Defenses or Ships?

[::Quick::]

Most people will think that Ships do a far better job than defense systems like the Laser Cannon and Gaus Cannon, I myself have always been told to do No Defenses + SAVEN. Well now I am starting to question that...



Ships
Advantages:
- Movable
- Powerful
- Can defend and attack
Disadvantages:
-No 60% reconstruct

Defense Systems

Advantages:
- 60% reconstruct
Disadvantages
- Weak
- Only defend
- Can't move


I really want to start a strategy for this round so please post your comments. I am leaning towards the defense systems, mainly because of the 60% reconstruction (Saves resources) but then again, defense systems can only defend.

[Seyhall]

This is my first round, so I'm no expert, but I get the idea it's ships first, then defenses. Once you have built up a decent fleet and have some good resource income, then start building defenses. It's true that defenses regenerate, but ships don't have to be damaged at all if you keep them out of the way.

[Cocko]

A good strategy for defensive players is a decent fleet for a shield and a powerful defence for backup. This way your defence does not get damaged in the first round, so your main firepower does not suffer. If you don't have more than an hour a day, you can invest in defence. Otherwise it will get REALLY boring. In my opinion defences are not weak at all, since they provide much larger bang for buck, but have the same structure as the ships for the same price. If you have more time for the game, do not hesitate to play as a fleeter, it's more fun.

[Harkon]

QUOTE(::Quick:: @ Jun 14 2007, 01:19 AM) Defense Systems
Advantages:
- 60% reconstruct
Disadvantages
- Weak
- Only defend
- Can't move

Well, one more to disadvantages if I may
60% reconstruct - but this is a reason for the attacker to attack you again and again, for recycle the debrief field. The defences are always like a magnet for rampage. There will always be one or more players with big enough fleet to attack your defences for recycle, and if a player can't do it alone, several players will ally, attack you and split the resources than try to farm you.
Defences could be good if you are HIGH rated player (let's say 1st place ) and you are way ahead compared to the others, in this case maybe you could build huge defence - hundreds or thousands of plasma guns, gauss cannons and so on. But as I said, several players could ally and come for those "goodies"...

[Seyhall]

QUOTE(Harkon @ Jun 14 2007, 06:13 PM) Defences could be good if you are HIGH rated player (let's say 1st place ) and you are way ahead compared to the others

I think this shows that defenses are a feature of the game that needs to be redesigned or eliminated because it serves no purpose as it is now.

[PrinceCD]

QUOTE(neghvar @ Sep 5 2007, 02:54 PM) If that is so, then why are all my defences gone after an attack

I was attacked twice within 5 min. and all my defences are gone. I had 4 laser cannons, 6 gaus cannons and 3 shields. What happen to the 60 percent regeneration?

It appears that in the first attack all your defense turrents were destroyed and then 60% of them were regenerated. In the 2nd attack, all your defenses were destroyed, but apparently, there was not enough resources in the 60% pool to regenerate any of them (or maybe a shield could have been rebuilt). If you get the battle reports, you should be able to see more details.

This method of double attacking, even triple attacking is used by a lot of players -- esp. during alliance wars. Since a large number of players move their ships away from their planets when they expect to be offline (also referred to as fleet save), the defense turrents represent an easy way to gain resources, esp. because there is minimal or no losses to the attacker if s/he was able to get a good spy report of all your defenses and sent the appropriate fleet.

Note too, regarding strategy, as players grow in size because of points, there are fewer and fewer players that they will be able to attack in their initial galaxy. Hence, while attacking a fleet of ships represent the best bounty in victories, the earlier comment about the defense turrents being a "magnet" becomes even more evident. Most players build large fleets for advancement, so the most sought-after target would be of players who leave a fleet a ships unattended (while they are offline) and the next sought-after target are players who rely on defense turrents.

I have found the defenses to be good "back-up" to help prevent a victory for the attacker (a tie, where you don't lose all your resources) because it will take more rounds to win the attack. But that usually just means the attacker will return with a larger or more powerful fleet the next time. And then, the attacker and/or the players that rely on recycling, will come to scoop up the left-overs.

Mega shields and Plasma guns are great backup, but again, once the attacker knows you have them, s/he will simply send a fleet powerful enough to break thru. Think about it, this is the same thing YOU would do if you found the same defenses with a target you were interested in. So, it would be great if the developers would design what might appear to be more balanced defense scenarios, but even if they made defenses more powerful, players would figure out how to beat them (that's just part of the game). Think too about the realism of a fighter pilot meeting a defense turrent. A pilot would naturally avoid the fire-power from a defense turrent by moving out of its way so that the rocket, laser, or missle misses him/her, whereas a stationed turrent has nowhere to move to -- so the pilot can aim, lock onto it, and keep firing at it until its gone (along with its shield). So, even tho this game doesn't utilize such realism in its calculation of the battles, it appears that a fleet of ships will provide more options for the way you play the game compared to defense turrents. As I notice from my own experience and from comments of other players, I see the "real" defense is determined moreso by how often players can be online.

PrinceCD

[taranwandering]

My advice is to make defense structures not leave any debris when they are destroyed. It would reduce the motivation for players to farm off of defense structures. As a result, attacking just to kill defensive structures would not benefit the attacker/recycler financially. The only point for killing a defense structure would be to reach the resources on the planet, and nothing else.

[Nesno]

QUOTE(taranwandering @ Oct 29 2007, 07:56 AM) My advice is to make defense structures not leave any debris when they are destroyed. It would reduce the motivation for players to farm off of defense structures. As a result, attacking just to kill defensive structures would not benefit the attacker/recycler financially. The only point for killing a defense structure would be to reach the resources on the planet, and nothing else.

I hunt for defense players. I must send at least 500 probes a day looking.... When I find a planet with 30+ Plasma guns, it is a moment of celebration for me and my 200+ recyclers.