec 18, 13:19
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Re: Boarding and Rapid Response Teams

Post by DanKara » Tue, 4. Jan 22, 07:11

jlehtone wrote:
Mon, 3. Jan 22, 19:59
Sun Tzu wrote: "All warfare is based on deception."
What is more "honourable": to die against superior enemy or to steal a cargo-ship from them?
Hehe... dying ofcourse. :lol:
This one I like too: "Life is pleasant. Death is peaceful. It's the transition that's troublesome." (I. Asmimov)

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