Scouts - A new level of cheese

from Stardock Forums
I found myself in a common predicament. My allies, the Altarian Republic, were hell-bent on slaying one of the minor races that occupied a sector adjacent to my own.

Normally, this wouldn't be an issue, but it just so happens that the minor race supplied 70% of my trade income.

What options did I have? Not many...Negotiations went out of hand when the Altarians wouldn't accept anything short of my first-born child to delcare peace, and I didn't want to supply 50,000 Dreadnaughts to the minor race due to amount of resources it wasted.

That got me thinking...

In my earlier games, I discovered a tactic that allowed me to block incomming enemy constructors and colony ships from capturing galactic booty (resources & stars). It involved using three fast moving scout ships to create a moving wall. As the enemy moved, my ships would move, passively blocking the AI autopilot from reaching its destination.

This led to my strategy of defense for the minor race.

I built 8 scout ships and ringed the minor race's planet with them. This formed an impenetrable barrier between them and the stack of 10 Altarian Dreadnaughts.

The mini trade ships seemed to be able to go in and out of the barrier at will, at first. But then they stopped. Still, I was racking up the cash...

In the end, the Antarians gave up in futility.

- Nobody
905 views 19 replies
Reply #2 from Stardock Forums Top
For my next trick, I think I'll try ringing my enemy's planets with scouts. I'll need to bring along a dreadnaught and some hole-patching scouts to counter any free-roaming enemy attacking the scout parameter, but I should be able to isolate all their planets in short order.

It's pathetic, but I bet it'll work.

- Nobody

Fences - Organize your desktop icons today!
Reply #3 from Stardock Forums Top
The AI might consider it a "military build up" and your relations might decline until they declare war. Nice idea though.
Reply #5 from Stardock Forums Top
The enemy doesn't seem to mind scouts or sensor drones. Scouts are a better choice, as they only cost 20 BCs a pop and have excellent movement rates.
Reply #6 from Stardock Forums Top
It works! At least playing against bright opponents...

I ambushed the Altarians with 8 groups of 8 scouts, three dreadnaughts, and pleanty of constructors.

Each scout squadron flew to a planet, deployed around it, and went into guard mode. Once each Altarian planet was surrounded, I declared war and took out their stragglers. Since the enemy had no place to go, they were trapped! I flew my constructors in, built influencial starbases, and won without even invading.

The AI could do nothing! Nothing! Mwahahaha! }:>

- Nobody
- Pass the cheese please
Reply #7 from Stardock Forums Top
COOL :d
Reply #8 from Stardock Forums Top
#6, let me get this straight. You surrounded all Altarian planets with scouts, declared war on the Altarians, destroyed all their ships not in orbit and they could do nothing? I assume that is because your scouts are blocking their ships in orbit from leaving orbit. I'd say that's something that's in serious need of fixing. If someone you're at war it har your star surrounded you should be able to fly out with your guns blazing and blast a path to martial glory... :D

~SDC~
Reply #9 from Stardock Forums Top
Yup...The enemy fleets were stuck on their planets.

What was funny was how the AI acted to this threat. On one occaision, they snuck up and blasted a few scouts with a corvette. This left a hole in the scout-wall. They could have launched their ships and destroyed more scouts, but they didn't. Their delay gave me enough time to patch the hole and slay the free corvette.

Also...If you surround a planet and it defects to you, the enemy's ships stay there. They can't leave orbit.

- Nobody
Reply #10 from Stardock Forums Top
What do they do if you open a hole in your scout ring around the defecting system?

~SDC~
Reply #11 from Stardock Forums Top
Sometimes they escape and start firing away at me. Sometimes they sit there and do nothing.

- Nobody
Reply #13 from Stardock Forums Top
The 'block enemy ships' tactic has been known for a long time during development and is a fundamental problem with any similar type game. There was discussion in the early stages of development of allowing ships of different races to occupy the same square (which removes this tactic/problem) but the amount of extra effort was quite high. Unfortunately it's the only wa to remove this type of tactic.

Paul.

~SDC~
Reply #14 from Stardock Forums Top
Actually, I'm surprised those ships in orbit can't fire at the surrounding scout ships. While the orbiting ship's effectiveness should be reduce, it still should not be prevented from firing at attacking ships surrounding a planet.
Reply #15 from Stardock Forums Top
I understand that this is a bug, but a partial justification for this is that vehicles are particularly vulnerable during their launch phase from orbit.
Reply #16 from Stardock Forums Top
Yeah, but if they're vulnerable, then why do they defend better when in orbit? ;)

~SDC~
Reply #17 from Stardock Forums Top
Plus they aren't really 'in orbit' they could be anywhere in a system, not necessarily in orbit around any planet.

~SDC~
Reply #18 from Stardock Forums Top
Couldn't this be fairly easily solved simply be having ships de-orbit into the nearest empty square, not just the first blank adjacent one?

~SDC~
Reply #19 from Stardock Forums Top
We're going to change the ship leaving orbit behavior to counter this in 1.03.

~SDC~