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As the game is recent and space combat has yet to be tested with rigorous methods , opinions on combat balance differ due to anecdotal evidence. After experiencing a few typical space fights on servers with different settings , I tried to explain their outcomes based on my understanding of game mechanics.
The initial conditions of space combat can vary greatly , but there's a general trend that many noticed - bigger ships tend to win more often. This was easiest to explain before the shield changes , as large ships were mathematically impossible to defeat without enough guns to outdamage their shield regeneration.
Now that this changed , people might think that small ships stand a fighting chance against large ones. This is technically true.
Let's consider the tactical variables here. Ships have a relative motion which is the difference of their respective velocity vectors.
Fig. 1 : light fighter flies with a velocity vector (V1) towards the large ship that flies with a velocity vector (V2). Its relative motion (Vr) is simply (V1)-(V2).
In a frontal engagement , both ships can open fire as soon as they are within weapons range , draining each other's shields then destroying modules. Typically , a large ship will destroy a smaller ship's weapon modules before those can deal significant damage. Flying towards larger ships when you're within their cone of fire is generally ill-advised.
Now , initial conditions can be a great deal more complex , sometimes involving stealth or the larger ship's pilot being completely oblivious. The light fighter has a chance to close the distance and reach weapons range from a blind spot. This is where the game's physics start to matter.
Fig. 2 : successful ambush by the light fighter , with combat starting opposite to the large ship's weapon output.
Part 1 : upon noticing shield damage or hearing shots , the large ship's pilot usually opts to fly in a given direction in an attempt to evade or locate his attacker. Depending on the thrust to mass ratios , it takes between 1 and 10 seconds for both ships to reach maximum speed if it's close to the default value (equal or below 75km/h)
Once that happens , both ships have matched speeds and are nearly static relative to each other. The status quo favors the light fighter at first , slowly depleting the large ship's shields as it's fleeing towards its homebase or possibly the sun to deny any loot , should that pilot choose not to fight back.
If he does , the light fighter has a short time window in which it must deal enough damage to core its target. Failing that , the only option is to withdraw and cloak in a hurry. With no cloak , the fight is already lost. Why ?
Part 2 : the large ship turns to face its attacker. Continuing on their previous trajectory , both ships are still static relative to each other. Seeing the large ship turn , the light fighter may opt to strafe away from the doom-delivering end , but due to the limit in absolute speed , this only results in losing ground , reducing the angular velocity gain from strafing.
Part 3 : With the large ship maintaining its trajectory during rotation , it is soon enough able to face the light ship and possibly chase it to the other end of the universe if necessary.
Conclusion : with shield regeneration halting under fire , it is now possible to destroy unpiloted or AFK ships with a smaller one. Defeating them when piloted by anyone with even a basic understanding of movement controls , however , is very unlikely.
The initial conditions of space combat can vary greatly , but there's a general trend that many noticed - bigger ships tend to win more often. This was easiest to explain before the shield changes , as large ships were mathematically impossible to defeat without enough guns to outdamage their shield regeneration.
Now that this changed , people might think that small ships stand a fighting chance against large ones. This is technically true.
Let's consider the tactical variables here. Ships have a relative motion which is the difference of their respective velocity vectors.
Fig. 1 : light fighter flies with a velocity vector (V1) towards the large ship that flies with a velocity vector (V2). Its relative motion (Vr) is simply (V1)-(V2).
In a frontal engagement , both ships can open fire as soon as they are within weapons range , draining each other's shields then destroying modules. Typically , a large ship will destroy a smaller ship's weapon modules before those can deal significant damage. Flying towards larger ships when you're within their cone of fire is generally ill-advised.
Now , initial conditions can be a great deal more complex , sometimes involving stealth or the larger ship's pilot being completely oblivious. The light fighter has a chance to close the distance and reach weapons range from a blind spot. This is where the game's physics start to matter.
Fig. 2 : successful ambush by the light fighter , with combat starting opposite to the large ship's weapon output.
Part 1 : upon noticing shield damage or hearing shots , the large ship's pilot usually opts to fly in a given direction in an attempt to evade or locate his attacker. Depending on the thrust to mass ratios , it takes between 1 and 10 seconds for both ships to reach maximum speed if it's close to the default value (equal or below 75km/h)
Once that happens , both ships have matched speeds and are nearly static relative to each other. The status quo favors the light fighter at first , slowly depleting the large ship's shields as it's fleeing towards its homebase or possibly the sun to deny any loot , should that pilot choose not to fight back.
If he does , the light fighter has a short time window in which it must deal enough damage to core its target. Failing that , the only option is to withdraw and cloak in a hurry. With no cloak , the fight is already lost. Why ?
Part 2 : the large ship turns to face its attacker. Continuing on their previous trajectory , both ships are still static relative to each other. Seeing the large ship turn , the light fighter may opt to strafe away from the doom-delivering end , but due to the limit in absolute speed , this only results in losing ground , reducing the angular velocity gain from strafing.
Part 3 : With the large ship maintaining its trajectory during rotation , it is soon enough able to face the light ship and possibly chase it to the other end of the universe if necessary.
Conclusion : with shield regeneration halting under fire , it is now possible to destroy unpiloted or AFK ships with a smaller one. Defeating them when piloted by anyone with even a basic understanding of movement controls , however , is very unlikely.
