On 3/5/07, John Lerchey <lerchey@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
I've played SITS a number of times, but only played AV once. I did not
find it to be any easier to hold formation in SITS than it is in FT.
What I find is that holding and turing lines is fairly difficult, but if
you make a diamond or circle, it's fairly easy to stay on station in
either system.
<shrug>
In SITS, there is little benefit to any formation that does not have all of the ships in a single hex, with the same attitude and same vectors. Energy ranges being what they are, two ships more than one hex apart are nearly incapable of providing any mutual support. Without an FTL-comm, they cannot even coordinate a combined missile launch on a distant target. As I said, it is not easier in SITS, merely that the difficulties of handling a formation is mooted by there being no benefit extending any formation to include ships not in the same hex/facing/vector. Holding a line-ahead formation is trivial as each ship in the line does not initiate its own vector change; until it reaches the hex that the lead ship started its vector change, and then it performs the same vector change. If the magnitude of the vector does not change much, the line even keeps its spacing.
I suppose what I should do is come up with some canned maneuvers and post them. That way, people might be encouraged to post some of their own, or suggest why certain maneuvers are not likely to be useful. As an after action report underscored the difficulties faced by a Kra'Vak player after turning his line-abreast formation three points turned it into a line-ahead formation with drastic effects, turning a line-abreast formation is a good starting point. When I figure it out, I will let you know.