Direct Fire Weapon Accuracy

[Jubala]

Does different DFW's have different base accuracy values or does all weapons have the same base accuray which is them modified by target size and sensors/ecm?

This is interesting because if you look at the Anti-Proton Beam and the Meson BLaster the APB does more and more damage the closer you get while the MB does the same damage at all distances. However, both weapons have the same chance to hit at the same distances and this chance get's higher the closer you are. So why use MB at optimal range with poor chance to hit while you can use APB's at point blank range and have a higher chance to hit and do more damage when you do?

[Taqwus]

Because you may not be able to get close enough to do more damage if your opponent can dish it out while staying at his maximum weapons range; you may want to avoid some of the nastier short-range weaponry like allegiance shifters, mind flailers and ionic dispersers, as well. And if you are fairly far from your nearest shipyard, you may want to avoid a close-up fight to minimize the probability you need to return for repairs.

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-- The thing that goes bump in the night

[Jubala]

Yes, all good points, but the enemy ships always seems to be able to close for the kill and get maximum utility out of their weapons while my ships (on auto) will move away from point blank good chance to hit range to long range bad chance to hit and then fire. Not fire move, but move fire. I suppose that's due to the Optimal Range movement strategy but still. I'd like to be able to formulate my own movement strategies.

[Lerchey]

You can formulate your own movement strategies. Look under the empire menu, for a button called (oddly enough) strategies.
You can hit the "add" button there and set the movement and firing options for your pet strategy, and then assign your ship types to use it in the ship design area (look for Strategies).

- John

[Jubala]

Lerchey, that's not movement strategies, that's fighting strategies. One of the things you set there are movement strategies under the tab movement. Some of the choices are Optimal Weapons Range, Point Blank Weapons Range, Ram and so on. We can't change these, just pick them. I want to make my own movement strategies that tells my ships how to move in different situations.

[Lerchey]

Ah. I see what you're saying. However, I don't think that I have a clear concept of what's missing from the options that you would like to have. Can you give an example?

John

[Jubala]

Sure thing Lerchey. Take boarding ships for example. I design a ship with shield busting weapons, boarding parties and lot's shields and PDF's of their own to take a beating while closing with the enemy and busting down their shields. Works like a charm if I run the battles myself in tactical. But in strategic with the board ship movement stratgy it does not. My boarding ship will not close with the enemy until their shields are down and they can't go down if my ship won't close. So I send some regular warships along to pound down the shields. Not too good either because my boarding ships won't start to move in until the shields are down and my warships don't stop shooting at the ship whose shields are down so once my boarding ships does get there there's nothing but debris left because the regular warships blew up the enemy. That's the one that comes to mind but I'm sure there other situations as well. The scenario above also calls for more detailed/precise targeting orders. Like "If enemy ship targeted for boarding, drop shields then switch target". I also want to be able to give targeting orders based on known enemy designs. Wandering a little off topic here, but basically I want to be able give very detailed combat orders both for movement, targeting and firing. Kind of like "if this then that else other" type of orders.

[Seawolf]

Jub,

Besides all the below each weapon has different weight and expense to build.



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Seawolf on the prowl