Players: 3/3
Comr4de
Shadowed999
Tingalz
CURRENT MAP
Okie doke, despite my incredibly low expectations for success, I am giving this another shot. I will try to make this simpler for you people who have no idea how basic physics work (hint: more equipment requires better engines to move you, and even the best engines can only provide so much).
This time, instead of each person having their own ship and being part of a larger fleet, you will each have your own FLAGSHIP leading your own fleet to spearhead an attack into enemy space. Instead of choosing your own ship class and each individual module on it, you will choose from one of three different prebuilt flagships (close-range, medium range, and long-range), and also choose from several other ships to make up your fleet. Just like last time, there are three different ship classes: Cruiser, Frigate, and Fighter. I will accept
4 3 players, for now at least. As the conquest progresses I may allow more people to join in.
IF YOU WANT TO PLAY, BUT DON'T KNOW YOUR PULSE LASERS FROM YOUR PROTON BEAMS READ THIS. I don't want morons who have no idea what they're doing in here.CRUISERS are the largest and strongest ships in a fleet. They are not always the most plentiful, but they don't require strength in numbers unlike fighters and frigates. A single cruiser can easily take down several combat or escort frigates, but support frigates that stay away from the front line may be able to cause problems. Most cruisers are pretty much invulnerable to fighters, even with the lightest shields and armor, but lack the tracking speed to shoot them down. This is usually where the frigate comes in.
If cruisers are like brick walls, then
FRIGATES are eggshells armed with sledgehammers. They can deal lots of damage, but they can't take the heat as well as cruisers. They are the most vulnerable of all the ship classes, lacking the immense amounts of shields, armor, and hp that cruisers have; nor do they have the speed and evasion of fighters. However, they are cheap, plentiful, and are able to dish out quite a lot of pain in their short lives. In addition to being glass cannons on the front lines, they are also able to provide support for the larger cruisers. Give them some EMP missiles and they can stop another cruiser in its' tracks. Load up on disruptor bombs and you can destabilize a cruiser's shields, dropping them without having to whittle them down all the way. Slap a few pulse lasers, rapidfire lasers, or even a tractor beam, and you have a cost-effective anti-fighter platform. However, every frigate has a weakness. Fighters. No matter how much anti-fighter ordinance you stack up, they will hurt you before they go down.
FIGHTER squadrons, while next to useless against a shielded and armored cruiser, still play a very important part in any battle. They are capable of engaging and destroying other fighters before they destroy your frigates and harass your cruisers. They are also a very good frigate counter, as not only can they can fly under shield bubbles, but their weapon's armor-piercing ability is so high that you cannot have enough armor to defend your frigate against fighters without sacrificing shield power. Sacrifice shields and you'll be taken down in seconds by the cruisers, whose armor piercing level is much higher. Fighters armed with rockets are a direct frigate counter, as they have such a high piercing level, that they can take down any frigate shields and armor with no trouble, although this sacrifices their anti-fighter capabilities, and their minimum range is too far for them to fly under cruiser shields anymore.
If you're going to read just one paragraph, make it this one.Now, this will all be run from the campaign. I will build up a ton of resources so I may build each person's fleet, and then turn it mostly over to you guys. I will manage home defense, the players handle offense. At the start of the game, you are allowed two cruisers, eight frigates, two fighter squadrons and a freighter. Your losses will be automatically replaced as long as your flagship survives, but this takes time. BUT If your flagship gets destroyed on an offensive mission, you are considered DEAD and your fleet will be reassigned to the other players. I will cut you some slack if an enemy fleet destroys your flagship on an A.I. issued attack. For the sake of fairness I will send a scout to each attackable planet before putting you guys at risk.
Required reading endsYou all will be playing as the FEDERATION. This race is the jack of all trades, master of none. There is no definite enemy faction, so here is a brief summary of the abilities of the other races.
ALLIANCE: I don't know much about the alliance, they're the only race I haven't really explored. I do recall that they get bonuses to armor, so fighters may not be as useful in scenarios fighting them.
REBELS: These guys get bonuses to speed. They also utilize the best fighters in the game, and are the only ones with a feasible bomber chassis. Tractor beams may be advised.
EMPIRE: The Empire gets amazing bonuses to shield power, so theirs can take a lot more punishment before going down. I'd say they definitely have the upper hand in cruiser engagements. However, they suffer from large shield bubbles and poor fighters, making them susceptible to fighter attacks. Their frigates are able to be outfitted with shield support beams, which can regenerate a cruiser's shields mid-fight, greatly lengthening their lifepspans.
SWARM: Strength in numbers. They get a penalty to armor, hit points, and shields, but get a bonus to speed and a significant cost reduction, so they can field more at once. Their armor penalty leaves them a lot more vulnerable to fighter attacks.
TRIBE: Having only half the shields and armor of the norm, you'd think they would be a total pushover. However, each module contributes twice as much to the total HP pool, making their fighters the toughest in the game. In addition, their cruisers possess advanced hull regenerators (and frigates get one period) that are able to heal damage almost as soon as it takes damage, providing it still has supplies left. Their best counter is pure DPS.
ORDER: Speed penalty, but they have a higher energy output. This speed penalty makes their fighters abysmal, seeing as a fighter's main defense is not being hit. Then again, their limpet mines can slow your fighters to a crawl as well. The order also uses nuclear weapons, that act like a lot of poisons in RPGs. They don't do much damage per hit, but can hurt you even after they've stopped shooting.
FLAGSHIPS
Each player gets one and only one. I shouldn't have to say this but I just know some moron would ask for 2 missile cruisers a close-range and a midrange if I didn't. Oh yeah and you get to name it.
MISSILE FLAGSHIP
The missile flagship is designed to be able to attack from outside the range of the enemy's beams and cannons. However, missiles do not stop enemies in their tracks, so escorts are needed to stop enemies from marching right up to you and slapping your stuff from inside your minimum range. This ship does come with a tractor beam and a pair of pulse lasers though, to stop those pesky fighters.
Special equipment: Tractor Beam, Accuracy Booster
Admirals using this ship gain the perk: Painter Fighters. Painter Fighters designate a target with their targeting lasers, ensuring the accuracy of outgoing missiles.MIDRANGE FLAGSHIP
This ship is a standard beam spamming cruiser, with a few surprises thrown in. That gun at the front is an EMP beam, capable of shutting down another ship's weapons and engines for a short amount of time. And that radar dish is protection against the same weapon. It doesn't stop every EMP, but it stops most. Also that little gun between the two cyan cannons is a guidance scrambler beam, which can send incoming missiles off course. This ship's worst enemy would probably be the fighters, as it is the most lightly armored flagship.
Special equipment: EMP Cannon, EMP Shield, Guidance Scrambler Beam
Admirals commanding a fleet from this type of ship get the perk: Leadership. Instead of sending captured enemies back to the homeworld for the ships to be scrapped and their crews detained, you are able to convince the aliens to join your battlegroup.CLOSE-RANGE FLAGSHIP
I tried and tried to fit more weapons on this thing, but it was either stick with that, or lose speed and defensive power, two things necessary for a close-range cruiser's survival. Unlike the other cruisers you will have in your fleets, this one possesses a cloaking device and an autorepair system, allowing it to cloak and repair without being shot at. And believe me, this ship will be shot at a lot.
Special equipment: Cloaking Device, Auto-Repair System.
Admirals on board this ship gain the perk: Advanced escape pod. Due to the dangerous nature of this flagship, the bridge itself is an escape pod. Admirals on this ship have a one in two chance of surviving its' destruction. From left to right:
LASER FIGHTER- This is a good all-around fighter, with no real downsides. It's the best weapon to use for taking on other fighters.
ROCKETEER- Rockets tear frigates apart, and this one has two.
TORcreep BOMBER- The slowest fighter around, it's actually somewhat vulnerable to cruisers. However, if the payload hits the target, it's going to be in a world of hurt.
From left to right:
SUPPORT ESCORT- While it isn't packing weapons that do much damage, these frigates carry disruptor bombs and EMP missiles, that will really screw with the enemy.
ANTI-FIGHTER ESCORT- Armored enough to take whatever fighters can dish out, and have the guns to beat them back as well.
COMBAT FRIGATE- A frigate designed for maximum survivability and damage. Unfortunately it's still a frigate, and a cruiser will mop the floor with it anyway.
SKIRMISHER- A frigate that knows it won't last five seconds against a cruiser, and has shed all its shields to make room for armor, engines, and weapons. Twice as fast as all the other ships.
From left to right:
BEAM CRUISER- A decent midrange fighter, bringing weapons that are good against shields, good against armor, and good against both. A solid all-rounder.
MISSILE CRUISER- Lacking the advanced pulse laser and tractor beam on the flagship, this class has to make do with a pair of defense lasers. It also seems to be using the hideously outdated plasma torcreep launcher. Don't let the enemy get too close.
FAST CRUISER- A cruiser that is supposed to get in close, beat the snot out of the enemy, and should it get taken down, blow up in their face. It's also crewed entirely by robots, which is pretty nifty.
PAINTER CRUISER- A close-midrange cruiser fielding a painting laser, allowing missile cruisers to be much more accurate with their shots. It's not a very good fighter, but a good support ship.
Finally, there is one special case.
THE HUMBLE FREIGHTER
A civilian freighter turned military carrier, this is the only ship that can carry fighters. If you want to take any fighters with you at all, there must be at least one of these in your fleet.
