What I do is target the heaviest ship (while staying out of it's weapons range), launch my fighters and tell them to attack it, then target the next heavier ship (or the closest one to me) and fire my longer-ranged weapons until it's either disabled or destroyed. When my fighters have finished off their target, I send them against another heavy, while I fire at another...and so on until all the heavies are done for. When the heavies are down, and just the fighters are left, I send my fighters against them one-at-a-time. If any fighter comes within range of my primaries, I take 'em out with my cannons/turrets. Unfortunately, unless I have a large amount of fighters at my disposal, they get killed quite early. I like to carry two types of small craft: fighter-bombers to go up against the heavier ship classes, and fighters for my own protection (close-in work). Is there any other way to do this or does anyone do it differently? Also, what might be the appropriate number of fighters to carry on a cruiser-class ship?

~Ace

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"There is simply nothing in life more worth doing than kicking ass for money." - J. S. Jordan, Mercenaries Guild

Quote

Originally posted by CaptAceHarddrive:
**What I do is target the heaviest ship (while staying out of it's weapons range), launch my fighters and tell them to attack it, then target the next heavier ship (or the closest one to me) and fire my longer-ranged weapons until it's either disabled or destroyed. When my fighters have finished off their target, I send them against another heavy, while I fire at another...and so on until all the heavies are done for. When the heavies are down, and just the fighters are left, I send my fighters against them one-at-a-time. If any fighter comes within range of my primaries, I take 'em out with my cannons/turrets. Unfortunately, unless I have a large amount of fighters at my disposal, they get killed quite early. I like to carry two types of small craft: fighter-bombers to go up against the heavier ship classes, and fighters for my own protection (close-in work). Is there any other way to do this or does anyone do it differently? Also, what might be the appropriate number of fighters to carry on a cruiser-class ship?

~Ace

**

Interesting, but far too complicated for my combat style. I generally dislike having escorts tag along, pressing "v" every time I enter a system in case there's something nice to disable and board, and I usually sell fighters (and bays, if possible) for extra cash and space.

When I do use fighters, though, I don't launch them unless a combat situation demands it. I guess it is a good tactic to have them attack one ship while you attack another, but there really aren't many alternatives, because they all have to attack the same ship. Sometimes I like to blow stuff up ultra-fast by sending everything I've got -- fighters, long-range weapons, and myself, guns blazing -- at enemies.

Escorts, like I said, are annoying, but Lightnings are so easy to disable and capture, I usually end up accumulating some from time to time. I've had them take out a Confed Frigate in 0.87 seconds with no losses before.

Also, it seems like you're talking about plug-ins with regards to fighter types, as in EV I don't see when you'll ever get more than two types. But it really is difficult to control fighters; I'd like to have the ability to divide them up and have them attack multiple targets (escorts are even more annoying, it's so hard to get them to attack the ship you want them to attack).

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Mike Lee (Firebird)
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I don't usually use my fighters either, and I'd never use them like that because if the warship happens to destroy one or both of them I need to somehow come up with an extra 2,000,000 credits to replace them. If I do have to use fighters on a warship I usually fire away my secondaries at it to distract it from the fighters (and, if neccesary, come in and use my primaries).

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Or you could do like I do and capture them. I'm playing RoP and have had up to 11 Tactical Bombers in my bay. Something I don't understand is when I board them, some of them don't go into my bay (which has been emptied), but I do get the "What do you want to plunder from this ship?" dialogue box. If I get this, I grab the credits and ammo (if any), then move on to the next ship. I do wish you didn't have to match up fighters with the ships (disabled) they launched from. Apparently each fighter will only re-enter the bay it launched from. You'd think if the ship had the bay, it would accept the fighter, no matter which ship it came from, as long as the bay isn't full.

~Ace

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"There is simply nothing in life more worth doing than kicking ass for money." - J. S. Jordan, Mercenaries Guild

(quote)Originally posted by CaptAceHarddrive:
**Or you could do like I do and capture them. I'm playing RoP and have had up to 11 Tactical Bombers in my bay. Something I don't understand is when I board them, some of them don't go into my bay (which has been emptied), but I do get the "What do you want to plunder from this ship?" dialogue box. If I get this, I grab the credits and ammo (if any), then move on to the next ship. I do wish you didn't have to match up fighters with the ships (disabled) they launched from. Apparently each fighter will only re-enter the bay it launched from. You'd think if the ship had the bay, it would accept the fighter, no matter which ship it came from, as long as the bay isn't full.

~Ace

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**

Maybe both at the same time! Think about it as "rescuing" a disabled ship/pilot. Imagine having pirates flying for you, seeing as how now they are working for a better "employer" and are "reformed" and are pirates no longer. The same goes for captured pirate capital ships used as escorts. I wonder if Earthships would fire on a Faction ship after it had been captured and is used as my escort? Something to try...

~Ace

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"There is simply nothing in life more worth doing than kicking ass for money." - J. S. Jordan, Mercenaries Guild

Quote

Originally posted by CaptAceHarddrive:
**Or you could do like I do and capture them. I'm playing RoP and have had up to 11 Tactical Bombers in my bay. Something I don't understand is when I board them, some of them don't go into my bay (which has been emptied), but I do get the "What do you want to plunder from this ship?" dialogue box. If I get this, I grab the credits and ammo (if any), then move on to the next ship. I do wish you didn't have to match up fighters with the ships (disabled) they launched from. Apparently each fighter will only re-enter the bay it launched from. You'd think if the ship had the bay, it would accept the fighter, no matter which ship it came from, as long as the bay isn't full.

~Ace

**

That's strange, it shouldn't give you the boarding dialog box if your bay isn't full...

I mean, you can capture Lightnings in regular EV, and they don't have to have come from your bay (they don't even have to be any special "naval" version adapted for bay use).

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If fighters are your thing, I think Galactic Scourge is the plugin for you. Increased capacities of all fighter bays, nearly all bays available for purchase instead of being ship exclusive, and tons of new fighters, plus bays to go with them! I never found myself using fighters very heavily in EV or EVN, but in EVO I could always send my UE fighters after one target and unless its an Igazra I can be confident they will either destroy it or hold its attention until I take out its buddies.

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I thought there might be a flag on whatever dude it was, depending on whatever government it "works" for (i.e. regular (moderate) pirates, BloodGuild, ConEx Partisans...) that says whether or not one can board the ship/capture the ship (tractor into the bay). Several times I've found I'll be in the correct position for boarding, but nothing happens when I press "b". When I press it again, I get the "You cannot board this ship" message.

~Ace

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"There is simply nothing in life more worth doing than kicking ass for money." - J. S. Jordan, Mercenaries Guild

My strategy for fighters is to not use them. In EV I find the AI to not know how to handle them well enough to really make them useful.

-J

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I just launch them, fire a salvo, call them back to reload and relaunch. Works best with the Rebel Cruiser.

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Here's something funny: System 7.5.2

Quote

Originally posted by Firebird:
**
Also, it seems like you're talking about plug-ins with regards to fighter types, as in EV I don't see when you'll ever get more than two types. But it really is difficult to control fighters; I'd like to have the ability to divide them up and have them attack multiple targets (escorts are even more annoying, it's so hard to get them to attack the ship you want them to attack).
**

Four types, I thought. Can't you get Rebel Mantas and Confederate Patrolers after the Alien missions?

(This message has been edited by Quetzalcoatl (edited 05-18-2003).)

Also Confed Gunboats, if I remember correctly. Well, now that I'm in an Earth Confederacy Battlecruiser, I'm trying a new strategy: I'll charge in and either destroy or disable the heavies using either my heavy laser or my plasma drivers, (as well as letting my fighters take out a few). Any surviving ships (disabled heavies and fighters) I give to my interceptors to play with.

Pleased to meet ya, Quetzalcoatl!
~Ace

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"There is simply nothing in life more worth doing than kicking ass for money." - J. S. Jordan, Mercenaries Guild

Quote

Originally posted by Quetzalcoatl:
**Four types, I thought. Can't you get Rebel Mantas and Confederate Patrolers after the Alien missions?
**

Yeah, but without a plug-in, you can't get them on the same ship at the same time...it'd be cool if you could though.

Quote

Originally posted by ghostdog:
**I just launch them, fire a salvo, call them back to reload and relaunch. Works best with the Rebel Cruiser.
**

Heh, that's a pretty nice tactic, I never thought of applying it to the game...the only time I came up with it was when playing some online EV-based RPG's.

Funny how your Manta bay comes with an unlimited supply of missiles.

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Mike Lee (Firebird)
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I noticed that there can still be enemy ships in the area, but until your fighters are back in the bay, you won't be able to target them! I run through all the ships in the area with my targetting keys, yet they don't show up until I've recalled my fighters. So, I get all my fighters back (thinking that the enemy has been "disposed of"), when, lo and behold, all those little blue dots running around the screen start turning red. I'll bet my allies/fleetmates are wondering "What the heck is he doing recalling his fighters and not blasting the rest of the enemy ships?" I wonder if calling your fighters back into formation could be seen as calling them back to rearm and refuel them (not that they ever need it)?

~Ace

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"There is simply nothing in life more worth doing than kicking ass for money." - J. S. Jordan, Mercenaries Guild

I am with the Terminator all the way!

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Here's a good question: Why do some ships attack you when you're clean with them (their government)? I just finished the Earth string of RoP and have begun the Faction string (new pilot). Here I am, in Helios system, just destroyed some pirates (nobody around to complain), when an Atinoda fleet hypers in, decides to target me, for no reason! So, I did the only thing I could do and blasted 'em! Also, I'm in one of the Faction systems, a pirate fleet hypers in, begins to fire on Faction ships and on me. I blast 'em! No problems with the Faction yet. I see that one of my fighters is disabled, so I mosey over to it and tractor it into the bay. It's at this time that the Faction ships decide to go red on me. Since I'm trying to play the Faction string, I skedaddled without firing a shot! The next system (Faction) has some Earth warships doin' their thing. They decide to go red on me! I'm starting to get paranoid! All I did was blast some pirates (the ReadMe says "...no-one will care.")! So why does it seem as if I have a bounty on my head? I don't see any bounty hunters anywhere!

~Ace :

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"There is simply nothing in life more worth doing than kicking ass for money." - J. S. Jordan, Mercenaries Guild

I havent had much of tactics with fighters because I havent known the proper tactic. I have wondered if it is to take out other fighters? Take out one ship as you support it with Missiles (for example)? Or something else? I have just let them attack a ship and see if they are strong enough to come out alive. If, great; I have saved myself rom fighting (if it was a lone Pirate Argosy). If not, im not sad; I just rebuy them. Im glad for even heavy damage they can cause. 2 Lightnings get a Corvette down to 30%, after that ists short work to kill. So I never recall them because I have thought I dont need it, its just a extra bother.

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I am eager to try to ansver mission questions

What I do (I have a kestrel) i send the fighters out and tell them to attack the target and let them fire a round of missiles and recall them send them out again let them fire missiles and recall them over and over. and i dont have to waste any secondaries.cool, heh.

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Slim

Quote

Originally posted by slimjim:
**What I do (I have a kestrel) i send the fighters out and tell them to attack the target and let them fire a round of missiles and recall them send them out again let them fire missiles and recall them over and over. and i dont have to waste any secondaries.cool, heh.:D

**

Its cool but you have to do it so many times it gets tedious. Atleast they have double more missiles than Mantas or Patrol Ships.

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I am eager to try to ansver mission questions

(This message has been edited by General Cade Smart (edited 05-30-2003).)