The Problem with Capital ships

[ratfeast]

Is their expense (cost/profit ratio). A good YouTube video is here:

If we compare ourselves to Xplore- the only organization larger than ours(12,477 total members with members to affiliates ratio of 1:3, we appear to have more full members), they report having: "XPLOR’s fantastic community has pulled off the impossible!! We have managed to crowd fund not 1, not 2, not 3, but 4 Javelin Destroyers! We now have 4 true capital ships." Which if they can get them manned and supported is fairly awesome. I know we have a carrier and at least 4 Idris', https://robertsspaceindustries.com/pledge/ships/aegis-idris/Idris-M (a crew of 10 ,with 6 S5 manned turrets)but I don't know if we have any destroyers (1.5 times larger with a likely 12 manned turrets, and a crew of probably 18). This does not include Space Marines. We just need to be careful about cost to performance ratio , it may be better to have a bunch of Retaliators (crew 6, 5 S4 manned turrets and torpedoes) Knockout their guns and then boards them. I doubt they'll have enough Space Marines. I'm not suggesting we go to war with Xplore, in fact, they seem to be peace loving. But if we want to keep a home area and defend our mining operations, we need to think about our options. Although the destroyers are intimidating, it may, indeed, be more cost effective to blacken the skies with Auroras. And the advantage of a carrier is that we have a flexible fleet with movable and losable parts. All I'm saying is that we need to be careful about what we do.

Your thoughts?

 

[Xist]

We have a lot of Javelins and Idris. The problem is more the number of people it takes to run them.

I'm sure we can field just about any type of fleet we want.

And you're right, in many cases different types of fleets will fare better than others - not just "biggest ship wins".

 

[AwesomeDude]

The problem with scores of auroras is it's harder to have organization. If we stuff tons of people into a couple javelins we can better control the masses even if it is a carrier. We can have a few competent people controlling the larger ships from which the swarms of drunkards can spew forth.

 

[Shadow Reaper]

I am still skeptical of how cap ship combat will work, when ships are insured. Unless Javs and Bengals take months to replace, how can there ever be anything like a real war?

I have heard what sounded like a plan that the larger a ship is, the longer it will take to respawn, but have not heard officially this is so.

In any case, I am personally looking forward to some group presenting themselves as a target so we can take their Javelins away. They are going to be hard to hold onto, given player lack of patience and need to actually PLAY during their playtime as opposed to babysitting a cap ship.

 

[DrunkenTeddy]

They are going to be hard to hold onto, given player lack of patience and need to actually PLAY during their playtime as opposed to babysitting a cap ship.

This is an excellent point. Especially with the really large capital ships like the Bengal. If we did take a Bengal the max crew is 1000, so I assume a skeleton crew is minimum 50? Maybe more. For a week or two we might be able to get testies to babysit the ship, especially if we can give them something to do while on board, but after a while people will get bored of trying to hide a Bengal and avoiding conflict.

 

[fiarce]

I have heard what sounded like a plan that the larger a ship is, the longer it will take to respawn, but have not heard officially this is so.

It currently is already implemented in the PU. The timer can be offset by paying a premium, as well. I suspect the times are far from final...

 

[ratfeast]

We have a lot of Javelins and Idris. The problem is more the number of people it takes to run them.

I'm sure we can field just about any type of fleet we want.

And you're right, in many cases different types of fleets will fare better than others - not just "biggest ship wins".

I had imagined a fleet somewhat like this, with no capital ships, everyone capable of jump point travel, I would probably add in a few Drake Heralds or an Endeavor outfitted for long range scanning. They could probably take down a few capital ships.

 

[ratfeast]

Vanguards do some quick passes, followed by Redeemers to take out any fighter escort. Then the Retaliators move in and take out the Capital ships, move in a cork-screw pattern, in and out of the range of an individual turret. Then a bunch of Dragonflies with Space marines do the clean-up. Other ships for support. Ideally, they would hit them from the rear and disable their drives, less guns than a broadside too. And, it keeps them from spinning to absorb damage.

 

[DarthMatter]

Do we actually need the Dragonflies? Doesn't the Redeemers have seats for marines in the back?

 

[ratfeast]

Do we actually need the Dragonflies? Doesn't the Redeemers have seats for marines in the back?

Yep, I was just imagining how much damage a Dragonfly could do inside of a capital ship, like in a hanger bay.

 

[Thugari]

I am a unofficial redshirt for test ( do we even have official redshirts?). Anyway, I am perfectly willing to supply a few hours a week to ship duty. from manning engineer or navigation consoles, turrets, to playing space janitor and doing the mundane jobs. I kinda consider this my payment for being in test. I think as the time gets closer, the owners of the capital ships will realize that there are quite a few of us willing to help man the mundane jobs. we just need a signup sheet for assignments and roles aboard ship. once we know those roles and positions, those posts will be easier to maintain and fill.

 

[ratfeast]

I am a unofficial redshirt for test ( do we even have official redshirts?). Anyway, I am perfectly willing to supply a few hours a week to ship duty. from manning engineer or navigation consoles, turrets, to playing space janitor and doing the mundane jobs. I kinda consider this my payment for being in test. I think as the time gets closer, the owners of the capital ships will realize that there are quite a few of us willing to help man the mundane jobs. we just need a signup sheet for assignments and roles aboard ship. once we know those roles and positions, those posts will be easier to maintain and fill.

Great!!!!! We need lots of "Red Shirts". We have a Space Marines Section , I think. But, you're right we need that division.

Maybe you could make their division emblem!

 

[xNoairx]

I have some questions about how this is all going to play out.

How many people can you get per verse? Is it 50 right now, maybe lower.

Out of the 50, how many can you have in a group together?

If you had all 50 there would be no one to fight, just do whatever you want untouched.

I think its going to be more about how many people you can get into a verse together, that's the limit of the game.

There will be no big fights between groups, they just will never be in the same verse together, always in there own.

Its not like your going to be able to have 4000 Test pilots on the same verse together. The game is limited to so many per verse.

 

[Xist]

Yep, I was just imagining how much damage a Dragonfly could do inside of a capital ship, like in a hanger bay.

I don't think we'd want to utterly destroy it unless really necessary.

We'll need UEC; we can sell off the stuff we don't need ourselves to fund future escapades.

If we find ourselves with more resources than we know what to do with, there are plenty of suns around.

 

[Montoya]

I know we have a carrier and at least 4 Idris',

Whaa?

Do you mean "we" as an org have 4 Idris in total?

Sweet!!!

 

[ratfeast]

TEST SQUADRON
REDSHIRTS​

 

[Han Burgundy]

I don't think we'd want to utterly destroy it unless really necessary.

Heres how you take a capital ship:
1: Send in initial fighter screen to give the Cap gunners something to shoot at. (hornets are tanky and would do well at this)
2: Send in a spread out group of E-war ships to quietly slip in close (With a ghost each for escort to keep sigs low)
3: Pop the EMPs as a group of Retaliators start their bombing run.
4:Tucked right behind the bombers are a few Cats that are full of dragonflies. Turret gunners will likely focus their defensive fire on the bombers, perceiving them as the greater threat.
5: As the bombers drop their munitions, the dragonflies spew fourth and make a B line for the (hopefully) still EMP-stunned Cap ship.
6:Torpedoes hit just before our boarders arrive. The chaos inside should do a good job splitting the enemy's focus as they frantically try to respond to both emergencies. In their panic, we can establish a firm foothold on the ship and push from there.

From that point on, its up to your boarders to sweep through the ship and do whatever they can to sabotage as many of the cap's defensive systems as possible to help with the fight outside. The boarder's ultimate goal would, of course, be the bridge. Massive effect, minimal permanent damage.

/BattlePlan

 

[ratfeast]

Do you mean "we" as an org have 4 Idris in total?

Sweet!!!

I think so from what I've seen.

 

[Montoya]

How many people can you get per verse? Is it 50 right now, maybe lower.

Out of the 50, how many can you have in a group together?

The term you are looking for is an "instance".

The number of people in an instance will be somewhere around 50-100, but then you have multiple instances around each other.

Having 90 people in a Bengal carrier does not mean that there will not be any space left on the server.

That would make for a very sucky battle if nobody can come fight you because you fully crewed your Bengal!

The actual details and final numbers of how this all pieces together are yet unknown, but we will find out in time!

 

[Montoya]

I think so from what I've seen.

Im not sure if you are serious or not...

But in case you are serious, we have over 25 Javelins and hundreds of Idris'.