EV (and EVO) Fleets and Fleet Tactics

This is essentially a rehash of my spiel concerning fleet combat and the extent that it is supported by the EV plugins. Those who have been following the discussions over the years may remember this and may not want to re-hash it again here. However, I believe that this is very important to the EV storyline development.

I believe that supporting, or even encouraging, fleet development and combat does not remove the ŇchallengeÓ of the game, as some might at first think. Instead it is a natural continuation of pilot and story development: start as a fighter pilot, work to a Kestrel, then a cruiser, then a fleet, then a fleet of capital ships. Aside of the combative challenge of actually capturing your fleet (capturing is much harder than outright destroying which is hard enough), you have to contend with all the enemies make - you can become quite unpopular.

Fleet development does not preclude conducting missions, nor does having a fleet necessarily make missions easier. In fact, having an trigger-happy fleet can often make the missions or even surviving more difficult. Fleet development adds a whole new dimension to the game. Fleets have to be designed (which ships to include), captured, used effectively (much experimentation), and preserved.

Most of all, fleet combat is interesting because it is very complex. The tactics are at least as varied than one-on-one combat, which the newbie must learn in the earlier stages of pilot development. After all, mearly one of the possible tactics of fleet combat is to stand-down the fleet and to fight alone (used particularly when trying to capture or when vastly overpowered). Even with your fleet active, youŐre using every one of your fighting tactics just as for one-on-one.

For fleet combat, decisions have to be made of whether/when to use the large on-board fighter group, when to bring in your escorts, when to recall your fighters and/or your escorts (perhaps to stall for shield restoration), whether to have your fighters deployed before battle or to use them just for cleanup, whether to let your fleet fight on its own or to go into the ŇthickÓ of things so you can alternate your fire with theirs (very effective), etc. When you have the choice, you also have to decide whether to start combat at close range or far range (particularly important decision with escorts like an EVGE Polaris Destroyers are present). The topics go on.....

Also, youŐve got to protect and preserve your fleet as well as yourself. Your fleet canŐt, or wonŐt, flee as well as you. In a large inter-fleet battle, youŐve got to try to protect the members of your fleet from taking on an opponent too large, or too fresh...all the while your probably trying to avoid a few dozen torpedoes. This protection is very often needed if you try to stand-down your fleet after battle has started. Also, youŐve got to make sure your fleet doesnŐt expend their weapons needlessly while traveling between systems (theyŐll sometimes send a dozen fusion missiles after a fighterm, EVGE again). I WISH ESCORTS COULD BE SHUT OFF UNTIL FURTHER NOTIFIED. Sometimes they are already battling before I even jump into the system!

Some ways of supporting fleet combat is to have missions requiring a LOT of fire-power (not just the final mission - TAG), having Capital ships travel in groups (as the real U.S. Navy ships do), having a variety of formable ships (the like the Ňdouble-edgedÓ EVGE Destroyer with itŐs fusion missiles adds great complexity to fleet design...another discussion), having real CAPITAL SHIPS, purchasing (not renting) Capital escorts, more control over the escorts such as shutting them off and having the option of having them on automatic or selecting their target (as with on-board fighters). IŐm sure there are many more that IŐm would never think of (IŐm not an Author).

Anyway, just my opinion. I hope enough Authors agree and can figure out how to do it. ItŐs easy to make the wishes, not so easy to grant the wishes.

-Cruiser

Although I mostly support what you're saying, I just want to know how long it took you to write that. (It took me 45 seconds to write this) That's the longest single entry I've ever seen.

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I wrote all that and all you want to do is ask me how long it took me? I've failed.

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cruiser wrote:
I wrote all that and all you want to do is ask me how long it took me? I've failed.

Its all there fot us to agree with.. theres not much else to say besides the fact that most of your suggested improvements although I'm sure they're somthing we would all like to see are not really the preserve of Plug-in authors but rather require changes to the Game engine.. somthing for Matt Burch and I doubt there will be much chance of any more dramatic changes to the Upcoming Update. (although the new Marines outfit will make assembeling a fleet of capital ships a less formidable task)

My current plug-in an (effective) Star wars Total conversion already has extensive range and Variety of Capital ships and will contain numerous Missions requireing a Small Battle Group, The limits to the Game engine Forbid a large armada under the command of the player, and besides such a force would be difficult to command with the limitations of the EV engine.

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'Stormbringer!' he cried and then the hellsword struck his chest. H e felt the icy touch of the blade against his heart,felt his body constrict,felt it sucking his soul from the very depths of his being,felt his whole personality being drawn into the Runesword.
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(This message has been edited by Stormbringer (edited 03-21-2000).)

Sorry cruiser, I couldn't resist. You have some great ideas, but I don't know if they can be done the way you are suggesting. I think most of us would agree that fleet combat would be really intersting and challenging, but maybe not on such a grand scale as you are talking about. Maybe just smaller, more personal, more managable battle fleets or trading fleets. Like Stormbringer said, there are limitations to the EV Engine.

(P.S.- Really, how long did it take you to write that?)

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I think it took about 1 to 1.5 hours. I was inspired, and use a spell-checker.

Star Wars Total Conversion? I don't think I remember that Title unless it's quite old or it came out and I missed it ... I've played several Star Wars plugins. Sounds very interesting. Where is it available?

P.S. Does anyone else have additional fleet tactics they would like to share?

one HOUR!?!!?!?!??!!!??!!?!!?!?!?!?!?@!?!?!?! :eek:

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I believe (hope) that if the post is read carefully, one would notice that there are some good fleet tactics there. Enough to cause a clever pilot to think of new fleet tactics, test them, and share them with the rest of us. I believe that fleet tactics are essentially more complex and varied that single ship tactics ... which adds to the game. Also, it's a real "pleasure" to watch a well designed fleet go into action (and pound the **** out of some disrespectful clown). Besides, I get lonely out there in the dark of space ... I like my buddies.

By the way, six capital ships particularly if they have strong fighters, makes a good fleet. I wasn't refering to any larger fleet than six.

Has anyone else got some fleet tactics they would like to share?