Advice on OOS long term sector defense

[BryanNeff]

I recently put a pair of Springblossoms (not in a wing, which may have been part of my mistake) on patrol, and apparently they got nuked by a damn Eclipse.

So my question is - what sort of suggestions are there for -quick- sector defense? It's in Spires of Elysium, so I need something with speed. I have a Boreas there, but that's not very helpful when my CLS pilots get fried by a bunch of M4's and M5's while he's slowly travelling across the sector.

I blew up the Pirate base nearby, which may have solved part of my problem, but I'd still like some sector patrols that I won't have to babysit, but can deal with standard pirate raids. And by not have to babysit, I mean I won't have to replace ships after every hit. That gets tedious.

The game is an unmodified DiD, and needs to stay that way, so scripts/mods don't currently help me.

[Catra]

pair of Springblossoms

there's your problem.

need more.

cause pirates don't just roam about in packs of one.

[Rive]

Order the Boreas to guard the gate, and deploy a dozen cheap M3 to sweep around in the sector. Sometimes you will have to replace them, but with the gate guarded it won't be frequent.

Ps.: did you have PMAMLs on the Springblossoms? Ammo based weapons can run dry pretty fast OOS, so you have to set up a CLS to keep them full with ammo.

[Geek]

Ps.: did you have PMAMLs on the Springblossoms? Ammo based weapons can run dry pretty fast OOS, so you have to set up a CLS to keep them full with ammo.

Even worse, those weapons are bugged and will prevent other guns to fire OOS. Avoid at all cost.

[BryanNeff]

Order the Boreas to guard the gate,

Sorry - how do you order something to guard a gate? The only other patrol 'type' commands I've seen are 'Defend Sector' 'Defend Station' 'Defend Ship', and all of those are only functional if there's enemies present - they revert to none once everything is dead. I'd love to keep my Boreas near the gate - I just have no idea how.

I stuck a ring of fire around the gate, but that did jack shit.

a dozen cheap M3

Cheap MP3s are still slow. It's Spires of Elusion - I need something that can haul ass. If I was just worried about stations, it wouldn't matter, but the CLS's are idiots and won't jump when attacked like UTs.

Could I use a dozen or so Springblossoms? It would take time to gather the equipment.

And no, I'm not using PMAMLs - because of the ammo reason. I didn't know they were bugged, though - that's good to know. I was considering moving to them for punch. Maybe I'll just fill the Springblossoms with ESSCs. It'll drain energy in a single shot, but I guess if they all 'hit' that's fine.

[AgamemnonArgon]

Most ships, I have found, need smaller ships to Escort them and an M2 needs an M7 or at least three or four M6's which in turn means they all need fighter support. I prefer Shrike and the 8 fighter hangar.
If not a Carrier, a Cheap TL, Ryu, Elephant, that can carry FLAK and a dozen or so fighters.

[Infekted]

To guard a gate, use the defend position command. It will attack any enemy that comes within 10km.

A single boreas will deal with any pirates, however if you expect xenon then it will need cover.

Regarding the springblossoms. Energy is not used in OOS combat, so feel free to load up with starbursts. Just dont go IS, as not only will they "shoot their load" very quickly, but the AI does not handle that speed very well at all IS.

If you want silly speed have you considered the spitfyre? You'd have to use eEMPC, and they cost a bomb, but damn soooo fast...

Failing that an M5 swarm (lots of) should do ok in OOS. They will take a fair amount of casualties, but they are cheap so no big deal.

[David Howland]

I think Rive meant you to use defend position on the gate, however placing some object in front of the gate might be more effective as the defence target.
I am a little puzzled though, I thought you said the game is unmodified but you mentioned having tried the ring of fire which I have been led to believe is the result of mods.?
You may be being a bit idealistic: I run a game with many defence patrols agaist pirates and Xenon but I have not yet had one that never needed ocassional OOS sector guidance or actually my jumping in to save them from certain destruction!
I am amazed you have got so far playing DID, I have always looked on it as a ludicrous concept designed to be played by suicidaly minded players but everyone to their own!

[Rive]

Could I use a dozen or so Springblossoms?

Why not? The cost is a bit high but it's indeed able to do the job of an M3...

You can even use PMAMLs (OOS it's an instant kill against any smaller ship if the Springblossom is the first to attack: and it's always the first) if you set one of the Springblossoms to maintain the ammo level on the others. All you need is a well set CLS pilot.

Ps.: guarding a gate: yes, it's the 'Defend position' command. Works like charm.

[AgamemnonArgon]

Could I use a dozen or so Springblossoms?

Why not? The cost is a bit high but it's indeed able to do the job of an M3...

You can even use PMAMLs (OOS it's an instant kill against any smaller ship if the Springblossom is the first to attack: and it's always the first) if you set one of the Springblossoms to maintain the ammo level on the others. All you need is a well set CLS pilot.

Ps.: guarding a gate: yes, it's the 'Defend position' command. Works like charm.

What about quite a lot of Anti Matter Mines, and also Lasertowers.
It could cause the bad guys a headache once they appear through the Gate.

[Infekted]

Mines don't discriminate between friend or foe... So if you fancy going to war with everyone go for it...

Plus they and laser towers are fairly poor OOS.

[BryanNeff]

To guard a gate, use the defend position command. It will attack any enemy that comes within 10km.

I'll try this. Every time I've done a 'defend' command when there's no enemies in the sector, the command just seems to go to 'none'. Maybe they're still defending and it's just not showing it.

A single boreas will deal with any pirates, however if you expect xenon then it will need cover.

Nah. Never seen Kha'ak come near Spires of Elusion. Plus, since I completed Final Fury.. I guess I'm presuming they'll be less prevalent?

With the exception of terrible luck, I imagine the most that would happen is a cluster.

If you want silly speed have you considered the spitfyre? You'd have to use eEMPC, and they cost a bomb, but damn soooo fast...

I've considered it, yes, but as you point out, the eEMPC is a problem. There's 2 Weapon Manufacturing Plants in Aldrin, both of which are always fully loaded, but only one eMPC forge, which tends to get emptied quickly. I suppose I could spread the eMPCs out with pSSCs more in Springblossoms.

Cost isn't that much of an issue. I'm using the Nvidium exploit, with 30 Mistrils mining an infinite amount of it in Perpetual Sin, which gets carried by a CLS Mistral SF to a Mobile Mining Base, which docks at Queen's and transfers it to Dolphin Tanker XLs which sell for 20 mil a piece when fully loaded with Nvidium. Is it cheap? Yes. But I've spent so much f'ing time doing these DiD games that I think I deserve a damn break.

My desire to retain my assets in Spirels of Elusion is less about cost and more about the time of replacement.

I am a little puzzled though, I thought you said the game is unmodified but you mentioned having tried the ring of fire which I have been led to believe is the result of mods.?

Sorry - by ring of fire I just meant I stuck 20 lasertowers around the gate in a ring. I thought they would do something. Apparently they don't. I didn't mean to cause confusion.

I am amazed you have got so far playing DID, I have always looked on it as a ludicrous concept designed to be played by suicidaly minded players but everyone to their own!

It's quite possibly the most stressful thing I've done in gaming, and completely changes the nature of the game. It.. feels.. different. I'm a philosophy major, so I was actually spent some time musing on how we hold a certain indescribable 'perception' of things around us, or feeling towards them, that can be changed with slight alterations. The way I perceive X3, on a very fundamental level, is highly different when playing a DiD game.

Plus, I like a challenge.. Most Steam Achievements on most games are just 'you beat X boss that you had to beat to beat the game anyway!' or silly things like that. This was actually an achievement that I felt like.. would be an achievement.. if I completed it.

I've managed to do the Terran Plot, Goner Plot, Final Fury, Treasure Hunt, and New Home. I'm at the Ore point on The Hub. The problem is, I've never completed The Hub, Aldrin Expansion, Balance of Power, or the HQ plot, so..while I'm using walkthroughs to help so I don't accidentally do something stupid, I still don't know entirely what to expect.

You can even use PMAMLs

Wait - so they are bugged, or not?



Entirely unrelated question. Is there anyway to highlight text and quote it? The 'Quote' button is awfully painful on this forum. I'm used to just being able to highlight someone's text and hit a quote button, and have it stuck in quotes nicely.

[Gazz]

Mines are... difficult... to work with.
If you place a minefield dense enought to hurt anything *but* fighters, it's going to blow all at once.
Maintaining it won't be a lot of fun.

Lasertowers work... but OOS they have a range of < 1800m.
That's only a little more than the radius of a gate.

[Rive]

You can even use PMAMLs

Wait - so they are bugged, or not?

1.) OOS ammo based weapons consumes more ammo than usual. It's just how this works, not a bug. You have to take care of ammo levels, that's all.

2.) OOS if there is a mixed weapon setup on a ship, with both ammo and energy based weapons, then the energy based weapons will stop firing if the ammo for the others runs out. It can be considered as a bug, but point 1. gives a workaround.

[Infekted]

I said xenon not khaak ;p Although I missed the bit about Spires of Illusion so you should be fairly safe from them there.

Have you considered cloning? Some say it's cheating, but since you pay full price for them it's not so bad. Especially since you are niv mining

Thats where you buy ten say #cefas. Buy the 2 EMPCs, which will get you 20. Sell one back without leaving the screen then repeat untill they are all full.

And yes I would not recommend pMAML for a serious OOS defence force...
Ammo is consumed very fast OOS. If you use ammo based weapons, NO energy based weapons will fire..
Plus having a CLS resupply ship floating around can lead to issues.
And lastly, as I said pSBSC do SICK damage in OOS and you do not have to worry about energy...

[Geek]

2.) OOS if there is a mixed weapon setup on a ship, with both ammo and energy based weapons, then even the energy based weapons cease fire if the ammo for the others run out. It can be considered as a bug, but point 1. gives a workaround.

Actually, in case of mixed loadout the energy weaopns never fire, even if there is plenty of ammo for the others guns.

[Rive]

Actually, in case of mixed loadout the energy weaopns never fire, even if there is plenty of ammo for the others guns.

Well, thanks.

I had no chance to see the difference, ever

[BryanNeff]

Mines are... difficult... to work with.

Yeah.. on a DiD game, playing with mines sounds like... well.. Playing with mines.

I still have to enter Spires now and then to set up factory complexes, so I can't just set a few things up and then leave it forever.

Have you considered cloning? Some say it's cheating, but since you pay full price for them it's not so bad. Especially since you are niv mining

I actually hadn't heard of this. It seems interesting, but Niv mining seems.. less.. like cheating. And mainly I'm just using it to recover losses from a previous DiD where a bug caused my Springblossom Patrols to change their IFF settings randomly and murder an Argon pilot, which cost me about a billion credits in stations and all my rep with Argon overnight.

I put a bug in that in technical support, but no one has a clear answer. The best I can come up with is that the patrol identified a TS carrying illegal wares and viewed it as a Pirate (as Pirates also get switched to enemy when this happens), but since it didn't actually change the ship to Pirate, it also switched Argon to enemy. I've seen this behavior multiple times..but recently I witnessed a Springblossom randomly change Paranid to enemy for no discernible reason (There are no red paranid ships left at this point in the game, or even red laser towers belonging to anyone but pirates).

I suppose if I inevitably die again in DiD, I can use that method to help get me back up to speed.

[Virtualaughing]

Now i would say just buy a fast carrier or at least few M7 but there is the "god" factor too.
And ofc their usefulness of any defese depends on the sector size too

I really wish for to remove all random elements depending on hostile encounters and that "god" factor and stick to the very bottom "as last result to ensure game stability" EK: if you go on a full scale war against a race you can not finish them... in time they will try to get back that you took from them.... Accidents may happens

[AL'42]

I’ve had M1s destroyed by pirate groups and easily by a xenon Q, and having 2 or more M1s doesn’t help, if an enemy get the first round in each one can hit the leading M1 before it can fight back, sometimes killing it.

The only sure fire defence is an M2 with at least 10G shields and max weapon loadout (not ammo based), backed up by 50 M3 fighters (falcon haulers are best with 200M shield). The M2 can survive the first hits from just about anything, after that its your turn and the numbers game comes into play, 50 hits from your fighters will wipe out the enemy. You’ll lose an M3 now and then but much cheaper than losing an expensive M6 or bigger. That’s the reality of OOS combat in this game. Only problem is the cost. OP: you've just paid 390mil for a sector in the backend of nowhere so you're obviously not short of a bob or two.....

I have 3 M2 groups defending the gates to the NE boron sectors, nothing has got through. It works.