Is there a listing of successful ship designs?

[Kimball]

Originally posted by Baron Munchausen:
Ships armed only with seekers DO need combat sensors if they are also carrying point-defense. PDC are affected by combat sensors, and fighters can be very hard to hit.

I seem to recall reading a thread quite a while ago that said combat sensors do not influence PDC's. Has that changed?

[Suicide Junkie]

Pre-Gold, PDCs had a 70% minimum to-hit chance. There were only a very small range of situations where Sensors [i]could[/u] make a difference.

Now, PDCs are only +50% (might be +70% in unmodded SE4G)
So now, sensors are very useful, especially for long range PDC shots against ECM-using targets.

[ July 12, 2002, 00:27: Message edited by: Suicide Junkie ]

[Baron Munchausen]

Originally posted by Kimball:
I seem to recall reading a thread quite a while ago that said combat sensors do not influence PDC's. Has that changed?

MM's own Q&A on their site says that combat sensors do affect PDC.

[Atrocities]

one simple rule when designing ships. Don't use every weapon you can stuff into them. Make specialized vessels.

One that is nothing but Point Defense
One for Planet assualts.
One for Fighters
One for Missles
One for other weapons.

Use your ships in tandom, and your fleet will be a stronger unit.

[Baron Munchausen]

Originally posted by Atrocities:
one simple rule when designing ships. Don't use every weapon you can stuff into them. Make specialized vessels.

One that is nothing but Point Defense
One for Planet assualts.
One for Fighters
One for Missles
One for other weapons.

Use your ships in tandom, and your fleet will be a stronger unit.

That's when you use manual tactical combat control. When you rely on strategic combat, and you must in multiplayer games, this has to be modified a bit. A PDC ship needs one weapon of the same type as the ships it is escorting, and all warships need at least one PDC each. Carriers need PDC and it's probably smart to give them a conventional weapon so they aren't easy prey to a random frigate if they get caught without fighters. As long as they have the 'don't get hurt' strategy they should still stay out of the way in combat. Other modifiactions depend on particular situations.

[ July 12, 2002, 15:33: Message edited by: Baron Munchausen ]

[Will]

My designs vary a lot, depending on the opponents I'm facing at the time in the game. However, in standard-tech SEIV, I generally go with max engines, multiplex/sensors/ecm, one shield, max out on weapons. My philosophy is usually build a whole lot of disposable ships that will do a lot of damage, probably why I usually don't build bigger than Battleships.

When I do build bigger than battleships, they're (usually) more balanced with offense and defense. I'll usually throw in an engine-killer and weapon-killer as well. I've found that those often help quite a bit in combat, especially when defending and using Max Range strategy. A bunch of ships can effectively be disabled by an outmatched ship.

[Skulky]

2 words: PLAY PBW (against humans duh!)

[DirectorTsaarx]

Originally posted by Baron Munchausen:
Ships armed only with seekers DO need combat sensors if they are also carrying point-defense. PDC are affected by combat sensors, and fighters can be very hard to hit. Granted, if you are not currently fighting any enemies who use fighters you will probably not notice the difference. But just as with most other 'rules' there are exceptions to this one and I thought you should be reminded.

You're right, I forgot about combat sensors affecting PDC; but, as you pointed out, it doesn't make much difference unless the enemy is using fighters (or drones).

[Phoenix-D]

It also doesn't matter so much because PD gets a rather large to-hit bonus.

Phoenix-D

[Fyron]

Which is nearly cancelled out by Fighter's defense bonus.