Are AMMs worthwhile?
I'm pretty much just relying on one or more twin 10cm laser turrets for PD backed up (usually) by a CIWS or two. It seems to do the job fairly well.
My most common missile designs are size 10, size 12, and size 20. I did design a size 5 that was pretty fast, meant to be used against fast, small craft.
The utility of AMMs depends upon your doctrine. I subscribe to the 'missiles should not get into CIWS range' doctrine. I have escort ships with large res 0 sensors and I engage at 5M km plus if I can. I still carry CIWS and some lasers, but they are definately the last line of defence not the primary. The advantage your ships would have over mine is logistics. I need a fleet of colliers to support my ships on extended ops and AMMs add to the burden. My ASM designs tend be size 5/6(primary offensive missile), size 10 (long range with good active sensor suite) and, for PDCs, size 24.
Good point, personally I subscibe to the "human" wave metaphor of missile doctrine. I use smaller missiles (my max size anti ship missiles are usually only size 5 max) but throw LOTS of them down range. I try to fight a long range duel when possible. However the NPR's can have scary PD some times so the tactic I've found that works in the case of 'scary good' enemy PD is to close the range, start throwing my size 1 waves from my destroyer escorts (i have lots) at them and them send in my ship killer missiles from my cruisers and battlecruisers mixed in with the size 1 type missiles. This invariably over whelms the NPR PD and the ship killers get through.
Ofcourse that is a lot of missiles down range. I've noticed my ship design doctrine is different than Steve's. When you start a game and you let the program design your initial ships I find that the magazine capacity on the ships is to small for me. My general missile cruiser runs in the 12-14k ton range, will have about 8-10 size 4-5 tubes and 10-15 size 10 magazines. I find it works well, in longer battles where I and the NPR both have excellent PD and very little is getting through I tend to win because the NPR almost always runs dry on missile stock before I do.
My 2 cents.
Jeff
