early game fleet tactics

[JediLaz]

Ok, Question for all you out there. What exactly do people use for early fleets? When you start, both sides are handed a smattering of ships. Does anyone instantly consolodiate fleets? Or do you spread them out? Before having planetary ship yards numerous to build the bigger fleets later in the game is what I am looking for?

 

Personally, the first thing I do at my early game ship yards is build fighter squadrons to protect them, since they are a pretty cheap defender. Is this a common stratgey? Or do people go straight for the larger early game ships like dreadnaughts? I'm just curious.

[Eagle]

In the beginning I form all ships to up to three smaller fleets. Though it takes a bit longer to build a shipyard, I concentrate more on building factories and barracks first. Than the fleets will be reinforced with corvettes. When I´ve got more shipyards on one planet I soon begin building fregates.

[DarthTofu]

My strategy varies depending on which side I am. If I'm the Rebels I tend to build long probe Y-wings as soon as possible in my headquarters system and send them out to check all of the planets. I any of them are Imperial I'll immediately move to a new system and start making that one my headquarters. Sometimes I even head back to Yavin since the Imps almost never show up there. Go figure.

 

I don't worry about fleets for very long and put most of my resources into building construction yards, mines, and refineries. Once I have plenty of maintenance points, I choose a planet with a large number of build spaces (Ten or more) and begin to build ships- mostly Dreadnoughts, Corvettes, and Carracks. Then I'll invade a lesser system, such as Sluis or Correlian.

 

If I'm the Imps I immediately build up my squads of commandos to sabotage the Rebel ships that are sure to come. Palpy goes on recruiting missions, Vader goes up to my Coruscant fleet to act as admiral, and my shipyards start cranking out Carracks. I generally steer clear of TIEs, but I suppose that could just be because I love the X-wing books, where everyone gets six or more kills per fight and such.

 

Generally it's just that first battle in the Sesswenna sector that I have to worry about. The winning fleet becomes my Coruscant fleet, which I supplement with newer ship models as they come out. Then I head off for the Correllian sector with my newer, nicer fleet.

[uber]

My strategy for the imperials is to consolidate all of my efforts into Sesswanna until it's fortified and then start expanding outward. If at the beginning of the game I have one planet in a heavily occupied rebel area I wipe the planet clean of anything (no mines, refineries, etc.) and leave it to be taken. In this way, I'm not caught off guard by a sudden maintenance shortfall and the rebels have to start from scratch.

 

When Sesswanna is completely occupied by imperial forces and fortified I start going to secure other sectors where I have planets already under my control. Once those are secure I start to focus my efforts on the outer rim which I will have already started exploring with my recon droids.

 

I try to keep a fleet of 1 SSD, 3 ISD, and 4 VSD for each sector to patrol and secure.

 

As for the rebels, I just fly by the seat of my pants and hope for the best. Haven't really developed a clear strategy for them yet.

[DarthTex]

...If at the beginning of the game I have one planet in a heavily occupied rebel area I wipe the planet clean of anything (no mines, refineries, etc.) and leave it to be taken. In this way, I'm not caught off guard by a sudden maintenance shortfall and the rebels have to start from scratch...

You're leaving yourself wide open to espionage missions then. Espionage missions on core systems also give info on one additional enemy core system. So leaving the planet wide open, gives them free info access on your other core systems. I know, I do this all of the time to the opposing team.

 

My strategy for such a system is to turn it into a fortress with a general, several espionage missions to foil any enemy missions. Then do recon, espionage and sabotage on the enemy from deep within their own backyard It also provides a base when sending in ships (I really hate sending ships halfway across the galaxy, and then have them sent packing to come all the way back ) to harass their systems Just my two bits worth

[uber]

That's a really good two bits worth. Thanks, you've probably just cut my game time down tremendously.

[Jahled]

I generally steer clear of TIEs, but I suppose that could just be because I love the X-wing books, where everyone gets six or more kills per fight and such.

 

Which is why I avoid the books. Realistic, logical combat stuff

[mandalore-the-inquizitor]

No ties are pretty much cannon fodder and rouge squadron is Very skilled there the best in the rebellion

[skitszo]

AI game play is different from Multiplayer game play...

 

lots of little tricks for multi... 8} have to remain my secrets. 8}

 

 

empire... usually smartest to start with carracks. but i like building one transport ship per outerrim sector to spy. helps for colonizing and spying. don't have to use the space driods.

 

alliance its always best to start with Y-wings. some use the corvett whoreding fleet. but carrack fleets will dismantel those pretty easily. your core sectors are safe with y-qwings till lancers come off the shelf, then by then you need to crank out the nebula's