UPDATE: Well I abandoned that game due to having too slow of a game speed (probably due to exploring too fast and revealing too many NPR's too early, as well as not being able to seal off the front lines of my conflict), BUT. . . I did get to try my cruiser fleets in combat, and I can say that the results are mixed, and we definitely can all learn something from them. I don't have screenshots but I can share the results pieced together from the abandoned Savegame (which I still haven't deleted thankfully) set about 3-5 years later.
1. After the last post I added a support Fleet Of 3 colliers and 1 tanker, which had the 2nd group jump drive ( I mistakenly thought that you could have one task-group use multiple jump engines for squadron jumps) for each of the 3 cruiser groups, and then I sent them off to fight. 2. The problem was that the first fleet I sent in was not expecting immediate resistance from the NPR upon jumping into their home system, but it literally took the ships that were guarding the Jump-point 5 seconds to go hostile.
3. I jumped in with the first part of the fleet which Consisted of 1*BC Telemachus MK2, 1*CC Socrates, and 3*CO Archimedes(Design Included Below).
4. As previously stated, upon my fleet entering the enemy home system, I came under immediate attack from 2 beam armed ships guarding the Jump Point, which shredded 2 of my colliers.
5. One of the ships guarding the point was particle beam armed, the other had unknown armament.
6. Although the Update logs have been lost due to deletion, all the wrecks are still in place , and I seem to recall being unable to use missiles for the duration of the first half of my fleet's attack. However, I was able to damage 1 of the 15. 6k ton enemy ships with Gauss Cannon Fire, if I remember correctly.
7. Losses were very heavy, at 2 out of 5 of the ships being destroyed, all within 100,000 kilometers of the Jump Point. The losses were 2 of my Archimedes class Colliers.
8. The remaining Collier, and the Battlecruiser take damage, but are able to escape, while the Command Cruiser escapes from the first attempt unscathed as indicated by wreck numbers. (I wouldn't have sent it back if it had taken any damage).
9. 15 days later, attempt number 2 takes place with the remaining 2*CL Alcibiades MK2, 2*CA Archidamus MK2, and 1*TK Rio Negro, Plus the undamaged 1*CC Socrates.
10. Upon jumping into the system, as last time, I find that my missile fire controls are suffering from endless delays, however, the ships from before seem to be just returning from repairs at the enemy capital, so I get no relief in that sense. However, as the wrecks in the screenshots below show, I did manage to blow up 2 enemy ships right at the Jump point, in a chase in which one alien ship was destroyed just as it was leaving firing range of my Light cruisers. (which due to some bug with the missile cruiser at the start, seemed to be the only things capable of firing for at least 5 hours after making the jump, with the exception of the CIWS on the Tanker)
11. After waiting until the Missile firing controls were working again (as well as finding out the time that jump-blindness is supposed to last, which it turns out this wasn't) I fired my missiles at my next quarry, who was destroyed with 2 salvos. Also by this time I believe that the CC Socrates was immobilized, but I believed her repairable and safe from immediate enemy attack. After dispatching a single enemy FAC that came to close, I came under missile fire from a indeterminate source.
12. Said source was not the enemy planet, judging by the rough trajectory I recall the salvos coming from. With damaged ships in my fleet, (By this time one of my Heavy Cruisers was also somewhat damaged as well) and the nearest reinforcements 3 systems away, I set the ships home.
13. Before it could make it through the gate though, I lost the one CC Socrates
.
New Ship DesignsArchimedes class Collier 10,000 tons 116 Crew 1157 BP TCS 200 TH 504 EM 0
2520 km/s Armour 2-41 Shields 0-0 Sensors 1/1/0/0 Damage Control Rating 4 PPV 2.38
Maint Life 4.83 Years MSP 2253 AFR 228% IFR 3.2% 1YR 159 5YR 2390 Max Repair 126 MSP
Intended Deployment Time: 12 months Spare Berths 1
Magazine 900
252 EP Ion Drive (2) Power 252 Fuel Use 72.3% Signature 252 Exp 10%
Fuel Capacity 3,250,000 Litres Range 80.9 billion km (371 days at full power)
Twin Gauss Cannon R3-8 Turret (2x6) Range 30,000km TS: 10000 km/s Power 0-0 RM 3 ROF 5 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Fire Control S01 32-10000 (2) Max Range: 64,000 km TS: 10000 km/s 84 69 53 37 22 6 0 0 0 0
Size 4 Anti-ship Missile MK2 (225) Speed: 12,000 km/s End: 492.4m Range: 354.5m km WH: 9 Size: 4 TH: 56/33/16
Active Search Sensor MR2-R1 (1) GPS 28 Range 2.2m km MCR 244k km Resolution 1
ECM 10
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
Rio Negro class Tanker 18,000 tons 245 Crew 1346 BP TCS 360 TH 900 EM 0
2500 km/s JR 5-100 Armour 2-61 Shields 0-0 Sensors 1/1/0/0 Damage Control Rating 1 PPV 0
MSP 47 Max Repair 607 MSP
Intended Deployment Time: 3 months Spare Berths 1
Command J18000(5-100) Military Jump Drive Max Ship Size 18000 tons Distance 100k km Squadron Size 5
150 EP Commercial Ion Drive (6) Power 150 Fuel Use 10.61% Signature 150 Exp 5%
Fuel Capacity 5,150,000 Litres Range 485.4 billion km (2247 days at full power)
Nicopolis & Decelea CIWS-200 (1x6) Range 1000 km TS: 20000 km/s ROF 5 Base 50% To Hit
Active Search Sensor MR2-R1 (1) GPS 28 Range 2.2m km MCR 244k km Resolution 1
This design is classed as a Commercial Vessel for maintenance purposes
As a reward of sorts for reading this long-ass post, I present to you the design of a ship I painstakingly captured from these aliens. I give you the Tirifing, or as I like to call it, the "Terrific. . .
"
Tirfing class Missile Destroyer 7,800 tons 168 Crew 1282.56 BP TCS 156 TH 432 EM 0
2769 km/s Armour 6-35 Shields 0-0 Sensors 11/11/0/0 Damage Control Rating 4 PPV 24
Maint Life 2.43 Years MSP 411 AFR 121% IFR 1.7% 1YR 96 5YR 1438 Max Repair 216 MSP
Intended Deployment Time: 6 months Spare Berths 2
Magazine 462
72 EP Ion Drive (6) Power 72 Fuel Use 75.2% Signature 72 Exp 10%
Fuel Capacity 900,000 Litres Range 27.6 billion km (115 days at full power)
Size 4 Missile Launcher (6) Missile Size 4 Rate of Fire 40
Missile Fire Control FC226-R91 (1) Range 226.7m km Resolution 91
Size 4 Anti-ship Missile MK2 (115) Speed: 12,000 km/s End: 492.4m Range: 354.5m km WH: 9 Size: 4 TH: 56/33/16
Active Search Sensor MR226-R91 (1) GPS 19656 Range 226.7m km Resolution 91
Thermal Sensor TH1-11 (1) Sensitivity 11 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 11m km
EM Detection Sensor EM1-11 (1) Sensitivity 11 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 11m 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