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Offline Charlie Beeler

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Re: Critique this design please
« Reply #30 on: January 20, 2009, 01:23:00 PM »
Meson beam bypass armor.
Amateurs study tactics, Professionals study logistics - paraphrase attributed to Gen Omar Bradley
 

Offline jfelten

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Re: Critique this design please
« Reply #31 on: October 09, 2009, 03:23:07 PM »
How about this PDC to use up my starting 4,500 build points?  I would have liked more large missile launchers, but ran out of BP's.  I guess I could remove the starting fuel tank.

Code: [Select]
Gladius PDC class Planetary Defence Centre    45400 tons     1835 Crew     4499.4 BP      TCS 908  TH 0  EM 0
Armour 14-113     Sensors 120/160     Damage Control Rating 0     PPV 140
Flag Bridge    Troop Capacity 10 Divisions    Magazine 460    

Fuel Capacity 50,000 Litres    Range N/A
PDC Quad R1.5/C2 Meson Cannon Turret (2x4)    Range 15,000km     TS: 13340 km/s     Power 12-8     RM 1.5    ROF 10        1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
PDC Fire Control S16 144-12000 (2)    Max Range: 288,000 km   TS: 12000 km/s     97 93 90 86 83 79 76 72 69 65
Gas-Cooled Fast Reactor Technology PB-1 AR-0 (2)     Total Power Output 18    Armour 0    Exp 5%

Size 1 Missile Launcher (10)    Missile Size 1    Rate of Fire 15
PDC Size 10 Missile Launcher (3)    Missile Size 10    Rate of Fire 75
Missile Fire Control FC32-R1 (AMM) (5)     Range 960k km    Resolution 1
PDC Missile Fire Control FC160-R1 (2)     Range 4.8m km    Resolution 1
PDC Missile Fire Control FC160-R20 (2)     Range 96.0m km    Resolution 20

PDC Active Search Sensor S160-R20 (1)     GPS 3200     Range 32.0m km    Resolution 20
PDC Thermal Sensor TH20-120 (1)     Sensitivity 120     Detect Sig Strength 1000:  120m km
PDC EM Detection Sensor EM20-120 (1)     Sensitivity 120     Detect Sig Strength 1000:  120m km

This design is classed as a Planetary Defence Centre and can be pre-fabricated in 19 sections
 

Offline Beersatron

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Re: Critique this design please
« Reply #32 on: October 09, 2009, 04:59:31 PM »
Quote from: "jfelten"
How about this PDC to use up my starting 4,500 build points?  I would have liked more large missile launchers, but ran out of BP's.  I guess I could remove the starting fuel tank.

Code: [Select]
Gladius PDC class Planetary Defence Centre    45400 tons     1835 Crew     4499.4 BP      TCS 908  TH 0  EM 0
Armour 14-113     Sensors 120/160     Damage Control Rating 0     PPV 140
Flag Bridge    Troop Capacity 10 Divisions    Magazine 460    

Fuel Capacity 50,000 Litres    Range N/A
PDC Quad R1.5/C2 Meson Cannon Turret (2x4)    Range 15,000km     TS: 13340 km/s     Power 12-8     RM 1.5    ROF 10        1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
PDC Fire Control S16 144-12000 (2)    Max Range: 288,000 km   TS: 12000 km/s     97 93 90 86 83 79 76 72 69 65
Gas-Cooled Fast Reactor Technology PB-1 AR-0 (2)     Total Power Output 18    Armour 0    Exp 5%

Size 1 Missile Launcher (10)    Missile Size 1    Rate of Fire 15
PDC Size 10 Missile Launcher (3)    Missile Size 10    Rate of Fire 75
Missile Fire Control FC32-R1 (AMM) (5)     Range 960k km    Resolution 1
PDC Missile Fire Control FC160-R1 (2)     Range 4.8m km    Resolution 1
PDC Missile Fire Control FC160-R20 (2)     Range 96.0m km    Resolution 20

PDC Active Search Sensor S160-R20 (1)     GPS 3200     Range 32.0m km    Resolution 20
PDC Thermal Sensor TH20-120 (1)     Sensitivity 120     Detect Sig Strength 1000:  120m km
PDC EM Detection Sensor EM20-120 (1)     Sensitivity 120     Detect Sig Strength 1000:  120m km

This design is classed as a Planetary Defence Centre and can be pre-fabricated in 19 sections

You could drop the fire control range down to say 30k km and save some space plus 'unable to fire' message during combat. Do meson's work in atmosphere ok now?

Yeah, you don't need the fuel tank.

The power on the meson's and the power outputted by the generators don't match up to well. If I am reading that correctly it takes 12 energy to fire your mesons and they charge 8 every 5secs so it takes 10secs to fire. And then you are providing 2x18 power per 5secs with the gens.

What are the stats for your size 1 and size 10 missiles?

You have 13 launchers and 9 fire controls, what way are you planning on pairing them up?

I would whack in a far larger active search sensor, maybe even triple the range. And then have a resolution 1 active search sensor so you can detect the enemy missiles.
 

Offline jfelten

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Re: Critique this design please
« Reply #33 on: October 09, 2009, 05:34:44 PM »
Quote from: "Beersatron"
You could drop the fire control range down to say 30k km and save some space plus 'unable to fire' message during combat. Do meson's work in atmosphere ok now?

Yeah, you don't need the fuel tank.

The power on the meson's and the power outputted by the generators don't match up to well. If I am reading that correctly it takes 12 energy to fire your mesons and they charge 8 every 5secs so it takes 10secs to fire. And then you are providing 2x18 power per 5secs with the gens.

What are the stats for your size 1 and size 10 missiles?

You have 13 launchers and 9 fire controls, what way are you planning on pairing them up?

I would whack in a far larger active search sensor, maybe even triple the range. And then have a resolution 1 active search sensor so you can detect the enemy missiles.

I didn't know there was a problem with Mesons in atmosphere.  Were they not working in recent versions?

The generators are 9 power each.  My thought was that two would provide more than sufficient power but if one was knocked out, the other would still keep the turrets firing, although at a slower rate.  I didn't start with internal armor tech.

I haven't really finalized the big missile designs.  Probably give them approximately the range of the FC sensor, around 100m Km.  

I probably have too many of the anti-missile fire controls.  I just threw 5 on to start and didn't go back and pare them down, but I did want extra.  The two big missile fire controls were more for redundancy than targeting.  

So you would make the active search sensor longer range?  It currently has an antenna size of 10, so is 500 tons and costs 160 build points.  How big would you make it?

Strange, I just started advancing time in the new game and at the 5 day mark (when industry first runs) I got a bunch of divide by zero errors associated with population.  Brand new game.  I hope it doesn't recur every 5 days.
 

Offline Beersatron

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Re: Critique this design please
« Reply #34 on: October 09, 2009, 08:26:04 PM »
In my current game I am rp'ing a race that has no shields and only does lasers and fighters so I can't do a missile design for you, but this is a Fighter PDC I have:

Code: [Select]
Harbour class Planetary Fighter Base    10000 tons     475 Crew     1115 BP      TCS 200  TH 0  EM 0
Armour 6-41     Sensors 12/84     Damage Control Rating 0     PPV 0
Hangar Deck Capacity 8000 tons    

Active Search Sensor S84-R1 (1)     GPS 84     Range 840k km    Resolution 1
Active Search Sensor S84-R100 (1)     GPS 8400     Range 84.0m km    Resolution 100
Short Range Thermal Sensors (1)     Sensitivity 12     Detect Sig Strength 1000:  12m km
Short Range EM Sensors (1)     Sensitivity 12     Detect Sig Strength 1000:  12m km

Strike Group
16x Tarawa Fighter   Speed: 6000 km/s    Size: 8
2x Hawk Fighter-Scout   Speed: 6000 km/s    Size: 8
2x Eagle Fighter-Scout   Speed: 6000 km/s    Size: 8

This design is classed as a Planetary Defence Centre and can be pre-fabricated in 4 sections

The 'Active Search Sensor S84-R1 (1)     GPS 84     Range 840k km    Resolution 1' detects missiles which my Tarawa fighters can try to intercept.

The 'Active Search Sensor S84-R100 (1)     GPS 8400     Range 84.0m km    Resolution 100' detects the enemy ships which gives me fair warning on approach and lets me vector in my fighters if I think the planet is not under threat from enemy missiles.

The Hawk is a short range active search sensor scout for anti-missile.
The Eagle is a long range active search sensor scout for anti-ship.

They are mainly used for redundancy or for when the fighters outpace either their carriers or get to far from the planet.

This is a small PDC with no redundancy built into it, it is quick to build the PDC and the fighters and ship to a new colony world until a Destroyer picket is made available.

When designing beam weapons and generators I try to design one generator to power one beam or a turret of multiple beams.

For instance, this is the Tarawa fighter:

Code: [Select]
Tarawa class Fighter    400 tons     55 Crew     88 BP      TCS 8  TH 48  EM 0
6000 km/s     Armour 1-4     Shields 0-0     Sensors 1/1/0/0     Damage Control Rating 0     PPV 3
Annual Failure Rate: 2%    IFR: 0%    Maintenance Capacity 69 MSP    Max Repair 27 MSP

Military Magneto Plasma Drive - FTR (1)    Power 48    Efficiency 70.00    Signature 48    Armour 0    Exp 25%
Fuel Capacity 30,000 Litres    Range 1.9 billion km   (3 days at full power)

Tanto Class Laser (1)    Range 90,000km     TS: 6000 km/s     Power 3-3     RM 3    ROF 5        3 3 3 2 1 1 1 1 1 0
Tanto Fire Control 120 - FTR (1)    Max Range: 120,000 km   TS: 12000 km/s     92 83 75 67 58 50 42 33 25 17
Gamma Reactor (1)     Total Power Output 3    Armour 0    Exp 5%

This design is classed as a military vessel for maintenance purposes
This design is classed as a fighter for production and combat purposes

The laser takes 3 power to shoot and has a capacitor which charges 3 units every 5 seconds (hence the ROF of 5). The generator outputs 3 units per 5 seconds, so it is perfectly balanced.

This is my patrol/picket Destroyer:

Code: [Select]
Ticonderoga II class Destroyer    10000 tons     994 Crew     2135 BP      TCS 200  TH 800  EM 0
4000 km/s    JR 3-50     Armour 6-41     Shields 0-0     Sensors 12/12/0/0     Damage Control Rating 13     PPV 24
Annual Failure Rate: 61%    IFR: 0.9%    Maintenance Capacity 1735 MSP    Max Repair 625 MSP

J10000(3-50) Jump Drive     Max Ship Size 10000 tons    Distance 50k km     Squadron Size 3
Military Magneto Plasma Drive (10)    Power 80    Efficiency 0.70    Signature 80    Armour 0    Exp 5%
Fuel Capacity 150,000 Litres    Range 38.6 billion km   (111 days at full power)

Triple Katana Class Laser Turret (1x3)    Range 300,000km     TS: 12000 km/s     Power 30-15     RM 3    ROF 10        10 10 10 7 5 5 4 3 3 3
Katana Turret Fire Control (1)    Max Range: 320,000 km   TS: 12000 km/s     97 94 91 88 84 81 78 75 72 69
Gamma Reactor (5)     Total Power Output 15    Armour 0    Exp 5%

Active Search Sensor S84-R1 (1)     GPS 84     Range 840k km    Resolution 1
Short Range Thermal Sensors (1)     Sensitivity 12     Detect Sig Strength 1000:  12m km
Short Range EM Sensors (1)     Sensitivity 12     Detect Sig Strength 1000:  12m km

ECM 20

This design is classed as a military vessel for maintenance purposes

The one triple turret requires 30 units to fire and has a capacitor of 15 (5 per laser in the turret) which means it takes 10seconds to charge. Each Gamma Reactor produces 3units for a total of 15 which is all that is needed. Any more would be a waste of mass.

I always make my fire controls slightly longer ranged and faster tracking than the actual laser, sometimes the difference can appear to be fairly large due to the step between levels of tech.

Hope this helps ya, and that somebody chimes in with missile examples!
 

Offline jfelten

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Re: Critique this design please
« Reply #35 on: October 10, 2009, 03:35:09 AM »
Thanks for the examples.  With my starting tech, my power plant outputs are only available in particular steps (4.5, 9, etc.) so I can't really match them up exactly unless I want to change the turret design.  But I think I'm O.K. with 2 oversize plants that if I loose one the remaining would still be able to run both turrets with only a modest slow down.  

Here are some sample missiles and a sample loadout I threw together last night.  It was kind of quick and dirty and I didn't go to extremes to match ranges with sensors on the theory that missile tech will advance fairly soon and these early missiles will be relegated to reloads or backwater units eventually that will probably have different sensors.  Besides, I wanted to start advancing time and playing to game.  Feedback is still appreciated.  I'm not sure how reloads of PDC missiles from planetary stock works during combat.  Is reloading fast enough to be a factor?  I'll probably also build some supplemental small anti-missile bases in the future and dedicate more magazine space here to large missiles.  I would like more big launchers and more big missiles to fire, but have to work within the constraints of the starting build points.  

Code: [Select]
Size 1 Anti-missile Missile (100)  Speed: 10,600 km/s   End: 104.2m    Range: 66.2m km   WH: 1    Size: 1    TH: 35 / 21 / 10
Size 1 ASM Dart-1 (30)  Speed: 15,000 km/s   End: 44.3m    Range: 39.9m km   WH: 0    Size: 1    TH: 50 / 30 / 15
Size 10 ASM-1 (10)  Speed: 9,600 km/s   End: 69.4m    Range: 40m km   WH: 9    Size: 10    TH: 41 / 25 / 12
Size 10 Long Range ASM (10)  Speed: 9,600 km/s   End: 138.9m    Range: 80m km   WH: 6    Size: 10    TH: 41 / 25 / 12
Size 10 Slammer ASM (10)  Speed: 12,800 km/s   End: 26m    Range: 20m km   WH: 15    Size: 10    TH: 42 / 25 / 12
Size 10 Active Sensor Drone 1 (1)  Speed: 6,400 km/s   End: 208.3m    Range: 80m km   WH: 0    Size: 10    TH: 21 / 12 / 6
Size 10 Multi Sensor Drone 1 (2)  Speed: 6,400 km/s   End: 260.4m    Range: 100m km   WH: 0    Size: 10    TH: 21 / 12 / 6
 

Offline Hawkeye

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Re: Critique this design please
« Reply #36 on: October 10, 2009, 10:11:53 AM »
Quote from: "jfelten"

Code: [Select]
Size 1 Anti-missile Missile (100)  Speed: 10,600 km/s   End: 104.2m   Range: 66.2m km  WH: 1   Size: 1   TH: 35 / 21 / 10
Size 1 ASM Dart-1 (30)  Speed: 15,000 km/s   End: 44.3m    Range: 39.9m km   WH: 0    Size: 1    TH: 50 / 30 / 15
Size 10 ASM-1 (10)  Speed: 9,600 km/s   End: 69.4m    Range: 40m km   WH: 9    Size: 10    TH: 41 / 25 / 12
Size 10 Long Range ASM (10)  Speed: 9,600 km/s   End: 138.9m    Range: 80m km   WH: 6    Size: 10    TH: 41 / 25 / 12
Size 10 Slammer ASM (10)  Speed: 12,800 km/s   End: 26m    Range: 20m km   WH: 15    Size: 10    TH: 42 / 25 / 12
Size 10 Active Sensor Drone 1 (1)  Speed: 6,400 km/s   End: 208.3m    Range: 80m km   WH: 0    Size: 10    TH: 21 / 12 / 6
Size 10 Multi Sensor Drone 1 (2)  Speed: 6,400 km/s   End: 260.4m    Range: 100m km   WH: 0    Size: 10    TH: 21 / 12 / 6

Ouch, your AMMs seem awfully inefficient. With only a 10% chance to intercept an enemy missile moving at 10.000 km/s you will need a crapload of them to stop even rather smallish salvos.
I usually attemt to design an AMM that is reasonably good at intercepting my own shipkillers (at least 30%, preferably better). Very early in the game, this is pretty tough.
One thing to remember, however: You will have a realy hard time spotting enemy missiles more than 1m km away, so giving your AMMs a range of 100m+ km is realy a waste of space. I´d drastically reduce the fuel load on those and up engine/manouverability.

What´s the intended role of the Dart, as it doesn´t have any warhead, as far as I can see?

Your shipkillers have "only" a chance of ~40% to hit an enemy ship moving at 2500 km/s. If you are stuck with nuclear thermal engines, this is fine, but if you have higher tech the intercept rate is rather low. As with AMMs, I try to get good intercept rates against my own ships, as those will be the benchmark until I run into the first aliens.
Ralph Hoenig, Germany
 

Offline jfelten

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Re: Critique this design please
« Reply #37 on: October 11, 2009, 07:28:05 AM »
Good catch about the dart.  Missing warhead was a mistake.  I probably entered 0.33 MSP (WH=0) instead of 0.34 (WH=1).  Any way for the SM to edit a missile design once it has been built?

With starting tech, it takes 1/3 (0.34) MSP for a 1 point warhead, leaving 2/3 (0.66) on a 1 space anti-missile missile.  Playing around I can get something like this but it only has 1/6th the range.:  

Code: [Select]
Missile Size: 1 MSP  (0.05 HS)     Warhead: 1    Armour: 0     Manoeuvre Rating: 10
Speed: 19500 km/s    Endurance: 9 minutes   Range: 10.0m km
Cost Per Missile: 0.5753
Chance to Hit: 1k km/s 195%   3k km/s 60%   5k km/s 39%   10k km/s 19.5%
Materials Required:    0.25x Tritanium   0.0753x Gallicite   Fuel x125

Development Cost for Project: 58RP

I can eek out a few percent more hit% by converting some speed to agility, but the greater speed is probably worth more in combat.

Other than that, it is pretty much a tradeoff between range and speed = hit%.  Perhaps something in the middle such as?:  

Code: [Select]
Missile Size: 1 MSP  (0.05 HS)     Warhead: 1    Armour: 0     Manoeuvre Rating: 12
Speed: 12800 km/s    Endurance: 52 minutes   Range: 40.0m km
Cost Per Missile: 0.5133
Chance to Hit: 1k km/s 153.6%   3k km/s 48%   5k km/s 30.7%   10k km/s 15.4%
Materials Required:    0.25x Tritanium   0.0113x Gallicite   Fuel x500

Development Cost for Project: 51RP
 

Offline Hawkeye

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Re: Critique this design please
« Reply #38 on: October 11, 2009, 10:41:39 AM »
Quote from: "jfelten"
Good catch about the dart.  Missing warhead was a mistake.  I probably entered 0.33 MSP (WH=0) instead of 0.34 (WH=1).  Any way for the SM to edit a missile design once it has been built?

Not that I know of, sorry.
But in such a case, I don´t have a problem with designing a new missile and using "instant RST"

Quote from: "jfelten"
With starting tech, it takes 1/3 (0.34) MSP for a 1 point warhead, leaving 2/3 (0.66) on a 1 space anti-missile missile.  Playing around I can get something like this but it only has 1/6th the range.:  

Code: [Select]
Missile Size: 1 MSP  (0.05 HS)     Warhead: 1    Armour: 0     Manoeuvre Rating: 10
Speed: 19500 km/s    Endurance: 9 minutes   Range: 10.0m km
Cost Per Missile: 0.5753
Chance to Hit: 1k km/s 195%   3k km/s 60%   5k km/s 39%   10k km/s 19.5%
Materials Required:    0.25x Tritanium   0.0753x Gallicite   Fuel x125

Development Cost for Project: 58RP

I can eek out a few percent more hit% by converting some speed to agility, but the greater speed is probably worth more in combat.

Looks better. I know it is very hard at the start to design a viable AMM.
Personally, I don´t bother until I have researched Nuclear Pulse Missile Engines and the first improved warhead, Levitated Pit, I belive

Generally, I approach Anti-missile-missile design by first designing the active anti-missile-sensor, then use twice the range of the sensor as range for the missile, in order to account for future enhancements in sensor tech.
So, say my AM-Sensor has a range of 1.1mkm, my AMMs will have a range between 2 and 3 mkm.
Speed should be a bit faster than my fastest ship-killer missiles. If my shipkillers move at 12.800km/s, for example, I will aim for a speed of about 16.000km/s for my AMS

Quote from: "jfelten"
Other than that, it is pretty much a tradeoff between range and speed = hit%.  Perhaps something in the middle such as?:  

Code: [Select]
Missile Size: 1 MSP  (0.05 HS)     Warhead: 1    Armour: 0     Manoeuvre Rating: 12
Speed: 12800 km/s    Endurance: 52 minutes   Range: 40.0m km
Cost Per Missile: 0.5133
Chance to Hit: 1k km/s 153.6%   3k km/s 48%   5k km/s 30.7%   10k km/s 15.4%
Materials Required:    0.25x Tritanium   0.0113x Gallicite   Fuel x500

Development Cost for Project: 51RP

Hm, I am assuming this is also meant to be a ship-killer (given the 40mkm range)?
Never bothered with size-1 ASMs myself, I have to admit. The warhead is abysimal and (IMO, of course) not worth the hassle.
This might change later on, when you could fit a class-2 or even class-3 warhead on a size-1 missle, to give a DE/CE class some offensive long-range punch.
Ralph Hoenig, Germany
 

Offline jfelten

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Re: Critique this design please
« Reply #39 on: October 11, 2009, 11:33:11 AM »
> Hm, I am assuming this is also meant to be a ship-killer (given the 40mkm range)?

No.  It was meant to be a long range AMM.  I figure the farther out I can start launching at incoming missiles, the more time I'll have to react.  But it could be used in an AS role in an emergency, especially since ships are easier to see at long range than missiles.  One point warheads are not a big threat but if it is all you have, it is better than nothing in some situations.  I don't know how NPR's design ships in 4.x, but I've seen players posting ship designs with thin armor and weak shields.  I don't think low tech ships really can have very strong passive defenses and still have an offensive punch.  

I've also wondered about designing one space "decoy" missiles with the same speed and range as bigger AS missiles and launching them all in one salvo.  Would some enemy AMM's be drawn off by the 1 MSP missiles?  Or can the larger missiles be targeted separately?  I don't remember from the 3.x game I played and things may have changed in 4.x anyway.
 

Offline Hawkeye

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Re: Critique this design please
« Reply #40 on: October 11, 2009, 03:40:34 PM »
Quote from: "jfelten"
> Hm, I am assuming this is also meant to be a ship-killer (given the 40mkm range)?

No.  It was meant to be a long range AMM.  I figure the farther out I can start launching at incoming missiles, the more time I'll have to react.  But it could be used in an AS role in an emergency, especially since ships are easier to see at long range than missiles.  One point warheads are not a big threat but if it is all you have, it is better than nothing in some situations.  I don't know how NPR's design ships in 4.x, but I've seen players posting ship designs with thin armor and weak shields.  I don't think low tech ships really can have very strong passive defenses and still have an offensive punch.  

Problem with the long range AMM is, you simply won´t be able to see the enemy missile from long range. In my experience (which isn´t all that much) 1.5 million km is quite a long range anti-missile sensor. Of course, you could build a dedicated Anti-Missile-Sensor-Groundbase with a truely massive Active Sensor Array, but with Active Grave Sensor strength 10, you can at max. build a size 50 (2.500t) sensor array, which will give you a range of 5 million km at resolution 0. It´ll cost you 500 minerals to build and 5.000 research points to develop though  :D )
Ralph Hoenig, Germany
 

Offline jfelten

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Re: Critique this design please
« Reply #41 on: October 11, 2009, 05:07:43 PM »
I was thinking that dedicated fleet scouts could see the missiles at long range.  The launching units just need a missile fire control with enough range.  

I suspect you are correct about swarming someone with small missiles, but I'm not sure if the 1 point warheads would penetrate heavy armor even en mass.  Shame we don't have a battle simulator where people could pit fleets of equivalent tonnage and technology against each other.
 

Offline Beersatron

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Re: Critique this design please
« Reply #42 on: October 11, 2009, 05:21:42 PM »
Quote from: "jfelten"
I was thinking that dedicated fleet scouts could see the missiles at long range.  The launching units just need a missile fire control with enough range.  

I suspect you are correct about swarming someone with small missiles, but I'm not sure if the 1 point warheads would penetrate heavy armor even en mass.  Shame we don't have a battle simulator where people could pit fleets of equivalent tonnage and technology against each other.

A problem with this is that the scout would be using a very strong active search sensor and would be leading the fleet so it would be the first obvious target. Once the scout goes, so does your missile detection.
 

Offline Steve Walmsley

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Re: Critique this design please
« Reply #43 on: October 13, 2009, 10:03:19 AM »
Quote from: "Hawkeye"
Actually, the more I think about this, the more I like the small one.
Comparing your new, small ASM with your Type-1 size 10 ASM below

Size 10 ASM-1 (10)  Speed: 9,600 km/s   End: 69.4m    Range: 40m km   WH: 9    Size: 10    TH: 41 / 25 / 12
Size 1 ASM/AMM    Speed: 12800 km/s   End: 52m       Range: 40m km    WH: 1    Size: 1      TH: 48 / 30.7 / 15.4

I can´t fail to notice, that, ton for ton, you get more bang from 10 small missiles and you also get a much larger salvo which in turn will be much more able to swamp enemy defenses. Of course penetrating power still favors the ASM-1, but with a salvo size of 3, chances are, not a lot will get through enemy PD, while with a salvo size of 30 size-1 missiles, quite a few will probably make it (and imagine the incredible amount of enemy AMMs that will be used against such a swarm  :D )
Something else to bear in mind though is that small missile warheads will sandpaper the armour while large warheads while crater it. You will very likely get internal damage sooner with the same amount of damage from a few large warheads than from numerous small warheads.

Steve
 

Offline Steve Walmsley

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Re: Critique this design please
« Reply #44 on: October 13, 2009, 10:04:25 AM »
Quote from: "jfelten"
I was thinking that dedicated fleet scouts could see the missiles at long range.  The launching units just need a missile fire control with enough range.  

I suspect you are correct about swarming someone with small missiles, but I'm not sure if the 1 point warheads would penetrate heavy armor even en mass.  Shame we don't have a battle simulator where people could pit fleets of equivalent tonnage and technology against each other.
Just create a second race and transfer some ships over to it. Then you can have both sides fight using the same designs.

Steve