What I Know

[ColdDog]

This weekend I had a great time playing with other Testies during the training event. The training event... was not so much training as much as it was just figuring out how we can work as a team - including the organizers. We had a blast... we did a regular mission together, we did pirates vs. non-pirates, we did an escort mission, and finally some fps. We broke up the group into pirates and escorts. StdDev was flying Starfarer and our mission was to protect him... from the @Rear_Intruders of the world (nothing scarier than a rear_intruder shooting at you). We went from beacon to beacon waiting to be attacked. The OP4 (opposition force - pirates) finally found us and they wanted to take down StdDev... we fought until it was draw then moved to board the Starfarer for some FPS action. We finally got on board and were tasked to defend it. We defended it, as rookies would, but in the end the pirates won.

Some thoughts -
1. We played without a crash
2. Our ship combat ended up in a draw because 3 pirates could not kill a starfarer... which, I think is correct from a mechanics perspective. Large ships should swat small and medium fighters like nothing. The shield generator for a ship like the Starfarer should be huge with a huge power plant.
3. Shields were too much... we could not kill each other.
4. Use a shot gun in FPS ship defense... that is my lesson.
5. No way to match speed - I think we should be able to match speed with a friendly target but not unfriendly (I know you pirates are going to cry foul... but that is my opinion)

Thanks to all who joined to play.

CD

 

[NaffNaffBobFace]

Sounds ace, I had a good day out with the Rest Stop tour group put on by Black Sunder and managed a personal best - after two deaths early on, I broke my record by going over half an hour without dying!

 

[Printimus]

The training event... was not so much training as much as it was just figuring out how we can work as a team - including the organizers.

This is exactly what training is.... haha! Glad you had fun!

 

[CosmicTrader]

I think we should be able to match speed

Absolutely. Now tell CIG - The IC & Spactrum are your friends. hehehe

 

[marcsand2]

Some thoughts -
1. We played without a crash
2. Our ship combat ended up in a draw because 3 pirates could not kill a starfarer... which, I think is correct from a mechanics perspective. Large ships should swat small and medium fighters like nothing. The shield generator for a ship like the Starfarer should be huge with a huge power plant.
3. Shields were too much... we could not kill each other.
4. Use a shot gun in FPS ship defense... that is my lesson.
5. No way to match speed - I think we should be able to match speed with a friendly target but not unfriendly (I know you pirates are going to cry foul... but that is my opinion)

Thanks to all who joined to play.

1. We had to relaunch once because I crashed into a PDC monitor during the 2nd PvE mission. Dying is bad as a party leader, you are not able open your mobiglas anymore until you respawn in your bed, which can take a very long time.
2. Pirates are not supposed to destroy the Starfarer, they are supposed to destroy the Escorts
3. That is a huge issue, unexpected, since this was the first time we did this training mission in 3.5. The escorts took down the Buccaneer and an attempt to take down the Arrow with a crash into my Heartbraker resulted in the Heartbraker getting destroyed.
4. They do really good at short distance
5. Also a new feature in 3.5

The training event... was not so much training as much as it was just figuring out how we can work as a team - including the organizers.

The CFT training goal is to train people in working together. Key in working together is:
- brevity: the words
- protocol: when to use the words
- procedure: what are you supposed to do. If everybody is on the same line, then you need less words to achieve the same goal

To train this items, I prepared a few mission:
- Elimination
- Search and Destroy
- Pirates vs Escorts.

Elimination got borked, since it was very hard to form up and move as a group. Match speed doesn't work anymore!!!! People need to be able to move as a group to maximize impact on first contact.
Search and Destroy: ....hell yeah, that PDC monitor jumped in front of my ship, completely suicidal!!!
Pirates vs Escorts: The new FM indeed is a change, it prevented a successful Elimination, but also TTK is much higher. It is hard to hit any target with cannons. Repeaters do hit, but need a lot of sustained fire to take down shields and start doing serious damage

Thanks for joining and giving this constructive comments.

 

[Radegast74]

2. Our ship combat ended up in a draw because 3 pirates could not kill a starfarer... which, I think is correct from a mechanics perspective. Large ships should swat small and medium fighters like nothing. The shield generator for a ship like the Starfarer should be huge with a huge power plant.

I think that CR wants big space battles to be big fleet actions (which is cool....but will be difficult for lone individuals or small groups). If you want to take out big ships, you have to have other big ships with big guns and/or big torpedoes. Potentially, several medium size ships could take out a larger ship (I'm thinking, a couple of Retaliators or several Eclipses could take out a capital ship). Fleets are going to need escorts, to act as eyes and ears, and to make sure the medium ships don't gang up on a single capital ship.

So, fighters will be necessary, but their role isn't going to be taking on capital ships (or Death Stars) on their own, they will have important roles in terms of scouting, escorting, and defending capital ships.

 

[Shadow Reaper]

2. Our ship combat ended up in a draw because 3 pirates could not kill a Starfarer... which, I think is correct from a mechanics perspective. Large ships should swat small and medium fighters like nothing. The shield generator for a ship like the Starfarer should be huge with a huge power plant.
3. Shields were too much... we could not kill each other.

I'd like to know more about this. Marc said the objective was to kill the escorts, not the Starfarer, so can you catch us up on this?

What were the escorts and pirate ships? Was there ever a time where three or more pirates were attacking the Stafarer and had null results?

I'm just thinking, the Bucky has a stock DPS of over 1,100 and some of that is projectile, so three Bucky's ought to be able to take out a Starfarer. I don't see why they'd want to. If they're pirates, they should be boarding, but the fact remains if 3,300 sustained DPS can't kill a Starfarer, we have a problem. The S3 Stronghold L shield for the stock Starfarer (not the G) is supposed to regen <2,200. So if three stock Buckies couldn't kill it, there is an issue.

 

[ColdDog]

2. Pirates are not supposed to destroy the Starfarer, they are supposed to destroy the Escorts

I thought rear_intruder was trying to take it down... thought he mentioned he didn't do any damage to it - but torped it a couple times.

PDC monitor during the 2nd PvE mission

Thought that was because we were combining groups... anyway... it was a blast and thanks Marc for coordinating it.

 

[Bambooza]

I think that CR wants big space battles to be big fleet actions (which is cool....but will be difficult for lone individuals or small groups). If you want to take out big ships, you have to have other big ships with big guns and/or big torpedoes. Potentially, several medium size ships could take out a larger ship (I'm thinking, a couple of Retaliators or several Eclipses could take out a capital ship). Fleets are going to need escorts, to act as eyes and ears, and to make sure the medium ships don't gang up on a single capital ship.

So, fighters will be necessary, but their role isn't going to be taking on capital ships (or Death Stars) on their own, they will have important roles in terms of scouting, escorting, and defending capital ships.

That continues to be the hope.

 

[marcsand2]

I'd like to know more about this. Marc said the objective was to kill the escorts, not the Starfarer, so can you catch us up on this?

Maybe I wasn't clear enough in the instructions . No point in destroying the board-ship, that is why there is a boarding action. We also did this training a few times in 3.4, but with my HH. No chance in taking down a HH with weapons. Another point which I forgot to mention: unlock the board ship before the boarding action, since we still aren't able to breach a ship.

What were the escorts and pirate ships? Was there ever a time where three or more pirates were attacking the Stafarer and had null results?

I don't know which ship Rear_intruder was flying, but the other 2 escorts were a Buccaneer and an Arrow.

I thought rear_intruder was trying to take it down... thought he mentioned he didn't do any damage to it - but torped it a couple times.

I don't use missiles or torps a lot, but my you first must get the shields down before even attempting to use missiles. Oversized missiles maybe don't need this.

 

[ColdDog]

I don't use missiles or torps a lot, but my you first must get the shields down before even attempting to use missiles. Oversized missiles maybe don't need this.

Beats me... think he was in a 325A... either way... my mission was simple... shoot the other team :)