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| Re: IT without Fuel Mizer, IFE ? |
Mon, 03 October 2011 04:59   |
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| neilhoward | 
 | Commander |
Messages: 1112
Registered: April 2008
Location: SW3 & 10023 | |
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For transport and skirmishers, the 4 engines to use are qj5, DDL7, AD8, & TGFS. The DDL7 and to a greater extent the AD8 should be used rarely: for fastest possible colonization (only when QJ5 cannot get the last w9 or 10 leg without boosters), follow-up mineral/pop transport to get a gate up ASAP, and armed boosters that escort them (splitting from colonizers at the last moment).
Colonize with QJ5 Colony Ships for planets within 49LY or 82-98LY, DDL7 CS for 50-64LY, QJ5 PVT w/ 2x FT + CM for 65-81LY, & DDL7 PVT w/ 2x FT + CM for 82-100LY. For longer trips use boosters (QJ5 SS for w7-9, QJ5 FF for w8-10) but split before colonizing. To do this just figure out the warp for the last year: 7=QJ5 CS, 8=DDL7 CS, 9=QJ5 PVT, 10=DDL7 PVT.
Don't send boosters at w10 if you can help it, instead send some out in advance position to intercept the fleet to be fuelled. With scanners (and hopefully all your ships are planet hopping each year) this will also provide some warning in case you need an armed escort booster.
Send out some FF boosters with scanners to planet hopping bottlenecks as well as staging points, and top them off with SS boosters that have the time to spare. This adds the benefits of creating remote fuel stations for your shifting Interceptor patrols and Scouts looping back for max scanner coverage to catch Wormholes and cloaked ships.
[Updated on: Mon, 03 October 2011 06:54] Report message to a moderator
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| Re: IT without Fuel Mizer, IFE ? |
Mon, 03 October 2011 05:02 |
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| neilhoward |
| Commander |
Messages: 1112
Registered: April 2008
Location: SW3 & 10023 | |
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Send out ~6 Bat Scanner scouts at year 2402 or 2404. Wait until 2403 to add them to the queue if 2nd world is <30% or you have LSP. In that case, crash gate your swashbuckler over and back with 25000 colonists, merging with your Mayflower in 2403 to keep from sploding, & shift the pop by hand. Send each BS SS out at w9 with a scanner-less SS booster. Don't make any more of either design. The BS Scouts will probably get fragged by enemy interceptors by 2420-30, freeing up the design slot, but hopefully not before they have discovered the habs of all planets out to 243 or 300 LY depending on density. The returning scanner-less SS boosters (splitting after 2-3 years) are ideally reserved for short trips within 25% of your planetary scanner range, and later for when you have to crash a booster with a colonizer, or run a booster at w10. Grab EL 2 for Rhinos and Con 6 for FFs. Ideally you will not have to make any more SS boosters before having Tech level 2 or better in all fields for miniaturization to kick in (you have to advance all fields to reduce cost of tech level zero hulls and components). Plan on producing 16-24 Rhino Boosters for transport depending on density.
Once you have manoeuvring jets, throw some (2 for WM with DDL7, or 1 for everyone else) on DDL7 DDs with X-rays. After building 8-12 interceptors based on density and a booster for each, get Bio4 and build as many ML FFs with Rhinos as interceptors. The boosters you sent with the interceptors should get back in time to take the minelayers out to the near perimeter and top them off for additional fuel stations. As your gate network goes up, you will need boosters less frequently, and in advance positions should provide awesome scanner coverage at 25%. Outer perimeter of shifting SS, middle with Interceptors ranging and on station at planet hopping bottlenecks, inner perimeter of mostly static ML FFs, with fuel FFs going back and forth keeping the other tanks full, and shifting to cover thin spots.
[Updated on: Mon, 03 October 2011 05:03] Report message to a moderator
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| Re: IT without Fuel Mizer, IFE ? |
Mon, 03 October 2011 05:15 |
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| neilhoward |
| Commander |
Messages: 1112
Registered: April 2008
Location: SW3 & 10023 | |
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After you get past Jihads, you will probably build a crap-ton (10e4+) of chaff that make cheaper planet watchers, and super scanning galleon over-cloakers that only an IT could gate, so take the boosters and crash them into minefields or enemy interceptors. Their final missions will double as recon and stress relief. 
If you are tech trading, try to get LFs and TGFS ASAP.
AD8 are ok, but the applications and time frame where they are great will likely be limited. First they are decent for incursions into enemy mine fields at speed, if your ships have good shields, additional armour and the enemy doesn't have AD8 yet. A set of PVTs could take a mine hit one turn and 2 the next, when your SD friend decides to detonate.  They are good for sweepers that would like to get away from slower CC interceptors. Their best use outside an enemy minefield, is to instigate/exploit counter design. Dedicated Sappers, range zero skirmishers, and retrograde torpedo skirmishers, can have brilliant if short-lived usefulness.
[Updated on: Mon, 03 October 2011 06:53] Report message to a moderator
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| Re: IT without Fuel Mizer, IFE ? |
Sat, 06 October 2012 01:07 |
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magic9mushroom wrote on Sun, 16 September 2012 17:28neilhoward wrote on Mon, 03 October 2011 19:59DDL7
Daddy Dong Legs?
I read it as DaDdy Longlegs. 
I know my minefields.. but I'm a chaff sweeper.
I used to curse when I got stuck in traffic... till I realised I AM traffic.Report message to a moderator
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