What skill increases weapon hit probability?

[slayernz]

Okay, so here's a question and perhaps an enhancement request all rolled into one

So in combat ...
So we know that Pilot skill helps you advance or retreat more effectively

Stealth skill allows you to avoid weapons/torp fire so your new paint job remains pretty much unscathed

The thing that all of the above have in common is that they are all defensive benefits. The higher the numbers you have, the more likely you are to survive encounters.

However, is there a skill that allows you to benefit offensively? What skill can you develop that will allow your weapons to be more effective/accurate?
What skill will allow your boarding actions to be more decisive?

I ask this because playing on Insane level when I have 60 points each for pilot and stealth, I am up against opponents who would have similar values (they're often level 80 - 90ish) ... we spend hundreds of rounds just missing each-other. I can advance/retreat pretty easily, and he can't hit me cos of my ninja ducking and weaving skills, but I can't hit him either. I would love to have some skill that I can develop that would allow me to be lethal in the skies, rather than just slippery.

Maybe Warrior skill actually increases weapons accuracy ... or tactics. Happy to have either linked with being able to hit more effectively, otherwise space combat becomes decidedly dull - you spend 1002 turns trying futilely to shoot each-other.

[absimiliard]

I think you're looking for Tactics.

-abs

[Cory Trese]

Tactics indeed

[jerry]

Tactics increases boarding chances and probably the effects of it.
Does it have any impact on ship's guns and torpedoes?

slayernz
All stats and their influence is quite well explained in game help/guide, for example:
Quickness is critical for Ship Defense and Ship Guns, so it's both offensive and defensive.
Stealth is used for [...] Targeting/Avoiding Torpedoes

So if you spend 1002 turns firing torpedoes with no luck - increase Stealth (and sails), and simply don't shoot torpedoes in orbit - solar sails are folded, thus much worse torpedoe accuracy.

If you try to shoot the enemy with ship's guns - increase quickness (and engines, especially Titans, not Ancient reactors).

If you try to board, get apropriate boarding upgrades. As for skills - strenght, warrior and tactics. Also if you are the one being boarded - intimidate is usefull.

Also bear in mind, that on higher difficulty levels, the opponents' levels are much higher then yours, and even more so when a lot of game turns has passed (the game difficulty raises with a game year/week), so their skills are also much higher. Pay attention to the captain's class (ship class). If it's a military - it should be a (insanely) tough opponent for boarding.
Smuggler might be difficult to hit with torpedoe/gun fire, I expect him to have insanely high stealth.
All classes have it's traits, the merchant is obviously the easiest pray, but remember, you are playing on insane, so nothing is easy

@cory, the help aka Player's Guide v3.0, has little typo/error in ship upgrades. In the list of contents, the "towed stealth array" is not mentioned. However when you read about Cargo Pod (+8), array is included in features of Cargo Pod, not as a separate upgrade.

[slayernz]

My capt is level 52 on Crazy on Turn #16396 with
Pilot 60
Tactics 17
Stealth 60
Warrior 20
Intimidate 20

Flying a ship with
Hull 22
Engines 50
Sails 40

Yet I'm still having problems with encounters where the opposition may be sitting around level 80 - 90. They aren't hitting me but I sure as hell am missing them. Oh ... and it's mainly Aliens that aren't being shootable. I've been rammed by a few enemy though - which is even more frustrating, but that's another topic <grin>. Hanging out for the Pilot officer in that respect

I've decided to go alien hunting for something to do. I might bump up tactics some more to see if that makes more of an impact.

[phantum]

I tried comparing hits with tactics upgrades and it seemed to work, but it only improved net damage. Is there any way increase in the to hit chance could be linked in with the accuracy to do damage to engines or decks a bit more, rather than over all damage which seems to hit the hull a lot more. I keep on blowing the darned things up now which is really dropping the crews profits!