Warfare and Anti-Piracy

[Killer_Rabbit]

So first of all lets hope this thread isn't overrun by "y'all gon get leashed" and secondly in regards to warfare and anti-piracy would automated cargo conveys with players acting as protection in fighters or bigger ships work, as having the non-combatant ships automated frees up players but removes any protection from boarding while also providing protection for important shipments. Thirdly in the case of a large scale attack if the ships are automated would it be possible to have them scatter to make it harder to shoot down but also harder to get back into convey if the attack is repelled

 

[Atreties]

I am not sure what your purpose is with this thread. Seems currently like "I hope ships can be automated to run away if attacked".

That about right?

 

[Killer_Rabbit]

and also to discuss if convoys would be an effective defensive manoeuvre or any other tactics that might work against pirates or attacking enemy ships

 

[Atreties]

At current, I do not know if there is a "if damaged" sensor/trigger available to allow for an automation of "If attacked, then run away".

It seems like the only 2 things that would qualify as sensors are rangefinder lasers, and radio receivers. I don't think these could be used to produce the effect you're looking for. That said, some sort of damage sensor sounds like a tool that would be worth implementing, as it could have quite a bit of utility. The way I'd try to imeplement something like this would be to have a radio receiver on all ships that you'd want to flee, and have a yolol system be constantly checking for a specific password to be sent to them. Once that password is sent, execute the "run to safe place" sequence. That could work, but wouldn't be fully automated.

As far as the concept of convoy-ing cargo/materials on some sort of automated ship, maybe that could have some limited use, but the more you use it in the same location, sending stuff along the same route, the more people can anticipate and intercept. I suppose my response is: Why would you be constantly shipping things back and forth to begin with?

 

[Killer_Rabbit]

well if you have a mining base in an asteroid belt and another main base in open space then you might want to ship mined materials to the main base for refinement or use as building etc materials

 

[Burnside]

Convoys are just "more boxes to loot" unless you have an armed escort for them to cluster around. If piracy is bad enough, it'd be better to not only put a basic armament on cargo ships, but also attach a combat group to them. Once engaged, the pirates must deal with the escorts and also have to worry about the commercial defenses. Additionally, once engaged, the cargo ships can keep making a beeline for port while any ship tied up in combat is going to fall behind.

 

[cranky corvid]

Forming convoys for protection makes sense when cargo needs hauling through dangerous territory. But I think one of the major issues for them - and one of the objectives for the attackers - is going to be individual freighters' engines getting shot out. When this happens, it forces the convoy either to slow down or halt until the affected ship can be repaired, to split their defenses between the main convoy and the stragglers and risk being defeated in detail, or to abandon any stragglers to looting.

 

[Burnside]

Always put an armored turret system on or near your engine/propellant block.