PDC Indentification

[Grunden (OP)]

How can you differentiate between a PDC and an orbital base on enemy contacts?

[Thiosk]

Im not exactly certain that you can.  You see it as a contact either way. 

[blue emu]

Yeah, they look the same on Radar. If you hit a PDC with a missile, the "speed = 0" is a good clue that it's either a PDC or an orbital base, rater than a ship.

[Grunden (OP)]

That's too bad.  I'm looking to capture the world without making it a radioactive wasteland and I don't have mesons.  I know at least one class is a beam armed orbital base (IVF Amazon and that 56th marine brigade, you will be mourned!).

[Nathan_]

Atmosphere blocks beam weapons so try those out, if they can't hit then send in ground forces/mesons.

[fflaguna]

I create meson cruisers specifically for this purpose during planetary assaults. I have never dropped a nuclear device on an enemy planet.

[TheDeadlyShoe]

Screw that! DROPSHIPS GO.

[Thiosk]

Haha!

I am a fan of gigantic military troopship/dropships.

My dropships tend to blot out the sun (so that the aleinz may die in the shade!). 

[Grunden (OP)]

So what is your dropship doctrine? In my current game I'm using Light Carriers with FACs as my primary striking component:

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Essex class Light Carrier    17,000 tons     929 Crew     2133.2 BP      TCS 340  TH 1360  EM 0
4000 km/s     Armour 1-58     Shields 0-0     Sensors 14/1/0/0     Damage Control Rating 27     PPV 0
Maint Life 2.95 Years     MSP 549    AFR 330%    IFR 4.6%    1YR 94    5YR 1409    Max Repair 40 MSP
Hangar Deck Capacity 7000 tons     Magazine 1152   

Merlin Mk2 MPD (17)    Power 80    Fuel Use 60%    Signature 80    Armour 0    Exp 5%
Fuel Capacity 850,000 Litres    Range 150.0 billion km   (434 days at full power)

Hornet Mk1 ASM-2 (288)  Speed: 40,000 km/s   End: 15.6m    Range: 37.5m km   WH: 6    Size: 4    TH: 240 / 144 / 72

Thermal Sensor TH1-14 (1)     Sensitivity 14     Detect Sig Strength 1000:  14m km

Missile to hit chances are vs targets moving at 3000 km/s, 5000 km/s and 10,000 km/s

This design is classed as a Military Vessel for maintenance purposes
I didn't plan it out this way, but since I organize them in divisions of 3 carriers, that's 21000 tons of hangar capacity, so I created a:

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PA-109 Albatross class Landing Craft Assault    1,000 tons     29 Crew     171.2 BP      TCS 20  TH 56  EM 0
8000 km/s     Armour 3-8     Shields 0-0     Sensors 1/1/0/0     Damage Control Rating 0     PPV 1.2
Maint Life 0 Years     MSP 0    AFR 200%    IFR 2.8%    1YR 74    5YR 1105    Max Repair 70 MSP
Drop Capacity: 1 Battalion    Magazine 8   

GB Magneto-plasma Drive E60 (1)    Power 160    Fuel Use 600%    Signature 56    Armour 0    Exp 15%
Fuel Capacity 10,000 Litres    Range 3.0 billion km   (4 days at full power)

Size 1 Box Launcher (8)    Missile Size 1    Hangar Reload 7.5 minutes    MF Reload 1.2 hours
Missile Fire Control FC0-R1 (1)     Range 690k km    Resolution 1
Gnat Mk1 AMM (8)  Speed: 40,000 km/s   End: 1.9m    Range: 4.5m km   WH: 1    Size: 1    TH: 400 / 240 / 120

Missile to hit chances are vs targets moving at 3000 km/s, 5000 km/s and 10,000 km/s

This design is classed as a Military Vessel for maintenance purposes
Which works out to exactly one division including HQs.  Rather than having dedicated assault ships, this allows me to simply swap out the strike wings from a carrier division for dropships.  Attach some standard transports for the journey and transfer to the landing craft just before the assault.  I'm liking the strategic flexibility it affords; I don't have hulls idling when I'm not actively engaged in an assault, they simply revert to strike carriers.

[Thiosk]

Its my preference to have the troopship be the dropship.  I gravitate towards larger designs, and typically desire but i'm just not ready in my current game to go dropping divisions from my troopship (*think of the maintenance!)  Previously i've used ships that could deliver a regiment (4 battalions and an hq) plus two replacements, but this time I just have my big divisional troopships and then military dropships that tag along with them.

My invasions are currently awaiting the completion of the JumpStar jump tender that will enable the troopships to actually get around

[Grunden (OP)]

That's exactly why I didn't create an assault ship/troop transport combo, too big for my shipyards and my carrier divisions already had the jump capability they needed.  Boring commercial troopships with 5 batallions are small enough to hitch a ride with the carrier division.

[TheDeadlyShoe]

I prefer to use brigade transports for assault purposes.

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Guadalcanal - Copy class Assault Transport    8,000 tons     417 Crew     1253 BP      TCS 160  TH 1040  EM 0
6500 km/s     Armour 9-35     Shields 0-0     Sensors 1/1/0/0     Damage Control Rating 3     PPV 0
Maint Life 2.33 Years     MSP 294    AFR 170%    IFR 2.4%    1YR 74    5YR 1104    Max Repair 60 MSP
Drop Capacity: 5 Battalions    Cargo Handling Multiplier 5   

Flux Thruster G2 (13)    Power 80    Fuel Use 50%    Signature 80    Armour 0    Exp 5%
Fuel Capacity 90,000 Litres    Range 40.5 billion km   (72 days at full power)

ECM 10

This design is classed as a Military Vessel for maintenance purposesThey can be armored enough to survive at least some AMM fire. AMMs are the real problem, and you can't dodge AMMs with FAC-drives.  Nor are antimissile defences practical; the only solution is more armor.