Entrenchment tactics discussion

**JamesTerror** · 08-04-2009, 04:44 AM

Starbases, mines new abilities for old defense structures, how do you use them?
Do you find mines useful?
What upgrades do you buy for your starbase?
What defensive stuctures do you usually use and in what amounts?
Which race has the best general defense in your opinion?
Discuss this and other things that come to your minds.

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I dont like mines that much, they are expensive and don't do that much damage. I often put them on my inner planets to protect them from scouting. As for Vasari gravity mines, never used them.

Seeing as I play Vasari most of the time, I've developed a love for the Orkulus. It can move, it has phase missiles and the distruptor weapon. Then there is the deflector shield that is sort of...wonky? The description says reduce frontal damage by 100%(200% on seond level), doesn't happen, I dont know if its just for the emitter part or the entire frontal part but it only reduces damage by maybe halfish. I don't usually buy the anti-colonizing things, trade ports or habitats and instead go for guns guns guns and some armor. They just take a slot for a pretty insignificant gain.

Hangars with repair platforms and a couple of turrets, unless there is a starbase in the system with sufficent upgrades. I don't find the specialized structures useful, exept phase gates.

Last point, the Advent with their stikecraft seem to be winners, with a system full of hangars a medium sized fleet would have trouble killing them all, unless they have several anti-fighter frigates with them.

Overall, the Vasari seem like a very offensive race with the production upgrade in enemy space research and movement of the starbase, TEC is a nice middle ground and the Advent are the most defensive race. (In my opinion anyway)

Acreo Aeneas · 08-04-2009, 01:39 PM

I love the Starbases. I'm playing a MP game by myself with a insane aggressor AI and a easy AI ally. Almost lost the game in the first 20 minutes, but luckily I managed to get a starbase up at a junction asteroid field. I can say for certainty that a single starbase (+2 weapons, +3 hitpoints/armor, +2 fighter bays) can hold off a fairly massive fleet of 4-7 level 3+ cap ships and a whole slew (last engagement was like 120 frigates/cruisers) and still come out with more than 6,000 hitpoints.

Mines I find are useless even if you triple-stack them at the jump points in the gravity well of a planet.

I always: +2 weapons, +2 (or 3) armor/hitpoints, +1/2 fighter bays, +1/0 boom (for repairing of friendly ships and resupply), +1 trading post to link my empire even through systems that can't be colonized.

I still think TEC is the best at defenses simply because of how powerful the starbases are (~24 laser beams + burst laser cannons + some autocannons). Vasari's might also have a debateable "best defense/offense" due to the fact that you can build more than 1 starbase inside a single gravity well and those bases can move and jump from system to system.

The only problem with the game I'm playing now is that I'm at the stalemate point where they can't send a sizable enough force to take over any one system without losing all or most of their ships. So far, none of the 7,000+ ships they've sent at me have survived.

**JamesTerror** · 08-04-2009, 03:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by acreo aeneas

vasari's might also have a debateable "best defense/offense" due to the fact that you can build more than 1 starbase inside a single gravity well and those bases can move and jump from system to system.

???

Experiment time!

EDIT: Nope, can't jump nor can you build several in the same system. Shame, I was so excited for a while.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acreo Aeneas

Mines I find are useless even if you triple-stack them at the jump points in the gravity well of a planet.

I always: +2 weapons, +2 (or 3) armor/hitpoints, +1/2 fighter bays, +1/0 boom (for repairing of friendly ships and resupply), +1 trading post to link my empire even through systems that can't be colonized.

There's a discussion going on about mines in the sins forums, fan made thread, let's see if the devs pick up on the votes.

I very rarely upgrade for bays, I think like a gunho soldier with the mindset of: "GUNSGUNSGUNS AND SOMETHING TO ANTI-GUN IN CASE OF ENEMIES."

As you said, trade port upgrades are extremely useful in uncolonizable systems, but I tend to forget doing that. The Vasari phase gate upgrade I only build in my inner systems for quick redeployment, and I've never built any shipp support upgrades.

Quote:

The only problem with the game I'm playing now is that I'm at the stalemate point where they can't send a sizable enough force to take over any one system without losing all or most of their ships. So far, none of the 7,000+ ships they've sent at me have survived.

Can you take all or most of your fleet to hit a single planet and afterwards build a starbase there, whittle the enemy down one by one?

Acreo Aeneas · 08-04-2009, 03:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JamesTerror

???

Experiment time!

EDIT: Nope, can't jump nor can you build several in the same system. Shame, I was so excited for a while.

Weird, in all the games I've played, the starbase (Vasari?) can move around the gravity well and jump from system to system. You might need a research for the jumping part though. Amu can confirm the starbase can jump since I've see it jump several times.

Quote:

I very rarely upgrade for bays, I think like a gunho soldier with the mindset of: "GUNSGUNSGUNS AND SOMETHING TO ANTI-GUN IN CASE OF ENEMIES."

As you said, trade port upgrades are extremely useful in uncolonizable systems, but I tend to forget doing that. The Vasari phase gate upgrade I only build in my inner systems for quick redeployment, and I've never built any shipp support upgrades.

Really you need it especially if it's out there alone. You'll need to take out as many bombers as you can or else the smarter AI/person will just sit way outside of your attack range and just use his bomber wings to blow your base away (especially with TEC and Advent).

Quote:

Can you take all or most of your fleet to hit a single planet and afterwards build a starbase there, whittle the enemy down one by one?

I was considering jumping in a sizable fleet to distract his main fleet while I set up a starbase behind, but I still need like 2 hours to set it all up and gather the resources I need to do it. Even then it'll take me like 20 minutes to get the starbase up with enough hitpoints and weapons to survive the AI's very massive fleet (600+ ships).