| Mineral Packet Attacks |
Tue, 19 December 2006 14:17  |
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 sjangers |
 | Crewman 3rd Class |
Messages: 6
Registered: January 2005 | |
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I’m looking for a little assistance in trying to figure out something somewhat unusual that’s happening in a game I’m now playing (not here on AH, Ron. Sorry.).
I’m playing a WM race in a team game. One of our opponents is an IT who has been a very successful expansionist. As part of our effort to keep his growth in check, my teammates and I have used mineral packets to attack his colonies and those of his team members. The problem is that his colonies have been very difficult to destroy.
In calculating packet size and speed, I assume that enemy colonies are 25% larger than current scanner readings. I also assume an annual growth rate of 20% in determining the size of the population to be eliminated when packets will be in flight more than one year. When defenses and mass drivers are present we work their effect into the calculation. To make the final determination of packet size and speed I am using the Stars! Calculator 3.04 utility. This is a program I have used on many prior occasions and have found the results to be generally quite satisfactory.
Outcomes against this particularly IT have been largely unsatisfactory. We have packeted his colonies on nine occasions and have only completely eliminated populations twice. Once was with a Warp 13 packet at a distance of less than 84 l.y. The other attempts have usually left a small enemy population still in control of the colony. The few occasions we have packeted his teammates (JOATs) have been uniformly successful.
In trying to figure out this problem I have considered the possibility that well-cloaked space stations with mass drivers could account for a modest reduction in damage, but I don’t believe this is possible in all cases (i.e., we have had a pretty good look at some of these stations either before or after an attempt). I have also considered the possibility that well-cloaked transports with colonizer modules might allow him to re-colonize a packeted planet as a Waypoint 1 task on the turn a packet arrives, but this also seems reasonably unlikely in all cases.
Is there anything about an IT race that would make it more resistant to mineral packet attacks? If not, does anyone have any ideas about how this player might be keeping his colonies alive?
Replies to me at this location or to my e-mail address, sjangers@sover.net , will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.
Steve
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