To "ball up" strike craft or not to.

from Sins Forums

I've witnessed experienced players giving their stirke craft "hold" orders, effectively making them ball up and shoot anything that's around them.  So I gave it a try with my fighters by telling them ball up near a large group of assailants.  Well, instead of shooting the bloody assailants, they shoot the enemies strikecraft flitting about their area.  So as soon as I click on "attack assailant"  they go flying off again.  Doesn't seem very effective to me.  What gives?

Now, on the other hand, balling up bombers is amazing.  They sit there and destroy anything that comes close, except for fighters obviously.  So that means they are actually hitting targets of value (frigates, lrms, hcs). 

 

What are you thoughts.  To "ball up" strikecraft (fighters and/or bombers), or to not to?  Jury is still out for me.

strategy
7,448 views 17 replies
Reply #1 from Sins Forums Top

Ball them up.  Just be smart about it.

Reply #2 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting Howdidudothat, reply 1
Ball them up.  Just be smart about it.
End of Howdidudothat's quote

 

+1 agree.

 

note that being smart means getting them back on grav-well patrol if a bunch of flaks or a Kol or Halycyon shows up.

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Reply #3 from Sins Forums Top

Wow! It's remarkable that a strike craft, who's entire survival depends on its ability to EVADE fire, can simply sit still, unload all its weapons endlessly, and not be turned into insant slag.

Don't count on this "feature" staying in the game for long.

Reply #4 from Sins Forums Top

Don't count on this "feature" staying in the game for long.
End of quote

lol.  It's been in the game since beta, you think they are going to change it?

Reply #5 from Sins Forums Top

Well, it probably should be changed in some manner, but that doesn't mean it will be changed.  If it's been around this long, then I highly doubt it will get removed.

Reply #6 from Sins Forums Top

Ok, I'll keep working on balling them up.  But how do I get my fighters to target frigates instead of enemy fighters when the fighters pass by?  would bombers be better?

 

Reply #7 from Sins Forums Top

Put your fighters in a control group (or groups) and actually tell them what to attack.  Same goes for bombers.

 

Fighters are better against frigates (except flak frigates) than bombers, while bombers are better against structures, cruisers, capital ships, and flak frigates than fighters.  Keep in mind which type of strike craft is better against which type of target, and order them accordingly.

Reply #8 from Sins Forums Top

Ok, I'll keep working on balling them up. But how do I get my fighters to target frigates instead of enemy fighters when the fighters pass by? would bombers be better?
End of quote

I actually wouldn't worry about it.  Just place your ball next to their ships, if their fighters come your way, they'll get whacked.  Once the fighters move away, they'll start attacking the frigates again.  I know it's annoying, but if you designate a target, they'll start moving again.

Reply #9 from Sins Forums Top

Ok, balling up works like a charm.  As long as there are no flak, and not many people in Multi build flak.  Works wonders for the advent when you group up everything nice and close together too.

Reply #10 from Sins Forums Top

Balling them up will actually make flak very effective against them.  When you have them rumming all over the place, flak tends to shoot different craft each time the squadron passes over head.  But if you keep them in 1 place a flak will fire ont he same craft till it dies.

Reply #11 from Sins Forums Top

espesialy, ball thm araund kols, uh huh.

 

Quoting Bobucles, reply 3
Wow! It's remarkable that a strike craft, who's entire survival depends on its ability to EVADE fire, can simply sit still, unload all its weapons endlessly, and not be turned into insant slag.

Don't count on this "feature" staying in the game for long.
End of Bobucles's quote

 

its a fucking feature that devs intendet, get bent and fuckked by big bubba!

Reply #12 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting Cpt_Siddy, reply 11
espesialy, ball thm araund kols, uh huh.
its a fucking feature that devs intendet, get bent and fuckked by big bubba!
End of Cpt_Siddy's quote
Could you be more specific? What sort of "small, mobile, hard to target, hard to hit" unit that sits still in the dead of space, lit up brighter than a broadcast tower are YOU thinking of?

Reply #13 from Sins Forums Top

It may be  efficient but i really don't want to ball up my fighters. I love the move of the fighters, their colored trails and the way they go down on a capital ship to give him a hit before escaping the counter fire...

 

fighters ball are just not beautiful. Just imagine if georges lucas would have ball the fighters in star wars ! (yeah, that's stupid, i know, just making a point ! what i love in space battle is that they are so damn impressive)

Reply #14 from Sins Forums Top

I have considered using this tactic for a long time, but I have rarely bothered. Maybe I should use it more.

Anyway, SC ball has a weakness. It makes it so much easier to kill them.

Reply #15 from Sins Forums Top

Guys.....

 

Are you sure, that ball up is better?

 

I looked those hold position fighters carefully, and found out they just don't fire all the time.

Between the firevolley, there is a significant weapon cool down time...

 

...Almost same as the time need for turning around for strikecrafts.

Now I highly doubt this is useful tactic. Let me check some numbers on this.

Reply #16 from Sins Forums Top

Does hold position vs local radius make any difference???

Reply #17 from Sins Forums Top

the only time i find balling up useful is when the enemy is trying to jump away.

they have very limited range and larger fleets are usually shifted in z-axis a lot.

since you cannot effectively put your bombers and fighters on specific z-axis near the ships so once they shoot down all ships and range they will sit there and do nothing.

 

this happens to me all the time, i put them all up very close to a bunch of ships or capital ship and when I look from the side they are actually too far away to hit anything.