...as the footsteps of doom!

[Skeelzania]

@Raysia

No, you just think in more dimensions than I do. I admit my tactics are clunky, but thats how I run Skeelzania. Like I've told some people, I write space opera: its science fiction with less science and more fiction.

Although I don't think we're in battle lines any more. I can only really speak for myself, and maybe summarize Zerstorendar and Warhammer as a whole, but my fleet was split into squadrons that were roughly rhomboid in shape. These then attacked (or are attacking) headlong into the Imperiatus fleet, whose formation I am not very clear on.

So, basically, the Skeelzanian Fleet is:
A) Not standing still, but going full speed into the enemy formation
B) Is well within weapon range, and will begin launching torpedoes* next time I post

Skeelzanian gunnery is so lousy that they have to close like this and pound the enemy at short ranges. As the Skeelzanian and Imperiatus fleet get tangled up, squadrons will begin to engage individual Imperiatus ships.

I would say that your map is a pretty accurate as far as relative positions go, however. Just that in my case I am far from standing still or being far away from the enemy.

[Skeelzania]

Oooooh, okay, alien ships... Can I see pictures? :3

[Capsule Corporation]

haha, skeelz i'm not blaming you... I'm just talking about everyone in general... and the comment I made in the thread was just a reflection of a conversation me and Zersto were having OOC

Splitting up your groups had its pros and cons, i could see, but it just didn't look like a viable solution... Splitting into two groups when you're using a strength-in-density plan seemed like you were just halving your survival rate... but I don't know your fleets like you do, so it was bad of me to pass judgment ICly Oh well, i'm sure you'll prove jace wrong if you get something good accomplished from it.

But as for everyone in general... it's kinda crazy, we've got a bunch of people that are staying on the fringes of the fight, and we've got people just standing still exchanging fire, and then we have a few brave ones making nearly-suicidal charges on them.

I hope kertai has something good planned

[Telros]

The reason for my line strategy is...well, I am unexperienced in tactics and combat, having only just finished my first combat thread recently, and my ships are designed to be large and clunky, with lots of firepower and shielding. The smaller craft, frigates and the like, would do what you said, those not escorting the large ships against missile fire, if there was any. But, they have awesome shields, weapons that ignore our shields, and they are so massed that we cannot even escape. So we are using our large ships as shields for the smaller ships, which is kinda working.

But, its really because I am stupid in the ways of war, and I don't know how to fix it. *shrugs*

[Skeelzania]

@Raysia

I would venture to guess that the old-school tactics I'm using our outside the norm for space combat, which is going to take place at incredibly long ranges in any case. I'm sure everyone else is playing their fleets in ways that are in accordance with their style.

As for me, I ordered the battlecruisers into a flank attack before I was really aware of how large the fleet was OOCly (which dovetails nicely into the crapiness of Skeelzanian sensors ICly), so those ships are in serious trouble. I really need to remember to post about them.

I have to say that I think your plan would get us all killed, though. The Imperiatus numbers are so great that I don't doubt that they would smother us if we split into smaller groups. Right now, at least, I can concentrate fire on one target at a time and take something with me. And if they have guns arranged at all like Skeelzanian vessels, attacking from two directions might allow them to more effectively engage.

Though I must say that breaking through the fleet and making a run for it is getting more and more tempting. We'll see how Kertai's plan works, heh.

@ Terran Imperium: I just design my ships in ways to reflect my newbishness, hence the super heavy armor. Maybe you'd be interested in a trade agreement? Eh? Eh?

[The Mindset]

I laugh at how old school Raysia is. It's a breath of fresh air. I also like your graphics.

On an unrelated note, I've got myself a copy of Lightwave. I'm not sure which version it is, but if you can be bothered, a short tutorial on achieving some of the things you can do with it would be wonderful.

[Capsule Corporation]

@Raysia
I have to say that I think your plan would get us all killed, though. The Imperiatus numbers are so great that I don't doubt that they would smother us if we split into smaller groups. Right now, at least, I can concentrate fire on one target at a time and take something with me. And if they have guns arranged at all like Skeelzanian vessels, attacking from two directions might allow them to more effectively engage.

Dude. We have an entire fleet of gigantic heavily armored weapon-laden space monsters, the majority of which wind up making star destroyers look like little toys... and what are we doing? We're sitting back like we have some big design flaw keeping our ships in check. We all know in space quanitity doesn't count, for the same reason that skeelz stated... a lot of the space battles have some big distances involved... I mean, forgetting about how useless staying a light second or more away may be, we've got some pull... if we just control our attacks, and scatter theirs.

I mean.. come on... pick up the art of war, it's 5 bucks, 60 pages long, and it gets you thinking with some common sense here...

But then, i have been known to be a reckless idiot sometimes

[Kanuckistan]

People build their ships like they're designed to be in large groups... it's so weird...

Specialised ships = more effective

Large groups can be used to support each other, where smaller ones would be overwhelmed piecemeal.

no one ever uses self-reliant vessels anymore...

*raises hand*

If everyone stops standing still or staying constantly outside of weapons range, we might get somewhere...

I'm two light seconds above the planet. My point defence can(in theory) hit targets out to 5 LS. Everything but the gravvy guns is longer-ranged, and the missiles can keep going for as long as you're willing to wait.

I'm actually well positioned to play my strengths. Getting closer would be pointless and only help the enemy.

[Capsule Corporation]

If everyone stops standing still or staying constantly outside of weapons range, we might get somewhere...

I'm two light seconds above the planet. My point defence can(in theory) hit targets out to 5 LS. Everything but the gravvy guns is longer-ranged, and the missiles can keep going for as long as you're willing to wait.

I'm actually well positioned to play my strengths. Getting closer would be pointless and only help the enemy.

.... point defense... 5 light seconds... even if your guns fired the speed of light, like lasers or whatever you might have... you couldn't hit a freaking space cruiser, let a lone a missile... Do they go FTL or something?

[Kanuckistan]

.... point defense... 5 light seconds... even if your guns fired the speed of light, like lasers or whatever you might have... you couldn't hit a freaking space cruiser, let a lone a missile... Do they go FTL or something?

Which is why I said 'in theory' - naturally their effective range varies as a function of lightspeed-delay VS target maneuverability, but with predictive and boxing fire, 1500 guns and a little luck, you can make kills at that range. When shields are down, you can also rake the sensors and other exposed bits on larger, more sluggish ships, too.

Once, against a particularly sluggish enemy, I had a KAG ship firing it's PDLs at the enemy missile ports to cook off his antimatter warheads close to his ship, from several light seconds away.


Now, admittedly, that kind of range isn't a capability you'll often use, but it's handy to have.