Warrior vs. Tactics

[Deleted]

I know that for slow ships, tactics plays a greater role than stealth for torpedo actions, and for low-agile ships tactics plays a greater role than pilot for gun actions. But there's still something I don't know. Tactics vs. Warrior

I've noticed by ranking my warrior up alot my boarding becomes incredibly powerful. My question is, is there any instances in boarding where tactics plays a greater role than warrior (and its required statistic strength)? Is there any dice in boarding where tactics is weighed more havily than warrior/strength? Or is warrior/strength better for boarding than tactics in every way?

Being a lv150 captain on impossible, I know first hand that boarding can get rediculously hard as you get father and father in the game. So I need to know all there is about boarding so I can invest my skills wisely and keep up with stronger and stronger enemies (like those cursed aliens). I currently have only a tactics of 9 but a warrior of over 300. I don't know whether I should countinue investing redicously in warrior or if I should invest a little less in warrior and start investing a little in tactics. I don't care about tactics' other roles (guns, torps, mutiny). The only thing that matters at this point is boarding: what increases enemy damage for boarding the most, what lowers damage to your own crew/ship for boarding the most, what increases HP damage to enemy captain the most, what increases board success rate when enemy rams the most, and what decreases damage to your own ship/crew when boarding and the enemy guns the most (I've noticed I take rediculously more damage when I board and the enemy guns than when we both board each other, even though it states that the enemy guns miss)

Thanks in advance

[slayernz]

At lvl 150 on Impossible, everything gets really hard. Early on, investing in Tactics allows me to avoid the need to board ships. I can hit targets more effectively, even with Guns. However, by Level 150, even spending large amounts of XP on Tactics won't save you from being boarded from time to time ... and as you know, large amounts of Warrior will probably still not be enough to guarantee victory.

As an aside, tactics of only 9 is possibly why you aren't finding ANYTHING in patrols, surveillance, or blockade operations, as that is the skill you need to have success in those actions. Even early on in the game, 9 for Tactics will make the PSB type actions hard. By the time you are level 50, you'll probably find that in combat, the only thing you can do is get close enough to the enemy ship to board, because every time you try and fire, you'll miss.

[Deleted]

It is my understanding that stealth also helps find ships for patrol. So although I don't invest in tactics, I do invest a good amount in stealth to the point that stealth is more than 75% of my level. Does tactics play a greater role for patrol ship finding than stealth?

You are right slayernz. I am HORRIBLE at hitting enemies with my guns. However, my stratgy was never concerned with hitting people wih guns and avoiding boarding. My strategy is TO board. One thing I've picked up is that boarding is the most reliable method of combat vs. Aliens. My question, hence, is not advice for guns, but for winning and not taking damage for boarding. So is there any part of boarding in which tactics plys a greater role than warrior? I know in general warrior plays the greater role, but is there anything boarding related that tactics plays the greater role in, or is warrior better than tactics for boarding in every way? If it is, I'll countinue investing only in warrior and none in tactics as at this point the only thing I'm concerned about is boarding (that and torp avoidane which is why I also invest in stealth)

On a side note, I notice when I board and enemies gun, even though it says the guns miss, I end up taking much more damage during the boarding then when we both board. Now I understand why this would be (guns hit crew, makes your ship move to dodge throwing of the board transitions and making crew stranded on enemy ship, etc), my question is what would help reduce board damage for that instance most, so I don't lose 3 damage boarding when enemy boards and 70 damage boarding when enemy guns (tactics, pilot, warrior, stealth)

[Cory Trese]

Jan 17, 2013 15:05:40 GMT -5 @starfixer said:

It is my understanding that stealth also helps find ships for patrol. So although I don't invest in tactics, I do invest a good amount in stealth to the point that stealth is more than 75% of my level. Does tactics play a greater role for patrol ship finding than stealth?

Yes

[Deleted]

Jan 19, 2013 12:32:30 GMT -5 Cory Trese said:

Jan 17, 2013 15:05:40 GMT -5 @starfixer said:

It is my understanding that stealth also helps find ships for patrol. So although I don't invest in tactics, I do invest a good amount in stealth to the point that stealth is more than 75% of my level. Does tactics play a greater role for patrol ship finding than stealth?

Yes

Thanks. Any advice for my boarding predicament, in which I'm taking rediculous damge from eemies whn boarding, especialy when they gun ad I board? My warrior is already over 2x my level, so I need to know to help reduce crew damag when boarding (especially when I board and eemy guns) if I should invest even furter into warrior or to invest in another skil which could help more.

If I'll help, I curently have a carnifex cruiser with dreadnought, batleship, titan, cargo pod and escape upgrades so it has the following stats: hul 42 armor 27 engines 47 sails 42 crew 318 cargo 110 guns 40 torps 16. Should I get different upgrades, like battle prow enstead of dreadought, hyperion entead of titans, or cargo pod +10 and carg hold +20% enstead of titans and dreadnought to be able to carry 30 more weapons?

[BlastGT1]

Kind of hard to keep your in-transit troops from getting killed by enemy fire, I would say. I can't imagine a workaround for that, they're essentially sitting ducks for cannon fire while between ships.

_______________________________

"Issue the standard Cadar greeting, Ensign."
"But sir, that's one of our allies!"
"I know that, Ensign. We're confirming that the treaty is still in effect!"

[Cory Trese]

He's a genius in hand to hand combat but his troops die a lot because he just says "charge!"

With 9 vs. 300 I would say in this case the death vs. guns is easily attributed to bad tactics.

You'd be better off with 60 / 250 because it gives you a lot less of a chance for critical tactical errors.

It really sounds like from the post that the game is performing exactly how I want it to, even at 300 Warrior skill which is sweet, makes me happy

In the case where the enemy tries to Board you slaughter them, but if they wait for you to board and gun your ship and crew then the tactical disadvantage you have shows through strongly.

Go Star Traders!

[Deleted]

So then in that case, there are rolls in boarding where tactics play a greater role than warrior + strength? Especially for avoiding crew damage?

[Cory Trese]

No, just in the counter rolls.

All combat moves are a pair of rolls and two combat evaluations.

They Gun, you Board. You roll Board vs. Gun and they roll Gun vs. Board.

If you both did Board it would be two reversed Board vs. Board rolls. They're very similar, but the character always get Upgrade bonuses (Computer does not) and Game Difficulty bonus (Computer does not.)

[Deleted]

So tactics plays a bigger role for counter roles in gun vs. Board? Dos it play a bigger role in preventing ram when boarding too (counter roles for ram vs board)? What about pilot?

Well one thing you can apreciate in ST is its depth and complexity. I always like a good mind-chllenging game

[Deleted]

Trying to invest more in tactics. Will let you know if I notice a difference

Speaking of boarding, which would be better for board vs board and board vs gun for reducing damage to my crew/ship? Dreadnought architecture or cargo hold +20% which would allow me to carry 20 more weapons (I already carry 50)? And titan components or hyperion superstructure? My ship is a carnifex -- hull 40 armor 21 engines 42 sails 42 crew 315 (I have battleship upgrade) cargo 110 (I have cargo +10 upgrade) guns 40 torps 16