Discussion on the Viability of Light Assault Craft

[Drumboy168]

General Info: One of my favorite things to do in Starmade is set up simulations in single player pitting AI ships against one another. I enjoy seeing which weapons systems are most effective per their size, and also generally knowing in what scenarios the ships I have created are useful. So, conducting several recent tests I have come across some interesting data. It seems that, contrary to popular belief, a medium sized swarm of bomber-type light assault craft can indeed take out a vessel considerably larger than the combined mass of the bombers. Even more interesting was a very tentative relationship I have noticed between the pulse damage capability a ship possesses and it's ability to take out larger ships when grouped en-masse. For example, I have a medium fighter, the Defender-Class, which possesses light dual cannon-cannon-punch through weapon combos. The slave cannon is not at 100%, so the individual shots do still have some kick. I spawned in 40 or so to try and take down two heavy WiP-Corvettes, for testing purposes. The Corvettes have two heavy repeating Cannon-Cannon-Punch through turrets, and two light point defense turrets, those though weren't configured. Amazingly, all of the fighters were destroyed with only minimal damage to the Corvettes turrets. Next, I spawned in about 15 bombers (over different times in the simulation), using Cannon-Pulse-Ion shots, and hulk missiles. Incredibly, they managed to destroy both Corvettes. My point is, in wanting smaller ships to be able to overwhelm larger ones, the answer seams to be not in DPS, per say, but more in heavy pulse damage. This, of course, requires further testing.
Question to You: So, what say you? What ideas do you have to make small swarms of lighter craft vulnerable? What weapon systems do you use? Shields or no shields? Let's get some ideas going, people!

(When I say "pulse" not in the context of a master-slave weapon system, I am referring to a ship's ability to do damage at a specific instant, as opposed to it's DPS over a set interval, a second.

 

[ToyotaSupra]

Right, the main thing (I personally think) about landing craft and assault craft and the like is that in real life, before the inventions or a2a missiles that could fire and forget air combat was mostly to do with how many support light aircraft you had. Your Flying Fortresses and Lancaster's had a lot of guns, but were still large and slow targets. That's why each bomber had 3-4 support craft with them.

But on a videogame there won't be so many people on a server. Like Starmade, there will be a Capital with 1 person flying it and turrets doing the rest. So the enemy has 4 guys with him? Will he put those guys in light support craft to try and take out their turrets? Nah, leave them at the base while you bring out your own capital.

That's my theory on Light craft.

I always though lots of small, fast and weak craft would be so very much better than ONE very large and slow, but devastating capital, due to the smaller craft being replaceable and hard to hit due to speed. But we have pinpoint accuracy turrets that do that for us so we use megacapitals instead...maybe the turret accuracy needs to be toned down, just a bit? To make it inferior to Human controlled crafts?

 

[Malacodor]

Question to You: So, what say you?

Check this thread.

...maybe the turret accuracy needs to be toned down, just a bit?

It was already reduced a lot.

 

[Drumboy168]

Check this thread.


It was already reduced a lot.

I know of and have read that thread. I'm not much talking about the capability of drones to be viable, but the ideal solution for the anti-captital bomber problem.

 

[DivineEvil]

The main thingie here is that with the presence of Push effect engines, one player can launch entire wings of assault craft and heavier fire support vessels into enemy positions with active AI, which not only make them engage the enemy offensively, but also being harder to hit considering constant forward thrust, which drastically changes their behavior in fight (without Push engines all ships would only slowly orbit around and freeze if affected by Stop weapons).

Now Imagine a Push-driven Drone Barge with forward shield plating. Shield Plating has activator block linked into NOT-signal, which in turn linked to docking arrays consisting a dozen or two of combat drones. If activator block is destroyed, all drones are deployed...

Doesn't it gives you shivers?

 

[Keptick]

I know of and have read that thread. I'm not much talking about the capability of drones to be viable, but the ideal solution for the anti-captital bomber problem.

For that we'd need an AI fleet control system, which sadly hasn't been implemented yet. I really can't wait.

Just imagine an ender's games style battle in SM. How f*cking epic would that be?

 

[Drumboy168]

Hmm. I have heard of the push-launch system, but what I am mainly curious on is the different arrangements for anti-capital bomber weapons.

 

[Malacodor]

I know of and have read that thread. I'm not much talking about the capability of drones to be viable, but the ideal solution for the anti-captital bomber problem.

If you want to use a larger number of bombers you either need a lot of people willing to fly them instead of their own battleships, or you let them be controlled by AIs, in which case your bombers ARE drones. And the best way to fight drones seems to be more drones.

 

[DivineEvil]

Hmm. I have heard of the push-launch system, but what I am mainly curious on is the different arrangements for anti-capital bomber weapons.

Weapons? Well, my idea is dual Cannon-Ion mounts, one or two Missile-Cannon-Overdrive mounts and a small AMS turret system to at least marginally protect them from being wiped by nukes or swarm missiles. Those probably would require a heavy long-range support vessels with Cannon-Beam-Stop batteries to prevent capitals from runnins. Beam-Cannon-EMP armed drone swarms can be used to drain power and prevent Jumping out of combat. Dunno how close it is to practical use.

 

[Lidren]

I have been experimenting with lighter carrier based craft from day 1. The new weapon systems make it much more viable than it was previously. My current project is a pair of bomber types put out in equal numbers, one with heavy ion cannon, one with heavy explosive missiles. So far its worked like a charm in ai testing.

I'm definitely going to have to check out the push system in greater detail.