Expansion cleanup

from Sins Forums
So, I finally managed to get a good strategy going against the computer on normal (mostly thanks to everyone here and reading), but I had an idea.

I know that the game frowns on turtling, which was a large adjustment for me. Once I got past that I basically expanded with a few fleets, found the key crossroads worlds, established a strong defense there, expanded again, lather, rinse, repeat.

My question is this... what do you do with the old crossroads worlds and your original world clusters? Do you dismantle the defenses around those in favor of conserving resources for the new worlds? Or you do you leave the defenses in place but idle?

I typically move my reserve ships to the new border worlds and form new fleets with them. My rear has almost no ships except trade ships and the few onsies and twosies ships I built and forgot about. Yes, a few single enemy ships, mostly scouts and the occasional light frigate, get past my border defenses and then wander aimlessly around my back yard eventually getting picked off by Hanger Defenses and turrets, but there is basically nothing back there.

I realize that might be bad strategy doctrine because if a large enemy fleet decided to sweep past the border worlds instead of fighting there I'd be fighting a running battle as I pulled my fleets off the expansion and put them on defense.

I have 3 fleets right now. 2 attacking and one playing rear guard.

What's the general feeling about how to handle this?

And on a separate note, I have a handful of fleet ships that feel like sitting most battles out by parking at the edge of the gravity well nad not doing anything. Is this normal? Their course bars show that they are headed out-system, but they don't actually leave, they are simply sitting there.

Mick

strategy
5,793 views 12 replies
Reply #1 from Sins Forums Top
First of all, if your defense fleet is decent-sized, and you put a phase jump inhibitor on your new border world, along with plenty of hanger defenses, no enemies should be able to leave the gravity well once there. To address the other part of the issue, I'd say only remove defenses if you really need the resources. This way you still have a fall-back on interior worlds. If you have to scuttle thing, start with things like turrets, and save repair stations for last (they're probably the most useful for a retreating border fleet). Leave a jump inhibitor everywhere you built one, though. That makes it a lot easier to chase down those few ships that break through, and means that if a fleet breaks the border world, it can't go straight for your juiciest planets.

For your second question, if they're not carriers or other non-combat ships, I have no answer.
Reply #2 from Sins Forums Top
also, if you follow a strategy of running straight to a chokepoint planet to squeeze in your opponent, the planets you took over on the way will very typically be exposed to pirate attack. I wouldn't remove their defenses if I were you.
Ashes of the Singularity II
Reply #4 from Sins Forums Top
I generally just fortify choke points to some degree. That way all the random guys who tool around your home systems get picked off there by a couple hanger defenses particularly if you have a Phase Jump Inhibitor. If some one gets really annoying and uses a random guy or 2 to pick on your orbital installations you just cluster them and put in a turret or 2 or you invest in a hanger defense or 2 in major systems. That way your defense fleet doesn't get pulled out of position for random stuff like that.

And if I can bottle in an enemy I don't worry too much about the pirate raids. Just recolonize it after they toast it... I keep a random colony ship around in big games just for that. It will drain a little out of your coffer but if you have a bunch of worlds it won't matter much.

Dismantling just doesn't give that much back... better off just leaving them there as long as they are well placed.


Reply #5 from Sins Forums Top
And on a separate note, I have a handful of fleet ships that feel like sitting most battles out by parking at the edge of the gravity well nad not doing anything. Is this normal? Their course bars show that they are headed out-system, but they don't actually leave, they are simply sitting there.
End of quote


I've had that happen before. If they're part of a fleet and the fleet is set to move as a group (you can toggle this on and off by right-clicking on the move icon), they won't jump out until the entire fleet is in formation to jump out. Conversely, if the fleet has already jumped but they've been left behind, they'll wait until the entire fleet is back so that they can jump as an entire unit. The solution is to select your ships, make sure that group move is off, and the move them yourself. Once they're back with a fleet you can reform the fleet.

On a related note, they may be set to hold position under the fleet tactics sub-menu/screen/alternate set of icons. If you want them to act autonomously you need to make sure that their engagement range is set to either the gravity well or the local area, not the hold position setting. I don't know if this has anything to do with the lines that indicate that they're trying to jump out, but it may solve your problem anyway.
Reply #6 from Sins Forums Top
me personally, I leave my defenses up. the odd scout and light frigate for whatever reason really bugs the snot outta me....just a pet peeve. so leaving the cannons and hangars up work to kill them off without building some random ship I'll forget about or sending a fleet after that one little scout.

I know what you're talking about with the one or two random ships hanging out on the edge of the gravity well. I've noticed my light frigates do that the most...as far as I know it's for no real reason, just weird is all.

seems like you got a good strategy going on there.
Reply #7 from Sins Forums Top
I build a few defences on border planets if my scouts have seen any enemies in the area. I'll also put a few defences up near pirate raid points if I'm going to lose a bid.

Anyway, leaving these defences up gives me a lot of depth when the inevitable attempts come to raid my back areas. It's amusing watching enemy heavy cruisers going deeper and deeper into my empire getting shot to pieces by bomber squadrons.

I think they keep thinking they'll find an end to it.

Of course this is late game, mobile firepower is always best.
Reply #8 from Sins Forums Top
I try to max out my ship tactical point usage first before I build defenses like hangers etc. The only things I build fairly quickly are acouple upgrades to the planet health so that someone cant just jump in and destroy the planet in a minute. 3000-4500 health give you time to get a fleet somewhere to defend it if it fleet is farther away getting a new planet or something.
Reply #9 from Sins Forums Top
You'll also want your defenses in place back there if anyone gets around to researching insurgency!
Reply #10 from Sins Forums Top
Unless I'm hurting really bad for cash, I usually leave them in place. I always try to be in a position such that if my fleet gets pushed back I try to fall back either on reinforcements, fixed defenses, or both. These interior fortified worlds are good rally points if you're falling back. And the fact that they are choke points means your opponent is going to have to take them down at some point.
Reply #11 from Sins Forums Top
I always leave them up.

As mentioned earlier, it chews up an enemy raiding party. A little bit at each jump point hurts. By the time they decide to retreat it's already too late. Also, they make excellent fall back points. If your fleet is forced to retreat, having multiple defense platforms, hangars, and a repair bay is a nice addition if the enenmy decides they want to 'finish the job'. Static defenses have turned the tide several times for myself. You never know what might happen later in the game. Returning Armada and Insurgency are two good reasons. Rebellions due to culture are another.

The only time I scuttle hangars and turrets is toward end game when I need the slots for a novalith.

Reply #12 from Sins Forums Top
Leaving your inner chokepoints fortified has several advantages:If your opponent turns the tide somehow, without fortified inner worlds its likely you won't be able to flip the momentum again. Also if you turn these planets into shipyards or research lab areas, the defenses will stave off production or research crippling raids your opponent could mobilize (not likely on normal AI), etc... basically, unless your immediate survival depends on getting more cash, leave the defenses be :D
About leaving your inner planets undefended: its Highly situational. If you have few entrypoints to your territory against normal ai, then you probably can even move your rearguard fleet to the offensive. Alternatively, you may need 2 fleets on guard leaving only 1 to expand, or might need to make that 1/2 of a fleet on expansion as is the case with me atm against unfair AI on Huge random map. -really the situations are dynamic, which is why i love this game.