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LittleOz
LittleOz
Join Date 01/2009
+2

To "ball up" strike craft or not to.

February 13, 2009 11:42:36 AM from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

I've witnessed experienced players giving their stirke craft "hold" orders, effectively making them ball up and shoot anything that's around them.  So I gave it a try with my fighters by telling them ball up near a large group of assailants.  Well, instead of shooting the bloody assailants, they shoot the enemies strikecraft flitting about their area.  So as soon as I click on "attack assailant"  they go flying off again.  Doesn't seem very effective to me.  What gives?

Now, on the other hand, balling up bombers is amazing.  They sit there and destroy anything that comes close, except for fighters obviously.  So that means they are actually hitting targets of value (frigates, lrms, hcs). 

 

What are you thoughts.  To "ball up" strikecraft (fighters and/or bombers), or to not to?  Jury is still out for me.

strategy
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LittleOz
Howdidudothat
Join Date 04/2008
+34
Reply #1 February 13, 2009 12:34:32 PM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

Ball them up.  Just be smart about it.

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LittleOz
transitive
Join Date 03/2007
+66
Reply #2 February 13, 2009 1:40:21 PM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

Quoting Howdidudothat,
reply 1
Ball them up.  Just be smart about it.

 

+1 agree.

 

note that being smart means getting them back on grav-well patrol if a bunch of flaks or a Kol or Halycyon shows up.

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LittleOz
Bobucles
Join Date 03/2008
+13
Reply #3 February 13, 2009 1:55:07 PM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

Wow! It's remarkable that a strike craft, who's entire survival depends on its ability to EVADE fire, can simply sit still, unload all its weapons endlessly, and not be turned into insant slag.

Don't count on this "feature" staying in the game for long.

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LittleOz
Howdidudothat
Join Date 04/2008
+34
Reply #4 February 13, 2009 2:05:31 PM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

Don't count on this "feature" staying in the game for long.

lol.  It's been in the game since beta, you think they are going to change it?

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LittleOz
Darvin3
Join Date 12/2008
+177
Reply #5 February 13, 2009 2:17:40 PM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

Well, it probably should be changed in some manner, but that doesn't mean it will be changed.  If it's been around this long, then I highly doubt it will get removed.

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LittleOz
LittleOz
Join Date 01/2009
+2
Reply #6 February 13, 2009 2:39:42 PM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

Ok, I'll keep working on balling them up.  But how do I get my fighters to target frigates instead of enemy fighters when the fighters pass by?  would bombers be better?

 

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LittleOz
Darvin3
Join Date 12/2008
+177
Reply #7 February 13, 2009 2:57:21 PM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

Put your fighters in a control group (or groups) and actually tell them what to attack.  Same goes for bombers.

 

Fighters are better against frigates (except flak frigates) than bombers, while bombers are better against structures, cruisers, capital ships, and flak frigates than fighters.  Keep in mind which type of strike craft is better against which type of target, and order them accordingly.

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LittleOz
Howdidudothat
Join Date 04/2008
+34
Reply #8 February 13, 2009 3:42:08 PM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

Ok, I'll keep working on balling them up. But how do I get my fighters to target frigates instead of enemy fighters when the fighters pass by? would bombers be better?

I actually wouldn't worry about it.  Just place your ball next to their ships, if their fighters come your way, they'll get whacked.  Once the fighters move away, they'll start attacking the frigates again.  I know it's annoying, but if you designate a target, they'll start moving again.

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LittleOz
LittleOz
Join Date 01/2009
+2
Reply #9 February 14, 2009 12:57:55 PM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

Ok, balling up works like a charm.  As long as there are no flak, and not many people in Multi build flak.  Works wonders for the advent when you group up everything nice and close together too.

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LittleOz
Astax
Join Date 04/2003
+24
Reply #10 February 14, 2009 3:25:36 PM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

Balling them up will actually make flak very effective against them.  When you have them rumming all over the place, flak tends to shoot different craft each time the squadron passes over head.  But if you keep them in 1 place a flak will fire ont he same craft till it dies.

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LittleOz
Cpt_Siddy
Join Date 02/2008
+11
Reply #11 February 15, 2009 4:55:51 AM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

espesialy, ball thm araund kols, uh huh.

 

Quoting Bobucles,
reply 3
Wow! It's remarkable that a strike craft, who's entire survival depends on its ability to EVADE fire, can simply sit still, unload all its weapons endlessly, and not be turned into insant slag.

Don't count on this "feature" staying in the game for long.

 

its a fucking feature that devs intendet, get bent and fuckked by big bubba!

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LittleOz
Bobucles
Join Date 03/2008
+13
Reply #12 February 15, 2009 9:27:04 AM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

Quoting Cpt_Siddy,
reply 11
espesialy, ball thm araund kols, uh huh.
its a fucking feature that devs intendet, get bent and fuckked by big bubba!
Could you be more specific? What sort of "small, mobile, hard to target, hard to hit" unit that sits still in the dead of space, lit up brighter than a broadcast tower are YOU thinking of?

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LittleOz
RS-fx
Join Date 12/2008
+13
Reply #13 February 15, 2009 5:28:39 PM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

It may be  efficient but i really don't want to ball up my fighters. I love the move of the fighters, their colored trails and the way they go down on a capital ship to give him a hit before escaping the counter fire...

 

fighters ball are just not beautiful. Just imagine if georges lucas would have ball the fighters in star wars ! (yeah, that's stupid, i know, just making a point ! what i love in space battle is that they are so damn impressive)

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LittleOz
JuleTron
Join Date 06/2008
+17
Reply #14 February 16, 2009 1:48:20 AM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

I have considered using this tactic for a long time, but I have rarely bothered. Maybe I should use it more.

Anyway, SC ball has a weakness. It makes it so much easier to kill them.

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LittleOz
kwm1800
Join Date 03/2008
+26
Reply #15 February 16, 2009 3:01:22 AM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

Guys.....

 

Are you sure, that ball up is better?

 

I looked those hold position fighters carefully, and found out they just don't fire all the time.

Between the firevolley, there is a significant weapon cool down time...

 

...Almost same as the time need for turning around for strikecrafts.

Now I highly doubt this is useful tactic. Let me check some numbers on this.

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LittleOz
Hack78
Join Date 04/2008
+50
Reply #16 February 16, 2009 4:26:15 AM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

Does hold position vs local radius make any difference???

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LittleOz
sirphoenix
Join Date 03/2008
+3
Reply #17 February 16, 2009 4:49:09 AM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

the only time i find balling up useful is when the enemy is trying to jump away.

they have very limited range and larger fleets are usually shifted in z-axis a lot.

since you cannot effectively put your bombers and fighters on specific z-axis near the ships so once they shoot down all ships and range they will sit there and do nothing.

 

this happens to me all the time, i put them all up very close to a bunch of ships or capital ship and when I look from the side they are actually too far away to hit anything.

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