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[Flying Dice]

Actually, I didn't start advocating this. I prefer the 'picket-hide in outer system' style of harrassment. But if I was going to do it, I would use FACs or frigates to kite enemy ships out past the hyper limit, with hyper-capable carriers waiting out there. But again, not really practical when there are easier ways to achieve the same goals. The only case where I'd use hyper-capable warships would be with an outer system colony, as an alternative to LP intrasystem jumps.

[Micro102]

Is there a way to make your ships almost undetectable on standby, while giving out a false signal of a fleet somewhere else?

[forsaken1111]

Is there a way to make your ships almost undetectable on standby, while giving out a false signal of a fleet somewhere else?

Sure... set real fleet to picket with sensors off while the decoy ships with powerful active sensors sit somewhere else and ping their sensors and transponder on and off.

[Micro102]

Well, I was thinking something more along the lines of drones giving off fake thermal readings, but as long as the decoys don't cost many resources.

[forsaken1111]

Well, I was thinking something more along the lines of drones giving off fake thermal readings, but as long as the decoys don't cost many resources.

Strap a sensor on to an engine with minimal crew I suppose?

I guess strong sensor buoys would work. Drones would pop once they reached the waypoint but if you make their 2nd stage a powerful sensor buoy it should look like some ships out there. It wouldn't give off a thermal reading like a ship but I doubt the NPC's are smart enough to figure that out. Players wouldn't likely be fooled.

[Sheb]

It could be a picketing ship though.

Or a large mass of engine could do, with the added benefit of escaping the enemy easily.

[forsaken1111]

It could be a picketing ship though.

Or a large mass of engine could do, with the added benefit of escaping the enemy easily.

Don't think you can put engines on a buoy, or make them move once deployed.

[Sheb]

No, it would have to be a decoy ship.

[forsaken1111]

You could always build a decoy flotilla from large but relatively inexpensive components. Pack in a jumpgate construction module on one ship, an orbital habitat module on another so you get a few different sizes. Throw on some fancy engines which make a lot of heat and active sensors

[MarcAFK]

Actually i like the idea of making hyper capable wolf packs lurking around an enemy system. They could outspeed the enemy with far less space devoted to engines, allowing more box launchers, maybe put missiles on long range drones on them and just sit around the hyper limit firing off sensor bouys/drones looking for targets.

Or something.

[Girlinhat]

Actually, hyperspeed uses no more fuel than regular, but provides 10x speed.  The offset is the added cost of the engine and the added size, 2x larger at base tech.  If you go the usual 10% devotion to engine, then your ships suddenly become 20% engine using base tech.  The end of hyper efficiency research gives 1x size, but still suffers the added resource and research cost.  The other offset is that it can only be used in the outer solar system, and if you're caught in inner then you're suffering for your large engine = less firepower.

Still, your delicate ships could probably utilize some hyper, like your carrier is probably sitting outside hyper and has no armor to protect itself, so a hyper engine to let it flee from enemies quickly could save you from a world of hurt.  My own logistics ships get 1/2 engine count but get hyper engines.  They move slower normally, but outside hyper they can run quickly.  These are the ships mounted with thousands of maintenance supplies and millions of gallons of fuel, plus whatever magazines and additional hangars for extra fighters might be needed.  They're behemoth capital ships, but unarmored and only mounting some big-ass passive sensors, with the intended role to sit 1-2 systems back and provide after-combat repair and rearming.  Utilizing waypoints and nearby planets, I get them across systems very fast, and they can outrun most threats due to the hyperdrive.  Fighters can prove a hassle, but the ship is usually carrying spare fighters that didn't fit in the battle group, or gets a handful of AMM that work well enough.  Plus it's usually escorted by a handful of corvettes for very basic defense.

[Flying Dice]

Of course, that relies on finding an enemy invested in a system large enough to make HD practical. In those cases, I much prefer screwing around with LPs and stupid AI targetting.


But yeah, the only real fun use for HD is harrassing with thin-shelled carriers. Although the idea of having a HD-equipped tug tow a massive repair and resupply base out far beyond the hyper limit and basing carrier ops from it sound absolutely amazing from a RP perspective.

[Girlinhat]

Actually you can't unless you exploit.  A tug towing a ship cannot enter hyperdrive.  However, a tug may be ordered to tow a ship, and then manually ordered to enter hyperdrive while the order is in queue, and it will remain in hyperdrive while towing.

Thin-walled carriers are also cheap.  You can fight smart with HD if you can be smart.  Missiles especially don't care about your speed, so it's rather easy to have Hyperfighters with box launchers that can buzz by and drop a heavy payload very close, or hyper FAC that "orbit" the enemy and rain missiles from a distance.  If you're going in close for beam weapons, then you have to account for speed and get a bigger firecon to handle it.

[MarcAFK]

Hmm, maybe i'll make some hyperdrive only dreadnaughts with 1 billion kilometer range drone boosted missiles, escorted by a sensor ship/AMM cruiser , and a supply ship/tug.

[Flying Dice]

With decent tech you can get 1b km+ range without needing drones, which will really help your time-to-target. Of course, what missile warfare really comes down to is designing missiles with maybe 10m km range over the best your current enemy has, as they outrange EW by such absurd amounts that a decently fast warship that outranges enemy missiles has nothing to worry about beyond being cut off.