Strategy tip for carriers

[Urendi Maleldil]

The best configuration for a user-controlled carrier is vital stuff(engines, etc.), enough fighter bays so the requirement goes away, any extras (ECM, shields weapons), and fill the rest up with cargo bays (they hold more than fighter bays). You wont be able to launch all your fighters in one combat turn, but your carrier can hold many more fighters. I had a light carrier with about 150 light fighters. And you can still launch them all in one strategic turn.

Note: light carriers can use heavy weapon mounts

[T]

Thats interesting.....Cargo Bays you say.....Hehehe A Large Transport could suddenly become Rather Deadly!

LOL! Use Large Transports as your carriers....create HAVOC in Multi-player games as Hordes of Escorts Die at the hands of the Fighters!!

[Instar]

sorry to dump on your strategy, but those ships will not be able to launch fighters very fast -- as in you can only launch so many fighters at a time in combat (you can launch all fighters in the regular view)
This was fixed a while back
You can make carriers like that, but their combat usefullness drops

[Urendi Maleldil]

This is most useful if you want to launch fighters strategically, but I find it effective in combat. I have my carriers built so that I can launch about 15 fighters per combat turn. I find that to be enouch. In most cases the sides start far enough apart to be able to have anywhere from 25-75 fighters in the air by the time the two meet in combat. The volume of fighters more than makes up for the advantage of point defense. Sometimes I back up these carriers with missile frigates. If an enemy w/ pt defense fires on the seekers, they have to deal with the fighters and vice-versa.

[Richard]

Actually he is right and HISTORICALLY it makes sense. Most people who think carriers suck are using them wrong. Unless you have a VERY fast ship, or get lucky and land in the middle of the task force, by the time you reach a carrier he will normally have had 4-6 turns (at least) to launch fighters. Once they form up they can be devastating.

Most folks put too many fighters bays and then skimp on fighters. For a carrier to make sense it should be able to carry more fighters than it can launch (many more). In fact some of those should be specialized. I send out assault fighters and bombers to the target and then have slow fighters with tons of weopons as CAP to defend the carrier.

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Sarge is coming...

Richard Arnesen
Director of Covert Ops
Shrapnel Games
http://www.shrapnelgames.com

[wingte]

Well,, the early launch stratege is only useful if the enemy is coming after your fleet and you are out gunned.
When I am chasing down an enemy I prefer to keep the fighters in the bays until my carriers are close enough that when I launch the fighters,, they can immediately fire without moving so they don't activate the enemy PD weapons.

I am currently using a carrier as an exploration ship when I play a High Tech start game.

Carrier--- Master computer, quantum reactor, max engines, 14 fighter bays, repair pod, 2 organic armor, 1 shield, 2 PD cannons, 1 Ionic disperser, combat sensor, and a long range scanner.

The 28 fighters have are armed with shield depleter and electric discharge.


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Wingte