Space combat

[Perun]

Does anyone knows how EXACTLY battles are conducted? I find it very confusing.

We have these variables:

• shots per tick, defined by ship class
  
• damage per shot, defined by ship class
  
• firing order (F/O), defined by strategy/ship class
  
• targetting order (TC1-3), defined by strategy/ship class
  
• (possible) disruption, by some ships, effectiveness varies
  

What we do know:

• PDSs shoot first
  
• space stations shoot second
  
• defenders shoot third
  
• attackers shoot last
  

What we don't know:

• is a ship frozen for entire tick, or just for one shot
  

Please, feel free to add to any list if you find an answer/question.

[Matija]

perun said:

What we do know:

• PDSs shoot first
  
• space stations shoot second
  
• defenders shoot third
  
• attackers shoot last
  

Are you certain? I thought firing order decides who shoots when. Or is the above order only valid for cases where firing order is equal?

[Perun]

Athena wrote it on The Nebula forums, so it must be right. I hope. ;D

See www.outer-reaches.net/forums/showthread.php?t=613

[Natmus]

We should send two groups of heavy fighters, both of them unable to target fighters against each other to check they can't do any damage to each other.

[Perun]

natmus said:

We should send two groups of heavy fighters, both of them unable to target fighters against each other to check they can't do any damage to each other.

I don't have any (yet). Someone else should do it.

[Harlequin]

How heavy is heavy? I've got 20 Dragon class fighters FI.8 if that's any good...

[Perun]

See descriptions in the manual or library.

[SkulkrinBait]

Just send 1 of each type of fighter, no point risking 20 just in case they can hit each other!

I've got some Adders, they can't target fighters allegedly, although they are only "light"

[Harlequin]

I'll send one dragon to you then Baitmeister

[SkulkrinBait]

Ok, see my transmission!

[Harlequin]

If a fleet has been sent to another planet to defend for, say three hours, what is the scope for moving that fleet elsewhere;

a) during the three hours of defence
b) after the three hours of attack

Does the fleeet automatically head back to its home planet?

[Harlequin]

Some speculation on combat.

I wonder if combat is on a three tick loop. By this I mean, each class of craft has three possible targets and it is obvious that only one of the three targets can be "chosen" each tick.
The question is, does a craft automatically search through its available targets each tick until it finds something it can hit, or does it try and hit the first target in tick1 - leading to a miss if no suitable craft are found?

Example

Bullet class fighters FI - RE - TR

Enemy force of Bullets and Vampires

Assuming I have numerical superiority...

in tick one I will destroy most/all of the enemy bullets,, but leave the Vamps unharmed (This would account for the leeching that Perun had even though he eventually destroyed some Raider Vamps)

In tick two I would not target the remaining enemy Bullets, as I am now aiming at the Vamps (RE class -second choice on my target list). I would destroy the Vamps, but probably take no damage from enemy bullets who would have had FI targted in tick one)

Tick 3 (and this is where my suggestion may be weakest) - nothing would happen as both sets of bullets are targeting Tr class ships, of which there are none.

If this is how it works, it would provide a reason for sending multiple fleets, rather then just a single mixed fleet. 100 bullets could be set up FI-RE-TR, and a second 100 bullet fleet set up RE-FI-TR. This should weaken the enemy bullets and get the vamps in the first tick and then our second bullet fleet will attack the remaining enemy bullets, who are sitting ducks.
There, I've finished now


Of course, this suggestion may not be true at all...

[soiram]

Maybe ships that have more than one shots per tick, use each shot on the different target types?

So if you have 2 shots per tick and you can target FI-RE-TR for example what happens?

Assumption 1:
Tick 1: FI - RE
Tick 2: TR - FI

Asssumption 2:
Tick 1: FI - FI
Tick 2: RE - RE