Well, yes. But as there is nothing useful for them to do, and nowhere else they need to be, they remain unmoved.

By Thomas Mathews (Turtle) on Monday, October 22, 2018 - 06:49 pm: Edit

Unless there is a very compelling reason to leave a reserve fleet out of a battle then they should be moved into battle to be closer to the front line(s).

One obvious exception would be leaving a ship or ships from a reserve fleet on a starbase to be converted the next turn.

Supply issues would be another obvious concern for moving or not moving a given reserve fleet and depend upon the tactical and strategic situation at the given time in question.

By Stewart Frazier (Frazikar2) on Monday, October 22, 2018 - 06:59 pm: Edit

Peter, that statement tells me that you weren't looking at possible CT20 (or CT21) moves …

By Peter Bakija (Bakija) on Monday, October 22, 2018 - 07:11 pm: Edit

My statement indicates that there was no good reason to move these reserves.

Just 'cause now we are in this swamp, ok:

-In 0617, there is a mostly terrible Klingon reserve (D7C, 3D5, 6E4, MD5, D5S). It is good enough to dissuade a small force from beating up some province raiders, but not good enough to stand in combat against a significant Hydran force. The Hydrans attacked in two places, both with forces that would crush this reserve (plus the ships under attack). The Reserve in 0617? It has no where else it needs to be, on T20 or otherwise. As it is made of ships that exist to help pin the Hydrans out of the Hydran Capital (where the Lyrans are building a new SB). As such? Zero need to move it, zero reason to move it, zero advantage to moving it. Moving it would be *negatively* helpful, as it would result in the Hydrans just mangling it.

-There is a moderately effective Lyran reserve in 1910 (DN, 2BC, 3CW, 3DW, 2FF, SC). It has exactly one battle it can reach, which is a giant fight in 2509, between a 120 SEQ Klingon fleet and a 140 SEQ Fed fleet. But it is also 7 hexes from the nearest Lyran supply point. It is unlikely to make a difference in the actual outcome of the fight in question (if the fight comes down to the last 10 ships getting crippled? We have made a terrible mistake, one way or the other). Moving it there would require me to pay for it to operate as an expeditionary fleet (as the Klingons have already adopted a bunch of Lyrans). The Lyrans don't need to be anywhere deep in Fed space at any particular time. Them being where they are, however, protects planet 1910 from possible Kzinti or Lyran incursions onto that particular supply point. Thus, no good reason to move them, and numerous negatives to move them.

These are all compelling reasons not to move the ships in question. As I said in the initial post on the subject, there was nothing useful they could move to. As such, let's just assume that I did not move them for a good reason, and not spend a lot of time trying to convince me that the reasons I did not move them (that were logical and reasonable reasons) were not reasons. Thanks!

By Jason Langdon (Jaspar) on Monday, October 22, 2018 - 07:28 pm: Edit

I just think I should get some credit for creatively using the Alliance fleets to neutralise the Coaltion reserves :D

By Jon Murdock (Xenocide) on Monday, October 22, 2018 - 07:29 pm: Edit

As my ex would have said after that long rational explanation of why you did not use your reserve fleets:

"You should have used your reserve fleets."

By chris upson (Misanthropope) on Monday, October 22, 2018 - 07:45 pm: Edit

reserves are a form of insurance. when you buy that stuff, it expiring worthless is *generally* not your worst-case scenario.

By Peter Bakija (Bakija) on Monday, October 22, 2018 - 08:45 pm: Edit

AT19

Combat is well underway!

In Hydran space, the Hydrans won handily in the two hexes they fought in (just vaporizing a couple FFs, really), but they are in supply and ready for further action.

In Kzinti space, the Kzinti traded 9FFs for a larger number of bigger ships. They recaptured planet 1802 and a few provinces, but otherwise fought attrition fights.

In Fed space, the Feds killed a bunch of province raiders, and small Romulan ships made 70% of their cloak evasion attempts (i.e. about average, with 7 of 10 successful). Feds have recaptured planets 2505, 2610, 3005, 3706. Were repulsed from planet 2509 by the B10. Gorn have recaptured planets 4702, 4903.

So far, the Alliance have killed ships at about a 2:1 trade (IIRC, 23 coalition vs 13 Alliance).

Still a few large fights to go, that may or may not result in a lot of combat.

By Stewart Frazier (Frazikar2) on Tuesday, October 23, 2018 - 07:09 pm: Edit

OK, generic statement meets generic response

Not too sure about having a Lyran reserve not on a Lyran retrograde point though …

By Peter Bakija (Bakija) on Tuesday, October 23, 2018 - 07:36 pm: Edit

Once again, ya know, situations result in things.

The reports of this game are more detailed than most, sure, but there are still countless factors that aren't apparent from the write ups. As there always will be.

The Lyran reserve on 1910 is there as it was protecting 1910 (an important, but mostly secure, Klingon supply point) from Alliance attacks. It did not move this last Coalition turn, and was in a reasonable place to protect numerous Coalition targets. So it made for a convenient reserve. But it is also 2 hexes ahead of the closest Lyran supply point. The Alliance couldn't pin it, so they avoided combat in range of it, other than a single hex that, if it went to, would have rendered it out of supply (as the Alliance was clearly paying attention). So it being there protected 3 or 4 groups of province raiders from being attacked (which likely would have been, but for the unpinned reserve), and likely kept some otherwise somewhat under defended planets from being attacked.

Situations. They result in things.

By Jason Langdon (Jaspar) on Tuesday, October 23, 2018 - 09:45 pm: Edit

And T19A combat is over. Im sure Peter will provide detailed results, but it was yet another brutal turn.

21 or so Alliance ships killed. 6 were war cruisers, the rest frigages.

33 or so Coalition ships killed. Many were frigates, but plenty of escorts, war destroyers and war cruisers died, including an SPC.

By Gregory S Flusche (Vandor) on Wednesday, October 24, 2018 - 06:08 am: Edit

I would hate to be a Frigate Captain in your game . A whole lot of them keep being blown up.

Oh cadet your scores were in the low 50% of your class yup it is the FF Light Brigade for You.. good luck. Yeah this is like the 12 ship to be named that all FFs

By Jason Langdon (Jaspar) on Wednesday, October 24, 2018 - 07:03 am: Edit

Frigates dont get names. They dont last long enough.

They also need 6 digit identifiers.

F5 356256
vs
FFK 343144

By jim howard (Noseybonk) on Wednesday, October 24, 2018 - 08:19 am: Edit

try being a hunter captain vs a F5.... its even worse.

By Jason Langdon (Jaspar) on Wednesday, October 24, 2018 - 08:28 am: Edit

Ran out of HN. But I have about 100 CU I happily trade.

By Peter Bakija (Bakija) on Wednesday, October 24, 2018 - 08:35 am: Edit

AT19

As noted, combat is over!

In Hydran space, the Hydrans got back in supply, and killed some ships for no losses in return.

In Kzinti space, the Kzinti recaptured some space, a planet, and traded a lot (9?) of FFs for a similar number of larger, more expensive ships.

In Fed space, the Feds managed to recapture a lot of space, took back 4 or 5 planets, some of which were in Coalition hands for a long time (the Fed growing ship numerical superiority is starting to take a toll), and traded a bunch of FFs and fighters (and a handful of NCLs) for generally bigger ships.

In Gorn space, the Gorn took back two recently captured planets, killed some province raiders, and managed to blow up an SPC in the scout box in one fight. And then when they retreated from planet 4705, the Romulans considered pursuing to nail the two cripples, they were scared away by the potential of a 100+ point pursued force, including 8 points of EW and a 14 point mauler. So they declined to pursue.

The Coalition lost 33 ships (and took numerous cripples, including 2 or 3 shocked out SPF maulers); the Alliance lost 21 ships, mostly FFs, and took a couple cripples here and there.

In terms of dice, the Coalition continue to outroll the Alliance in important fights, to the point of it being irritating to both of us. This turn, the Coalition averaged about 3.7 and the Alliance averaged about 3.5, which isn't at all out of the realm of reason, but the Coalition rolled high in big significant fights (i.e., like, when the B10 fired, it was, like, a 5-1 split for the Coalition) and then the Alliance tended to hit most of their high rolls in the "a CA, NCL, and 2FFs beat up a lone E4" fights. Although the Gorn did hit a 6-1 split in their favor vs the Romulans, allowing them to vaporize a scout box SPC (as opposed to just an SP and some fighters. Or something smaller).

End of turn info to follow at some point.

By Peter Bakija (Bakija) on Wednesday, October 24, 2018 - 07:02 pm: Edit

AT19

Ok, the Alliance is working on retrogrades, etc.

The dead ship list:
-LYR: CW, 2DWE, FF
-KLI: 2D5, F5W, F5L, 3F5, 5F5E, 9E4, E4A
-ROM: 3SP, SPC, SNB, SEH, SN

33 dead Coalition. The Klingons made $18.85 (?!?) in salvage.

-ZIN: FFK, 8FF
-HYD:
-FED: 4NCL, 5FF
-GRN: 2HD, DD

21 dead Alliance.

By chris upson (Misanthropope) on Wednesday, October 24, 2018 - 11:10 pm: Edit

have the alliance reached pin parity, globally? the alliance netted out +30 hulls over the turn, which makes me think they've gotta be getting close.

they probably *lost* ground in nominal combat power but the coalition don't seem to be able to get any mileage out of that advantage. there really is an expiration date on cruisers in this game, and coalition might be leaning into it.

By Jason Langdon (Jaspar) on Thursday, October 25, 2018 - 08:19 am: Edit

The Coalition seem to have more money now than they did at 100% economy.

They just keep taking more and more Alliance space. And outside of throwing away good ships I dont see how I can stop it.

I almost need the Coalition attacking a Capital so they can take heavy losses and burn down their Treasury.

By Peter Bakija (Bakija) on Thursday, October 25, 2018 - 09:04 am: Edit

I don't know 100% for sure that the Alliance have started outgrowing the Coalition into parity, but certainly in Fed space, there are more Fed ships than Coalition ships; I'm pretty sure the Kzinti have full parity; the Hydrans are likely over parity. The Gorn are still low vs the Romulans in their theater, but there is only so long that can keep up.

The Coalition have been very conservative, attacking wise, for a while now. I haven't killed a SB or attacked a Capital system for, like, 5 turns. I'm losing a lot of hulls, but otherwise not seeing a lot of cripples, so my treasury is still robust. This turn will likely see that start to dwindle; I have some big expenses coming up, which are gonna burn up treasury. And as cripples start pouring in, more money vanishes.

The Coalition start getting PFs this turn, but the Kzinti get Heavy Fighters this upcoming turn as well. So unless I go and take the Kzinti Capital *this* turn? It becomes *much* more devastating to me. So seems likely it won't happen any time soon.

By Peter Bakija (Bakija) on Thursday, October 25, 2018 - 11:47 am: Edit

Like, for further analysis:

As noted, I'm pretty certain that the Feds have more ships in Fed space than the Coalition. As such, they can now pretty much freely pin reserves (if they are placed aggressively) and then go beat on province raiders efficiently (see: the extra 12 ships lost this turn). And they can keep churning out 30 ships a turn until something really drastic happens. I *might* be able to cut them off from the off map zone, but I think getting into the Capital to start killing planets is rough at this point.

The Hydrans are growing. Not a huge amount, but, like, a dozen ships a turn (FFs and SEQs of fighters, mostly) means more ships need to be sent that way (and fewer to the Feds).

I think my best option, at this point, is to try and start seriously hurting the Gorn, as that is where I mostly have the most ship advantage, but that'll hurt a lot.

The turn, the Feds managed to take back a lot of space. Like, I don't know that they'll defend it or keep it through the Coalition turn, but that they can take it back ends up with the Coalition spending a lot of effort trying to keep the Fed economy down, bleeding ships, and just running up that hill over and over again.

PFs showing up this turn means that the Coalition gets a little meaner, compot wise, and can probably be a little more aggressive, but the Kzint get the heavy fighter defenses immediately (SBs on T20, PDUs on T21), making them basically immune to killing, capital wise), so they get to be mostly safe.

By Jason Langdon (Jaspar) on Thursday, October 25, 2018 - 04:57 pm: Edit

Both of us concerned. So we are either paranoid or the game is actually quite close.

By Peter Bakija (Bakija) on Thursday, October 25, 2018 - 07:11 pm: Edit

:-)

By Jason Langdon (Jaspar) on Thursday, October 25, 2018 - 10:53 pm: Edit

Or one of us is FOXING !

By chris upson (Misanthropope) on Saturday, October 27, 2018 - 11:14 pm: Edit

could you send me a vsav, peter? tia