A question about solar panels - Page 3

Dingocat85 · #21 April 23rd, 2003, 01:10 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by oleg:

quote:
Originally posted by Slick:
I have always thought that Solar Sails should add movement without using supplies. It just doesn't make sense. I suppose it is easy enough to mod them some supply generation and I know that some mods do this. But a stock Solar Sail sure doesn't act like you might expect if you are comparing it to a sail on a real sailboat i.e "free" movement using energy from wind (or in space, solar wind).

Slick.

You still need some energy (from the crew at least) to rig sails and hove the ship

Solar sails actually can give you free movement, in some situations. Strip a ship of its engines, and give it a solar sail. Voila, free movement, no Quantum reactor required

Fyron · #22 April 23rd, 2003, 01:16 AM

No supplies limits you 1 move per turn though, so you have to add a supply storage comp.

[ April 23, 2003, 00:26: Message edited by: Imperator Fyron ]

Loser · #23 April 23rd, 2003, 02:05 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Dingocat85:
Solar sails actually can give you free movement, in some situations. Strip a ship of its engines, and give it a solar sail. Voila, free movement, no Quantum reactor required

Great. Now all I need is engines that I can blow up on command, and a small supply component, so that my ship will be able to move a bit better when it had _nearly_ run out of supplies.

Come to think of it, it's not unreasonable to expect to destroy _any_ component on command. Others wouldn't have much reason, since the enemy can just repair the component if they catch your ship.

Of course, if you have blown up your engines _before_ the enemy closes in to capture your ship, your enemy will be sorely inconvenienced.

Yeessss, how deeeviiious...

Dingocat85 · #24 April 23rd, 2003, 04:53 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Loser:
[QBOf course, if you have blown up your engines _before_ the enemy closes in to capture your ship, your enemy will be sorely inconvenienced.

Yeessss, how deeeviiious...[/QB]

I have an even better idea - wouldn't it be great if, the instant your ship got captured, your ship got destroyed, and the enemy's did too? Wait, what does this 'Self Destruct Device' do?

Loser · #25 April 23rd, 2003, 02:58 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Dingocat85:
I have an even better idea - wouldn't it be great if, the instant your ship got captured, your ship got destroyed, and the enemy's did too? Wait, what does this 'Self Destruct Device' do?

You have a good point. And that crazy bLast-the-engines idea would only work in Tactical combat.

There is also the option of setting the secondary attack priority to Ram. If I am not mistaken, that will make a ship, once deprived of the ability to shoot at its enemies, into a rampaging juggernaut of

"HHUUG MMEEE!"
*WHAM!

Which ought to vex any capture ship attempting to close with it. That has some significant entertainment value as well. I will have to try that out.

Come to think of it, I don't know if I've seen much of any ram-strategy out of the AI... do any of the AIs ever ram?

Is ramming even a viable tactic? I seem to remember something about Organic-Armored Ram Escorts, but does anyone make use of this sort of thing?

Fyron · #26 April 23rd, 2003, 08:11 PM

Organic armored ramming battleships are very deadly, cause they can crush nearly any ship and just regenerate the next round, to go on crushing more. And, they are cheap.

Loser · #27 April 23rd, 2003, 08:35 PM

Do any AIs take advantage of this tatic?

Fyron · #28 April 23rd, 2003, 09:13 PM

It is a difficult tactic to use properly, and is easily countered by Ionic Dispersers. Ramming a target drops your shields to 0 IIRC, so an ID can disable your ship after the first ramming. A Shield Regenerator would help, but not be completely effective. Same with Boarding Parties. They can capture your ramming ship after it makes 1 ram. AIs are not adaptable to the current situation like humans are, so getting them to use this tactic properly is problematic at best. There is probably an AI or two out there that uses something like this though.

Loser · #29 April 23rd, 2003, 09:19 PM

Whoa... how did I get a four star rating?

I think I started today with two. And I was surprised I had a rating at all.

[edit: Four Star rating and Corporal. Woot.]

[edit again: problems with the letter t]

[ April 23, 2003, 22:58: Message edited by: Loser ]

oleg · #30 April 23rd, 2003, 11:20 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Loser:
Do any AIs take advantage of this tatic?

There have been some attempt to make such AI. Some organic TDM ships (Aquelinas, United Flora)have heavy OA loads and ram strategy. But it is indeed a tough trick to pull. If anybody do it, his/her AI modding skills should get the upper mark !