Demo newbie Q1: Hit and run

[derb]

It is rather aggravating that if you are stationary ships can whiz in from out of range, fire and move away. Isn't there/couldn't there be some form of "opportunity fire" - you fire if a target comes in range during the opposing turn?

[Val]

Closest thing is a PDF system - which will fire as fighters and seekers enter the range. Maybe you can add the PDF ability to a weapon that can target ships so when a ship moves into range it will automatically be shot at!

[mac5732]

I like the idea, but don't know if its moddable, I would ck with SJ, Atrocities, Memphisto or some of the othe modders as to if it can be done with out hard code changes.

just some ideas mac

[PvK]

I don't think it can be modded - but I do think it's on the suggestion list. Opportunity fire was suggested and discussed a long time ago, but seems to have fallen off the table somwhere along the line. I guess MM saw the main problem was that bases and planets were at a disadvantage, and the tweak to handle that was to give their mounts range bonuses. I agree it could be an improvement to add Opp fire, if it was well done, which would require a fair amount of careful design, work, and testing to do well. In some games, Opp fire causes more problems than it solves, because of "baiting" and other issues. E.g., use something that probably won't be hit or hurt or that you don't care about to draw fire by moving into Opp fire range of the enemy, and then move in your ships that you don't want to get hit, etc.

Also, the combat system is clearly an abstraction of the actual situation, since it's 2D and uses alternating turns, squares, ships without meaningful facings, and inertialess movement, none of which are accurate representations of space combat. So within the abstract representation, an immobile ship not always being able to fire back against hit & run could represent more maneuverable ships moving to attack from an angle that the target can't respond from.

Still, done well, I think Opp fire could be an improvement.

PvK

[mac5732]

PVK, your remarks on "Baiting" makes sense, so what if we add a new weapon type instead, to try and eliminate this type of tactic. Create a new weapon similiar in concept to PD's, except if you have them, Only they would be allowed to fire in the Opportunity fire phase not any other weapon other then the normal PDs. This way, your main weapons would still be intact and would take some of the baiting away, as if you close your enemies weapons would still be available because they didn't fire, or something on this order.

just some ideas mac

[PvK]

Yes that could be one approach to reducing bad baiting. A good Opp fire AI routine can go a long way, as can fire doctrine orders.

PvK