Aurora Help

[mikeck]

Ok...so I redesigned and refitted my combat fleet along with some new missles. I added more armor to all, added some additional missile launchers, fire controls and magazines. Most importantly, I identified a big problem with my pd plan; my anti-missle lasers were hull mounted. Oops. Kind of hard to target incoming missiles at 18000km/s when your whole ship has to move. So, I designed a turret with 2 beams and a tracking speed of 16,000km/s and mounted one on my Ticonderoga ships. I added gauss turrets to each ship with a fire control. I also added an additional Ticonderoga class ship to each fleet so long as jump gates were available. Finally, I redesigned my missles after researching increases agility and engine power. Bigger warheads with added speed on my anti ship missles and more speed and agility on my anti missile missiles.

I took my new fleet to battle and the first thing I noticed is a new type of enemy ship that travels at 6500km/s. this is a problem because my ships move at 3900km/s. Time for some trickeration.

I left my active sensors off and reduced fleet speed to 10% which made me invisible to enemy sensors at that range. I sent out the TFS Sheridan (frigate capable of 4900 km/a) towards the enemy fleet. When I got close I stopped the Sheridan and say motionless trying to watch the enemy and get some intel. Meanwhile, I dispatched 2nd fleet from Sol to reinforce me. They are 3 systems away so they may miss the fight.

Finally, I got all of the intel I thought I could get from my frigate to I pulled my pants down...I fired up the Sheridan's engines and turned on active sensors. Sheridan was directed to move towards 1st fleet lying in ambush near the jump gate. The enemy fleet of 8 ships took the bait and began moving towards the ambush. My fire control and ASM range is out to 35 million kms. At 45 million kms the enemy ships came to a screeching halt...I assume they detected my fleet. I turned on the engines and sensors and tried to accelerate into range but No Joy...the enemy moved away at high speed. The longer I followed them, the more I smelled a trap.

Now, I don't know if the AI intended to set a trap but 2 hours later, as my fleet came to a stop and prepared to move back to the gate, thermal sensors picked up an incoming fleet of 6 enemy cruisers moving at 3500 km/s. I decided not to run and see what happened. The enemy approached and at about 50 million kms out(the ships) I picked up I coming missiles at 2 million km moving at 18,500 km/s! Now, my resolution 1 anti missile active sensor has a range of 20 million km so I am at a loss as to why it takes so long to pick up the enemy missiles so I now believe the enemy has a substantial EM warfare capability. Damn...time to try out the new defenses.

I assigned targets to the AM fire control and began launching AMM (anti missle missiles) the enemy ships launched salvoes consisting of 3 packs containing 5 missiles each. One by one my 3 missle salvoes reached out...2 from each Ticonderoga for 12 per volley. Success! Most missed but in the end only 4 of the 15 enemy missiles got through. My new double laser turrets got the rest. Each turret can fire at two missiles in the same pack. Unfortunately, since then, the enemy has launched 4 more of the 15 missile salvoes with more likely behind. So far, no hits on my fleet as the Ticons do their job but AMM supplies are at 55-60%.

Finally, the enemy ships had entered my ASM range. I set speed to move back toward the jump gate at the same speed as the enemy while I launched salvos at the enemy fleet.

So, currently I am facing down multiple salvoes of incoming missiles with success but supplies are dwindling. My missiles are on the way but have at least 25 minutes  until they reach their targets. Meanwhile I hope to land some hits and escape through the gate...the  slip in 2nd fleet with full supplies. If timed right, I can catch the enemy fleet before they can resupply...but I doubt it, 2nd fleet is days away.

Stay tuned.

[Sparhawk]

Three years back I was between jobs and learned of Aurora. I spent 3 months eating, playing Aurora, and sleeping a little bit. The experience mikeck is having parallels my own. There's absoluteley nothing like it. Fire control is the most frustrating aspect of the game for me, I suck at it. I lost many ships trying to figure it out. It is worth the time though. I would go back to the game if it was more user friendly and I didn't have to immerse myself so completely in it to be somewhat competent.

[OJsDad]

Mikeck, very cool.  Keep us informed on your future battles.

[mikeck]

On yeah...you guys will love this! Ok, so I am out of AMMs. Went through all 600 and between them and my gauss cannons, bad guys only scored a few hits. Enemy launched about 150 missiles so far and more keep coming. I only have my gauss pd left but all is Ok! Yes sir, my 300 Long lance 31 million km range missiles with high powered levitated nuclear implosion warheads are minutes away for hitting the enemy.

Just one thing though. I engaged at max range of my active sensors...about 39 million kms. Fine for the missiles as the enemy is moving towards them reducing the range. Problem is, the enemy is moving towards me at 3066 km/s and I am moving away at 3900 km/s. See the problem here? No? Yeah well I didn't either until minutes before my missiles hit my sensors station informed me that we lost all enemy ships on active sensors! Yes sir, because I was increasing distance at 834 km/s, I moved outside my active sensor range. So, of course, my missiles have nothing to guide them. Think of them like old AIM-7 sparrows. Need the aircraft to keep a lock. You can build them with their own individual sensors but at my tech level, that makes for heavy missiles.

So, 2 minutes from impact it is announced that all 300 of my ASMs self destructed due to lack of target guidance. Nice

I left with heavy damage to the command ship, left it in a neighboring system to repair at the shipyard there while the rest of the fleet went home to rearm and refuel. Screw this, I merged 1st and 2nd fleets and am heading back in. 6 battle cruisers with 720 ASMs and 4 Ticonderoga cruisers with 1200 AMMs...and I plan on using everyone of the bitches!

[GDS_Starfury]

nice move Mr Theisman.

[mikeck]

Good news: I won't make that mistake again.
Bad news: there is a 100% chance I will make a different mistake which will be as bad at some point.

Like golf, this game is as frustrating as it is rewarding.

[Longdan]

Mikeck that was very exciting.  I have never done more than dink around with this one.
So many games, so little time.

[OJsDad]

Kewl!!!   I had the economies screen open on one monitor and the system map on a second one, I then click the 30day increment button and it updated both screens. 

[mikeck]

If you ever wanted to fight Honor Harrington/Jack Campbell style space battles, this is the only game in town. For me, the colonization stuff is background for the fights. You really feel like you accomplished something when you win. In a previous game some time ago, I developed a stealthy frigate with microwave beams (they disable enemy electronics). I had three sneaking around an enemy fleet. Right before my missiles entered the enemy AMM range, I opened up with microwave attacks and ECM. Basically disabled a lot of the enemy tracking electronics and really did a number on the fleet. Followed up with a troop transport loaded with jump pods and highly trained assault infantry. Took a colony. C'mon ...you can't get that a anywhere else.

[GDS_Starfury]

actually you can in Homeworld.  ecm mines, marine frigates, mimics yada yada.  there was a HH mod in the works but Webers lawyers got involved and it was shut down.  >:(

[GDS_Starfury]

[mikeck]

I love homeworld but the battles aren't realistic. Why would I wait until I was 10 ship lengths away to fire missiles? In all rts, the speeds are too low, ranges are too low and no sensors modeled. No colony manager, invasions, can't develope weapons, etc

[Martok]

I enjoy reading of your misadventures experiences, mickeck.  Appreciate you sharing them with us! 

actually you can in Homeworld.  ecm mines, marine frigates, mimics yada yada.  there was a HH mod in the works but Webers lawyers got involved and it was shut down.  >:(

I'm guessing that's because some sort of HH MMO was being developed at one point, although I don't remember many details about it.  No idea if it's still in the works or not, although I doubt it. 

[mikeck]

I do wish I could play homeworld 2 with the mods but I could never get it working on windows 7.

Anyway, you will be happy to know that I returned to Tau Ceti with my combined fleet of 6 battle cruisers holding 740 ASM missiles and my 4 Missle destroyers holding 1200 AMM. This time, I did it right. My redesigned point defense plan worked much better. My AMMs had about a 35-40 percent hit rate. Between those and my gauss point defense only 6 enemy missiles hit home.

My ASMs moved out at 22,000km/s with size 9 warheads...bigger and faster than the previous version . Enemy defenses weren't near as effective due to the speed of my missiles and most got through. The entire fleet of 9 ships was destroyed. I did burn through 400 ASMs and 800 AMMs in the process.

Next step, return home, rearm, refuel and return to attack the home world and prepare for the marines.

[GDS_Starfury]

even in the future the Navy is the Marines taxi service.