Need help!

[Sir Og]

I would like to know how can I defend against raids on my ships from the AI. It is extremely annoing later in the game when they have the tech to make the raid from more than 10 squares. I probably don't do things right because sometimes inferior (at least I though so) AI ships kick my butt really bad.

This happens late in the game when I have all the techs but obviously there is a major design flow in my ships (most notably death stars) because they are extremely vulnerable to raids.

I would also like to know how can I acquire tech from the Antarians.

Spelling

[Garth Vader]

If you use Hard Shields on your ships they can't use transporters to raid your ships.

[Sir Og]

Does this prevent any raid or only the "long distance" raids.
If it prevents only the long distance ones I would still have a problem because my crew seems to be extremely weak in close combat. And it is not due to race disadvantages.

[Gilgamensch]

1.) Hard shields prevents any raid, so long it is still functional, so if it has been destroyed by weapon fire you are again subject to raids. (I am not sure about nebulas, as they prevent shields, they might not work either in there, but anyway seldom).

2.) Weak crews: You can build training facilities, which will bring up the expreience of your crew, but this takes a long time. (ship academy IIRC, it is a planetary improvment and can be build per planet, but if you have 5 planets with it, makes 5 times the training value.)

[Iasius]

With hard shields shields work in nebulas and you can still board a ship that is equipped with hard shields, just not with transporters.
If they immobilize your ships with tractor beams or BHG you might want to try security stations, I prefer destroying any ships that have them first thing though.

[Sir Og]

Thanks Gilgamensch.

Now I only need to find out about those Antarian techs.

[Whoha]

Damper fields let only about 1/4 to 1/2 of raiders through(against teleport only,also better protection vs crew killers), other then that research those combat techs when possible.

[Whoha]

and hard shields allow shields to work in nebulae so they probably block attacks as well

[vmxa1]

You have two main ways to get tech from the Anties.

1-capture Orion
2-scrap capture antaran ships

[vmxa1]

If you have researched all tech, you should not need hard shells to handle the AI ships. In fact you do not need Doom Stars or even Titans. I usually do not have those techs, unless I steal them.

First all ships should be build at systems that have the space academy built. Preferably one on each planet in that system.

Second do not let the AI have large fleets that late in the game.
After I take out Orion, I start my expansion phase. As more of the map becomes accessible I look for fleets to destroy. Preventive medicine.

Third you should have gotten Star Gates and have Warp Interdictors instaledl on each system (not planet). Now you will have time to send a fleet to defend any attack.

If your ship in a one on one cannot easily defeat the AI ship, you have done something wrong. I use battleships only most of the time and dust their doom stars.

Do not load your ships down with junk like missiles and PD late in the game, you just do not need them. Beams, I prefer Disrupters, will do the job.

You should have at least one good Leader to head the fleet. The leader should have traits like a fighter pilot. Once you have Loknar, that is good enough. Be sure to move him off his ship late in the game to stop him from getting in too close in some battles.

[Sir Og]

Originally posted by vmxa1
You have two main ways to get tech from the Anties.

1-capture Orion
2-scrap capture antaran ships

How do I capture ships? And is it possible to get tech from captured non Antaran AI ship.

Some tips on what's the best way to capture ships would also be highly appreciated.

[Gilgamensch]

How do I capture ships? And is it possible to get tech from captured non Antaran AI ship.

Some tips on what's the best way to capture ships would also be highly appreciated.

To capture ships:

There is a button called board, with this it will ask you to determine the amount of soldiers to be send over.

BUT: if you do not have teleportes (IIRC) you need to be next to the desired ship. You can only board, if the shields are down on the side you are trying to board. Be aware that most of the Antaren ships will selfdestruct (can't remember the name of the device behind). So you have to try with different ships.

Another thing: There is one weapon, which will kill Marines (again loss of memory ) Use this to decrease the # of enemy Marines before boarding.

Also don't forget to train your crew to a better level they will do a better job

[Admiral Sparky]

You're thinking of Quantum Detonators and Neutron Blasters/Death Rays.

[Sir Og]

Originally posted by vmxa1
If you have researched all tech, you should not need hard shells to handle the AI ships. In fact you do not need Doom Stars or even Titans. I usually do not have those techs, unless I steal them.

First all ships should be build at systems that have the space academy built. Preferably one on each planet in that system.

Second do not let the AI have large fleets that late in the game.
After I take out Orion, I start my expansion phase. As more of the map becomes accessible I look for fleets to destroy. Preventive medicine.

Third you should have gotten Star Gates and have Warp Interdictors instaledl on each system (not planet). Now you will have time to send a fleet to defend any attack.

If your ship in a one on one cannot easily defeat the AI ship, you have done something wrong. I use battleships only most of the time and dust their doom stars.

Do not load your ships down with junk like missiles and PD late in the game, you just do not need them. Beams, I prefer Disrupters, will do the job.

You should have at least one good Leader to head the fleet. The leader should have traits like a fighter pilot. Once you have Loknar, that is good enough. Be sure to move him off his ship late in the game to stop him from getting in too close in some battles.

I don't have problems defeating the AI. The games I play usualy don't get to the point where I have to battle huge AI fleets.
I was doing some experiments yesterday and I tried to make a tough ship that would be able to take out the Antares homeworld by himself. I decided to make it a doomstar class, and I tried to make a strong defensive ship that would by virtualy undefeatable. (I already had the Orion techs and quite a few future techs but I didn't have Loknar on board) I made several versions of these doomstars but all of them were raided with ease by the Antaran battleship.
In the end I made a ship that damadged the Antaran battleship bad enough with the first strike so that it was unable to raid me.

[bakalov]

Quantum Detonator is the device that self destructs, and Neutron Blaster and Death Ray are the weapons that kill marines.

It is possible to get a tech from the ship if you don't have it, no matter if antaran or not.

(Hehe, Sparky was faster )