Re: Prospective Novice

Beth.Fulton@csiro.au wrote:

> Tactics/speeds will depend on which vector (FB1 or FB2) you're using
though.
> FB1 vector allows you to play at 6x thrust with confidence, but FB2
vector
> reins you in to about 4x thrust. And I'm speaking as the FSE here -

I'd like to see your reasoning on this. The only changes to vector was
limiting the amout of thrust in pushes.

> manoeuvrability isn't as crucial for bringing weapons to bear in
vector as
> cinematic, but its still damn handy to have! This is especially true
for
> "boom and zoom", and especially when using FSE ships. With a little
practice
> you can learn to slide on by dodging most/all of the opponents "long
range"
> shots, getting in two rounds of "combined fire" (SMs/fighters/beams)
before
> speeding up and off again. This can work even better if you have large
> enough fleets for "wings" of cruisers to do this a step ahead of the
main
> body of BBs and up. Even having a pack of CTs with submunition packs
etc do
> this a turn or so before the rest gets into range can give the
opponent
> enough of a bloody nose to take their eye off the ball as the rest of
you
> main fleet comes in.
...
> And please pay attention to all those who will now rectify any "bum
steers"
> I've just given you ;)
> If there's one thing I've learnt about FT, there's so many ways this
game
> can end up being played (with/without core rules etc etc etc) that
what we
> think is normal is totally foreign to others!!
> 

And here's a perfect example :) Whereas Beth plays high G with detached
squads of ships we play with lower thrust and tightly grouped
formations.

The system I employ is to have all the ships possible within 6" of each
other. This alloys for an "area defence net" where all the PDS are
dispersed in the fleet so every ship can support any of the ships in the
fleet. It makes the fleet easier to hit with mass salvos but makes the
defence net more resiliant and allows for a greater total PDS defence.

Instead of a thrust 6 SD I run thrust 2 with extra hull and defences.
I'm not a biggest fan of salvo missiles and prefer to stick with
fighters and MT missiles as standoff weapons and your basic beam and
pulse torpedo main armourment.

My standard design specs 20% hull 10% armour, thurst 4. The weapons load
depends on the mission of the class design.

I haven't had a chance to play against other people except those in my
own group here so I can't say how this strategy would work against
anyone else, especially Beth, the experience I've had is that breaking
up your fleet leads to desaster and having high thrust capital ships
waste too much space in drive and don't have the needed "punch" when
they hit combat.

Jaime