AI fighters and Tornado missiles

[cmdnenad]

I'm considering an idea to use a small wing (5-10 fighters) loaded with Tornadoes to serve as a hit and run anti-capital strike force. The problem is I can't test it because I have only a few tornadoes I've picked up,and no factory to buy them (I don't want to build one just for a test, especially if it doesn't prove worth it).

So if anyone has done it, I'd appreciate some help. Will the fighters be smart enough to launch the missiles from safe distance? What about the accuracy, being a dumbfire?

Any advice is welcome .

[PLX]

Well, Quite interesting result. Bought 10 Nova Vanguards (nearest fighter I found in L fitting). Do they have 4x HEPT and 3x25 MJ shields. First, I entered Xenon 472 on Aquilo and flailed around a little. Then Panther delivered Novas. Forst target is lone Q. (no help from me or panther, obviously!) It dies, but kills 1 Nova in combat. Second target is J with few escorts remaining. Now I hav only 8 Novas? and that was suicide*. I Flail away escorts, then 1 more Q for Novas to eat and 1 more suicide. 1 More lone Q and 2 more suicides!!
Result 5 of 10 Novas died, 4 of them suicidal. Destroyed: 3x Q 1x J.

What about missiles? Odd AI Novas tend to strip most of the enemy shields with Hepts, then start launching Tornadoes. At that moment, enemy with low shields dies very quickly in a nice KABOOM and there are more Tornadoes incoming. So, It may be interesting to try Tornadoes with fighters and NO guns installed. Or with corvettes.
*Suicide means message Your Nova Vanguard was destroyed by Your Nova Vanguard

[fairywhipper]

depends on IS or OOS, it might work but will take loses. in OOS might be better, due to the way it is worked out, but in IS, boom, booom, boooom. you might get lucky. better off using banshee, etc. but up to you. remember not all fighters can use tornados. for anti big ships, a m6 with a lot of typhoons and hornets etc might be better than a group of fighters... maybe. also tornados have a way of missing the target at range, so been up close maybe to close!

[cmdnenad]

Result 5 of 10 Novas died, 4 of them suicidal. Destroyed: 3x Q 1x J.

Not bad . I'm surprised so many novas killed themselves, I thought tornadoes have a small blast radius.

What about missiles? Odd AI Novas tend to strip most of the enemy shields with Hepts, then start launching Tornadoes.

That's not very promising...

So, It may be interesting to try Tornadoes with fighters and NO guns installed.

That would be interesting indeed. Even more if it would work

depends on IS or OOS

IS only.

[TBV]

I have 1000s of Tornados I've stockpiled in one of my games. If you
can hang on for a few hours I'll test it for you later tonight.

Any preferences regarding which fighter and how many of them and what
you'd like missile probability set to?

[PLX]

That would be interesting indeed.

Repeated experiment with HEPS unloaded from fighters. Yes, that is interesting. But they don't shoot and dont shoot missiles too, with 100% setting. They danced around lone Q for sometime. But then that Q came for me and Panther. For a while panther wasn't shooting, but got really damaged shields. So I enabled Panther's guns and it killed Q. At that time, Novas were dancing with J. They even met some escort, but I flailed quickly.
What is good is no causalities among Nova Vanguards at all! However, enemy doesn't suffer capital ships causalities from my Novas as well

Giving all Novas a PAC at the back Doesn't help. Thistime I attacked K, which was along and had about 85% of shields after I made it along. Novas managed to get down it's shields to 73% with no casualties, using only that PACs. Theay are going to kill it in a looong time. Or all die in a loooong time.

Now the Idea I got is that may be a fact: AI uses Tornadoes on fighters against low-shiesld-% enemy. I remember I was flying my K, Got shields almost gone, was under fire from 2 Qs dodging somehow, started to charge jumpdrive and, while charging, got a Tornado from some fighter. Resulted in repair on SY.
However, in those Xenon walks, I remember a ship like Q shooting Tornadoes at me from a long range! But It may be aftr I attacked it first.
So, Anybody would try M7s with tornadoes? Good compact M7, tornado-compatible is

Spoiler

Show

Griffon

. anybody have a wing of those?

[cmdnenad]

I have 1000s of Tornados I've stockpiled in one of my games. If you
can hang on for a few hours I'll test it for you later tonight.

I'd appreciate it, thanx!

Any preferences regarding which fighter and how many of them and what
you'd like missile probability set to?

I'm considering Nova Raiders, but any other will do. I was was thinking 5-10, missile probability to 100%.



@PLX
I've just tested no-guns figters also, but different missiles. They just go idle and will not attack.

[PLX]

Edited previous post.

[SIMON POPPLEWELL]

depends on IS or OOS, it might work but will take loses. in OOS might be better, due to the way it is worked out, but in IS, boom, booom, boooom. you might get lucky. better off using banshee, etc. but up to you. remember not all fighters can use tornados. for anti big ships, a m6 with a lot of typhoons and hornets etc might be better than a group of fighters... maybe. also tornados have a way of missing the target at range, so been up close maybe to close!

Multi warhead missiles don't work OOS unfortuantly so you only get one boom.

Repeated experiment with HEPS unloaded from fighters. Yes, that is interesting. But they don't shoot and dont shoot missiles too, with 100% setting. They danced around lone Q for sometime. But then that Q came for me and Panther. For a while panther wasn't shooting, but got really damaged shields. So I enabled Panther's guns and it killed Q. At that time, Novas were dancing with J. They even met some escort, but I flailed quickly.
What is good is no causalities among Nova Vanguards at all! However, enemy doesn't suffer capital ships causalities from my Novas as well.

You can actually set the percentage at which fighters launch missiles, just set to 100% and they will continue to fire missiles till they run out. Least that way you can keep other weapons installed as a backup.

[TBV]

Oh boy!

1 unarmed Colussus with 10 L Nova Raiders.

All NRs have full speed, rudder and cargo. The only additions are Fight Command Software MK1/MK2, a Duplex Scanner, a single IRE set to Missile Defence and of course 20 Tornado missiles each on 100% probability.

A solitary Q is located in Family Zyarth as a first "gentle" test. Colossus is jumped to furthest gate from Q and fighters launched on broadcast to all -> attack Q.

After a 40km flight, Q is toast in 3 seconds flat. So it's a bit of a shame 2 NR died crashing into each other while trying to dock. So then there were 8.


For a second, more challenging fight. A PX patrol is located in Zyarth's Dominion. This is a biggie, with 11 L, 1 LX, 5 M and 5 N.

Colossus is jumped in 30 km out and fighters launched on broadcast to all -> attack all.

There then followed a scene that very much resembled November the 5th, and looked fantastic. When it was over 5 L, 5 M and 3 N remained and were hounded to the South gate.
Only a single N escaped the HEPT and made it to Xenon space.

One further NR was killed in the fight and another was down to 40% hull.
They were a lot more accurate with those missiles than I ever would have suspected though.

Not an exhaustive test I'm afraid, but all I have time for atm.

[cmdnenad]

Your test proves that the NR is a potent fighter .

When did the fighters launch tornadoes, before they engaged the Q or after they droped its shields?

[PLX]

You can actually set the percentage at which fighters launch missiles, just set to 100%

they were set to 100%, indeed.

[TBV]

When did the fighters launch tornadoes?

They start launching the Tornados from several km before they reached the Q. I would guess about 3km.

They keep firing the missiles until they are all gone, and then switch to HEPT.

I tried dumping them in X472 and they seem pretty immune to capital ships,
destroying them before they are in danger from Flak.
And while they also do OK against fighters those 20 missiles run out pretty
fast and many are wasted before they get to the capital ships.

Perhaps if another wing of NRs are set up in an anti-fighter role and sent
out first, then the Tornado-equipped NRs could go about their business
relatively unhindered. A test for another day.

Fighters like the Blastclaw Prototype with it's 650 cargo-bay may be much
better as a Tornado-launching platform.

[cmdnenad]

Ok, I'm convinced. I'll add tornadoes to my weapon complex.

Perhaps if another wing of NRs are set up in an anti-fighter role and sent
out first, then the Tornado-equipped NRs could go about their business
relatively unhindered. A test for another day.

Some escorts would be necessary, depending on situation...

Fighters like the Blastclaw Prototype with it's 650 cargo-bay may be much
better as a Tornado-launching platform.

Or Falcon Haulers. Good shields and cargo bay, although slow. I have a wing of 10 Falcons sitting somewhere, and I'll give it a try.


Thanks for your help!

[TBV]

You're welcome. Thanks for the idea. I've had all these missiles sitting around and it never occured to me to
let the AI use them. I just assumed they wouldn't be able to hit the
side of a barn with them. I assumed wrong.

[cmdnenad]

You're welcome. Thanks for the idea. I've had all these missiles sitting around and it never occured to me to
let the AI use them. I just assumed they wouldn't be able to hit the
side of a barn with them. I assumed wrong.

It's a shame to let all those missiles gathering dust . I must admit that I was also skeptical about AI hitting anything with them. Glad I was wrong.

As soon as I manufacture enough tornadoes, I'll be taking my carrier for a spin into a Xenon sector...

[PLX]

Still haven't got the idea, why didn't my Nova Vanguards shoot Tornadoes early. Of course, v 3.1 and 100% missile probability.

[cmdnenad]

Still haven't got the idea, why didn't my Nova Vanguards shoot Tornadoes early. Of course, v 3.1 and 100% missile probability.

Try selecting the Tornado in Weapon Control and see if it makes any difference. Unfortunately you'll have to do it for each ship in a wing.