Beam weapons as area defense?

[Icebird (OP)]

So far, I defend myself with anti-missiles. 
But I keep reading that you're supposed to form three layers: Anti-missiles for long range interception, CIWS and small energy weapons for point range defense, and bigger energy weapons for middle range interception.
But I don't understand how, at higher tech level, this can be used.

I take the example of my own tech level in my game.
I have laser tech with a range of 1. 2m km.  But since I want a fast firing laser, I reduce it to 480. 000km so it can fire every 5 secs.  So that mean it start to deal some "ok" damages at 240. 000km
I put this in a turret with appropriated trackspeed.
And now the firecontrol.  My tech level allow me to build a firecontrol that hit for 50% at 240. 000km

So all this point out that I can expect some interception at 240. 000km, 320. 000km max (but with a really low %)

Now, at my tech level, I can easily make missiles that goes at 40. 000km/s and still deliver quite a punch.  On the tracking side, its bad, I can have max 25. 000km/s with the firecontrol, but it "only" reduce the hit chances.

No, the real problem is, at this speed, the missiles cover a freaking distance of 200. 000km per 5 secs!!
That means my lasers will only have ONE opportunity to fire, and then its point defense! With one more engine tech, I start to design missiles that goes at 70. 000km/s, that means 350. 000km per 5 secs, that means, with a little bad luck, NO interception chance!

In my opinion, lasers have awful range, to the point where they are useless for area defense.  Against 10. 000km/s missiles, they can have their utility, since they could fire multiple times.  But against fast missiles, they not only lose on the hit chances, but on the number of interception chances, to the point where they're totally useless.

As I said, so far I only focused on anti-missile missile defense, because I didn't see a point in lasers.  Am I wrong? Is there something I overlooked?

[Charlie Beeler]

You've discovered the primary weakness to beam tracking in the current versions of Aurora.  Before the last change to missile engine power (last spring?) there wasn't such a wide gap between potential beam fire control tracking speeds (at the 4x speed levels) and potential missile speeds for similiar research investments. 

There is a small offset.  Under Sensors and Fire Control in Research there is "max tracking time bonus vs missiles xx%".  If you have sensors strong enough to detect incoming missiles several impulses out from your beam PD (area and final) engagement range you will recieve a to-hit bonus to offset the speed differential penalty.  It increments the longer you can track a salvo up to the researched bonus level or the penalty whichever is lower. 

While it's not practical to mount res 1 active sensors on a weapons platform that would let you have the max bonus at the speeds your dealing with, dedicated fleet scouts are at good option.

[Brian Neumann]

What I tend to do is have 2 layers.  The first is missiles to thin out or stop the incomming salvo's.  The second is any turreted beam weapon set to fire on final defence mode (not restricted to self defense however).  Lasers, mesons, and gauss cannon all work for this.  Railguns are even somewhat good as they tend to have the rate of fire to balance the lack of turret fire control.  For the lasers and mesons I have to make a choice in the ship design stage of how many and type.  Small lasers are small so you get more on but have a short range, and low penetration, while the bigger lasers have fewer but more powerfull shots.  For dedicated point defense I usually go with 10, 12, or 15 cm lasers whatever can fire at 5 seconds.  This will keep from having staggered salvo's having a free shot at the ships while the lasers are recharging.  For most ships the 15cm is my prefered weapon as it is only 1 hs larger than the 10cm but has twice the range/damage potential.  The damage is important if you have to deal with armored missiles.  At very high tech levels I would go with 20cm lasers if they can fire every 5 seconds as they tend to kill armored missiles very quickly.  The problem being that I can have 1/2 as many as the 10cm lasers would allow.  I often turret all lasers, even big 50+ cm ones for extra protection from small fast ships, ie gunboats or fighters, as well as plasma torpedos.  The important part to remember is what do you want your beam ships to do?  Are they strictly for shooting at enemy ships, or point defense, or both?

Hope this helps
Brian

[Icebird (OP)]

Well, you just confirm that three layers defense as described in the wiki (hxxp: aurorawiki. pentarch. org/index. php?title=Point_Defense) is obsolete an unusable.

[Charlie Beeler]

I wouldn't say unusable.  Most of us don't dedicate the resources for the most effective 3 layer system. 

[Steve Walmsley]

Well, you just confirm that three layers defense as described in the wiki (hxxp: aurorawiki. pentarch. org/index. php?title=Point_Defense) is obsolete an unusable.

That's not the case. The most commonly used layers are anti-missiles and fast firing lasers used for point blank point defence. The third layer is for long-ranged and usually slower-firing beam weapons that can shoot more than once as missiles pass through their engagement envelope. The best position for such a ship is along the threat axis for any expected attack so it can shoot as the missiles approach, pass and recede from its position. Using the formation setup for task groups is a good idea if you wish to develop such a ship.

Steve