[MOD] Miscellaneous IZ Combat Tweaks

[w.evans]

Something like that. Wonder if they'll fall for it. The Stromvoks would probably get massacred without back-up, though. Those Phoenixes are nasty!

Was really more the lore thing, though. Thought up other ways to implement it, but they were too elaborate and prone to problems. Then had a eureka moment while on the train yesterday. (6-hour train rides can do that sometimes.)

[w.evans]

Well there is a difference in the actual thrill of riding into battle and "being in battle" ...... like trying to herd cats.
Half the fleet took one route the rest another ....
Then some jumped within the zone, some flew into battle and some did their nails and lipstick...
All ships were already in the correct zone.
Trial run using 3 Stromvoks (to see how they fought) plus 3 Balors and a Light Sul in charge.

Sounds like it's working as intended, sort of. Capships in a squadron are set to engage hostile targets as the targets come within radar range. However, better if everyone in the squadron were to engage when anyone in the squadron detects a hostile. Will look into it. No promises, though.

A bit of progress on this, but I could use some opinions.

Simplest way to get everyone in a squadron to attack all at the same time is if all members of a squadron slave their target acquisition to that of their commander. MICT fighters who are directly escorting capital ships already do this, and it seems to be working well.

Pro: everyone in a squadron detects and engages a target at the same time.

However, Con: everyone in a squadron would also be limited to the radar range of their commander.

The con's not a big problem with fighters escorting a capship because capship sensors always (?) have better range than those of fighters. That is, however, not the case with capships. If a ship with better radar range were escorting a capship, they would essentially ignore a hostile ship coming within range until their commander designated the target for them.

Then again, it would add an incentive to designating ships with long radar range in command of, at least part of, a squadron. (radar range = command and control range?) This could add a strategic aspect to that part of the game, and I think that more game is always a good thing.

That said, ships with long radar ranges don't always make the best squadron commanders.

Comments?

[birdtable]

It is the lack of coordinated attack appears to be stumbling block, even though only one fleet 3 groups acted independently in attack formation,,no use turning up 2 at a time.
I know there were 3 types of ships ..Light Sul, 3 Stroms and 3 Balors, but independent action was taken amongst similar ships.
As i said earlier defensive mechanism must be cost effective within the realms of the game, if you just type in money then no problem.

[w.evans]

Agreed. And I think the problem in the scenario that you described wasn't so much that there were different ship types in play (although that's certainly relevant too), as that they were radiating their radar from different points in space, so detected targets at different times, and attacked at different times.

[birdtable]

Then radar range on Rapid Response must cover the whole zone only on arrival in zone of the "complete fleet".

[w.evans]

But that would completely negate radar range as a gameplay concept, which would be a shame, I think.

As it is, every ship has a different radar range, radar can be taken out (although it's odd that it can't be targeted with the Skunk's targeting computer), and MICT uses individual ships' radar range in an effort to make more use of that concept.

Ideally, I think that every ship ought to use their own radar; but if a hostile is detected by any ship, that alerts the whole squadron. Not there yet, but that's what I'm eventually aiming for.

The way it works now, all capships in a MICT squadron monitor their own radar and, if they're authorized to engage and detect any hostiles within radar range, they'll go attack.

The idea in my post above is that all capships in a MICT squadron will engage a hostile only if it comes within radar range of their commander. So if their commander sees a target, they all attack. If a squaddie sees a target that his/her commander doesn't, he/she'll wait until the commander sees it. (interesting possible effect of this is that it would be possible to design a squadron that would attack in waves, with sub-commanders in ships with differing radar ranges.)

Also, in case you might not have been using rapid response due to a misunderstanding, rapid response isn't active unless one or more ships or squadrons is/are assigned to escort a non-combat ship. Unless you did assign all of those ships under your Sul, then assigned the Sul to escort a freighter?

[birdtable]

Rapid Response affiliated to the only Scaldis I have so as easily distinguish during trades.
What ever the solution to radar range as you well agree the fleet must act in unison.
But that is your problem to solve and my pleasure to enjoy ......

[w.evans]

But that is your problem to solve and my pleasure to enjoy ......

And solving that problem is most certainly my pleasure.

Update coming up!

[w.evans]

23.November 2015 - MICT_supp2 updated to v0.46

All ships immediately subordinate to a MICT Capital Ship will use their commander's sensors for target acquisition.

Please note that the squadron commander's target acquisition is limited to that ship's radar range. Should result in everyone in a squadron moving to attack a target as soon as the commander detects that target if authorized to do so. Squadron hierarchies are maintained so ships following a sub-commander will use the sub-commander's target acquisition system. This should make it possible to design a squadron such that it moves in waves depending on sub-commanders with better radar range than their superiors.

Please pay attention to your ships' radar ranges and plan accordingly.

Feedback, suggestions, criticism, and war stories welcome, as always.

[birdtable]

At last a scenario appeared to test mict RRFleet
A recently acquired Titurel.1 was returning (in my squad) after equipping with construction drones while another Titurel.2 ( which was about to go through boarding process) opened fire on Tit.1
Within a short while fleet commander (Light Sul) appeared and opened fire on Tit.2 followed by rest of RRFleet ..... The engineers on RRFleet supported Tit.1
Tit.2 was destroyed with no losses to my fleet.....
Excellent.

But .... The RRFleet lead by Light Sul lost link with Scaldi which was the assigned trade ship......plus all record of Rapid Response Fleet vanished.
They were visible/contactable because I was in zone but did not exist any where else...As soon as communication with Light Sul was made and Fleet re-assigned they all jumped out to follow Scaldis and reappeared on property menu etc.

Luckily I saved just before attempting boarding Tit.2 so will re-run scenario to see if any repeat occurrences.....

[w.evans]

But .... The RRFleet lead by Light Sul lost link with Scaldi which was the assigned trade ship......plus all record of Rapid Response Fleet vanished.
They were visible/contactable because I was in zone but did not exist any where else...As soon as communication with Light Sul was made and Fleet re-assigned they all jumped out to follow Scaldis and reappeared on property menu etc.

Say again, please. The ships disappeared from the property list and the holomap?

RR ships are supposed to switch escortees if another civilian ship you own is under attack and the ship they're presently assigned to escort is fine, but they're not supposed to disappear.

[UniTrader]

so you mean their superior changes?
in that case they should appear under him in the Map and Property List, so you have to extend him when viewing the List or the Zone Map

[birdtable]

Will have to double check on missing RRFleet.
On a different occasion when I sent the Scaldi +RRFleet into FoO ,,, The Scaldi was not attacked, there were Cartel in the area attacking a TU trader and RRFleet vanished......

Also all Construction drones on entire RRFleet were either destroyed or vanished with the exception of the one Stromovik which had the Freight drones transferred ,,All drones 5 Freight and 10 Construct drones were intact.
The Strom was in the centre of the battle and the Balors were at a distance and did not come under fire.

[Sparky Sparkycorp]

Also all Construction drones on entire RRFleet were either destroyed or vanished with the exception of the one Stromovik which had the Freight drones transferred ,,All drones 5 Freight and 10 Construct drones were intact.
The Strom was in the centre of the battle and the Balors were at a distance and did not come under fire.

Unless there have been changes in vanilla or it was fixed by w.evans, what could have happened was some of your Balors' missiles may have hit your other ships by mistake, and nuked their drone bays. Part of the reason I suggest that is I've seen it in vanilla. The other part is because the Stromvok has no drone launch pad so it is immune to that potential way to lose drones, which could account for it being the only one with some left.

Edit..hmmm...maybe not. They'd have to have all hit each other, which sounds unlikely, and it would probably have to had to be a fight near the player's zone for splash damage to be modelled...

[birdtable]

3 reloads of save all played out differently ..... one occasion a strange ship appeared ...PMC Scaldis with only 42 intrepid mk1 and 18 overrun mk 2 .
RRFleet did not reassign to any other ship and remained visible.

For the sake of W.E sanity much as I hate to admit drones had gone missing on RRFleet long long before battle commenced ...humble apologies.

[w.evans]

so you mean their superior changes?
in that case they should appear under him in the Map and Property List, so you have to extend him when viewing the List or the Zone Map

Yup.

For the sake of W.E sanity much as I hate to admit drones had gone missing on RRFleet long long before battle commenced ...humble apologies.

Your continuing concern for my mental well-being is greatly appreciated.

Seriously though, thanks for the feedback. Haven't encountered a problem with disappearing drones. If the problem reoccurs and proves to be due to the mod, would appreciate if you could let me know. Steps to reproduce the problem, as well as a save right before the problem occurs, will both be very useful to get to the bottom of the issue.

@Sparky, also possible, although unlikely. In any case, would advise keeping a tight leash on fire authorization for Balors where you could see them. If they're in low attention (in a different sector is safest), danger of friendly fire is (unfortunately, IMO) zero, but IZ, there is a very big danger of friendly fire from Balor torps. This is as intended.

[w.evans]

29.November 2015 - MICT_supp2 updated to v0.47

Fixed a bug that caused fighters escorting capital ships to sometimes continuously warp when their commander is going to a different zone, but hasn't gone yet. Was also keeping Marvin's fighters from docking in similar situations.

[w.evans]

29.November 2015 - MICT_supp2 updated to v0.47.1

Sorry, missed a spot.

There. All shiny now.

[Sparky Sparkycorp]

[w.evans]

I won't have an internet connection at home for a while starting tomorrow, so don't fret if anyone posts here and doesn't get a reply. I will read through the back log if there is one when I get connected again.