Hi,

I'm trying to figure out how to protect nightly income and a few large cargoes placed at each planet for convenience, and am still in newbie protection in reloaded. How do you determine good ratios to build units? Have unlocked everything except last plasma tech level for plasma cannon.

Some thoughts after looking at the defences:

* Rocket launchers don't seem that useful, unbalanced resource cost and RF from cruisers.
* Light lasers were the most efficient, if my calcs are accurate, spam these in large numbers?
* Heavy laser: about 2.5 times less efficient than light laser weapon wise, is this worthwhile?
* Ion cannon: unbalanced cost, 5 x more inefficient than light lasers damage wise, doesn't seem useful. High shield but shields don't seem to do much to differentiate from armor, and don't recharge after each round.
* Gauss cannon: no RF from bomber, high damage per shot, expensive.
* Plasma cannon: high damage and cost, no RF from deathstars.

If you are only looking to protect nightly income, you only have to worry about raiders. Many, if not all raiders purely use BC + EC/LG/V combinations. So LLs work best.

I just want to add that PCs receive 5% weapon damage for every plasma tech lvl.

Large cargo and the elite one makes sense, why voyager? Has the same ratios as large cargo, unless voyager's speed is boosted by one of the engine techs as well? Then it would be faster than large cargo.

Comparing battleship and battlecruisers, are there situations that you'd use battleships? Initially a lot cheaper but more expensive in the long run because of fuel, and battlecruiser has a lot better rapid fire.

Dendrite wrote: ↑

Sat Nov 18, 2017 6:40 pm

Large cargo and the elite one makes sense, why voyager? Has the same ratios as large cargo, unless voyager's speed is boosted by one of the engine techs as well? Then it would be faster than large cargo.

Comparing battleship and battlecruisers, are there situations that you'd use battleships? Initially a lot cheaper but more expensive in the long run because of fuel, and battlecruiser has a lot better rapid fire.

Most people just raid with ECs and BCs.

No one really uses battleships to raid, for the exact reason you point out, fuel cost. In the long run it's not worth it. Only new players who haven't unlocked BCs yet generally do this.

Dendrite wrote: ↑

Sat Nov 18, 2017 6:40 pm

Large cargo and the elite one makes sense, why voyager? Has the same ratios as large cargo, unless voyager's speed is boosted by one of the engine techs as well? Then it would be faster than large cargo.

Comparing battleship and battlecruisers, are there situations that you'd use battleships? Initially a lot cheaper but more expensive in the long run because of fuel, and battlecruiser has a lot better rapid fire.

Voyagers are as fast as Ecs. You also want the voyagers early on for guaranteed expedition payouts if raiding is scarce.

BS are only good for moonshots. LFs are far better fodder. BS died when rapid fire went live.

neoshagrath wrote: ↑

Sun Nov 19, 2017 2:00 am

Voyagers are as fast as Ecs. You also want the voyagers early on for guaranteed expedition payouts if raiding is scarce.

Ugh, I feel stupid now for building so many large cargoes when I could have made something much faster. Is there a way to recycle your own ships without having someone make a DF for you? If not, what're the ways that people usually communicate in-game?

Guaranteed expedition payouts? How do expeditions work? How does the ships sent determine the result? Have been ignoring it so far.

Dendrite wrote: ↑

Sun Nov 19, 2017 2:11 am

neoshagrath wrote: ↑

Sun Nov 19, 2017 2:00 am

Voyagers are as fast as Ecs. You also want the voyagers early on for guaranteed expedition payouts if raiding is scarce.

Ugh, I feel stupid now for building so many large cargoes when I could have made something much faster. Is there a way to recycle your own ships without having someone make a DF for you? If not, what're the ways that people usually communicate in-game?

Guaranteed expedition payouts? How do expeditions work? How does the ships sent determine the result? Have been ignoring it so far.

To recycle your own ships: Find an incative with an alliance depot. Set the ships you wish to recycle on ACS defend with hold time. Attack the planet the ships you wish to recycle are defending with your own fleet. Recycle.

Guaranteed expedition payouts: Send only voyagers on expedition to slot 16, no other ships. I can't remember the exact number that gives maximum payout, but it's less than 100.

Pulsar wrote: ↑

Sun Nov 19, 2017 2:30 am

I can't remember the exact number that gives maximum payout, but it's less than 100.

24 voyagers on a 4hr hold.

neoshagrath wrote: ↑

Sun Nov 19, 2017 2:43 am

Pulsar wrote: ↑

Sun Nov 19, 2017 2:30 am

I can't remember the exact number that gives maximum payout, but it's less than 100.

24 voyagers on a 4hr hold.

What're the chances of the entire ship disappearing? I.e should I be doing this every time I fleet save and have spare voyagers?

Dendrite wrote: ↑

Sun Nov 19, 2017 2:51 am

What're the chances of the entire ship disappearing? I.e should I be doing this every time I fleet save and have spare voyagers?

There is no chance of loss if you only use pure voyagers. Yes you should if you can but most players loose interest after they get bigger mines and better raids because voyager expedition payouts are fixed.

Expeditions pre voyagers has never been properly documented. All arguments ended with "It is not worth it."