Hello, meatshield strats, auto-extract hull stats

For topics that do not fit in another sub-forum.

Moderator: Oberlus

Post Reply
Message
Author
Bobit
Space Floater
Posts: 29
Joined: Mon Feb 02, 2015 2:52 am

Hello, meatshield strats, auto-extract hull stats

#1 Post by Bobit »

Hello. Mostly I'm posting to ask if there is a discord server for MP games. The game looks much better than it did a few years ago and I'm a lot more prepared to join MP discord lobbies of low-pop games.

But also I want to talk about meatshield strats. Since it's random what ships get hit, and ships can be overkilled, maybe it's better to build meatshields instead of armor.

For example Compressed Energy Hulls have 10 structure and cost only 5 PP. This makes them more cost-efficient than Zortrium armor, but not Diamond armor. They also have the added benefit that they are very likely to be overkilled (e.g. if a Death Ray lvl 5 hits them then 50 damage will be wasted), and are very serviceable 0-range scouts. On the flip side they increase upkeep, cause you to take non-replenishable ship losses instead of hull losses, and do not benefit from shields.

Meatshield strats are especially nice for planetary defense, since planets tend to have a DPS:HP ratio which is higher than optimal. Maybe comsats aren't just for activating defenses, but enhancing them in a sense.

Also I've made a script at https://pastebin.com/2q0PLgxr that automatically extracts hull stats into a spreadsheet such as https://pastebin.com/UsZgCtU7 if anyone's interested. I got it to work in CSV viewer and it looks like this: https://imgur.com/a/i9mNRlq

User avatar
Oberlus
Cosmic Dragon
Posts: 5715
Joined: Mon Apr 10, 2017 4:25 pm

Re: Hello, meatshield strats, auto-extract hull stats

#2 Post by Oberlus »

Bobit wrote: Sun Feb 14, 2021 9:23 pm Hello. Mostly I'm posting to ask if there is a discord server for MP games. The game looks much better than it did a few years ago and I'm a lot more prepared to join MP discord lobbies of low-pop games.
There is a XMPP chat room, but organizing games is mostly done here in the forum. Check out next MP game in o01eg's server. Would be great if you can join!
Edit: that is a slow game server, players are required to connect once per day, whenever they can, to not miss a turn (but the more often we connect the merrier, we finish sooner). Most often the a games takes some two months to finish (some players exit sooner when their empires are declining).

User avatar
Oberlus
Cosmic Dragon
Posts: 5715
Joined: Mon Apr 10, 2017 4:25 pm

Re: Hello, meatshield strats, auto-extract hull stats

#3 Post by Oberlus »

Bobit wrote: Sun Feb 14, 2021 9:23 pm Also I've made a script at https://pastebin.com/2q0PLgxr that automatically extracts hull stats into a spreadsheet such as https://pastebin.com/UsZgCtU7 if anyone's interested. I got it to work in CSV viewer and it looks like this: https://imgur.com/a/i9mNRlq
Love it! I'll try to make something like that for other kind of FOCS files, will be really helpful.

Bobit
Space Floater
Posts: 29
Joined: Mon Feb 02, 2015 2:52 am

Re: Hello, meatshield strats, auto-extract hull stats

#4 Post by Bobit »

Oberlus wrote: Sun Feb 14, 2021 10:15 pm
Bobit wrote: Sun Feb 14, 2021 9:23 pm Also I've made a script at https://pastebin.com/2q0PLgxr that automatically extracts hull stats into a spreadsheet such as https://pastebin.com/UsZgCtU7 if anyone's interested. I got it to work in CSV viewer and it looks like this: https://imgur.com/a/i9mNRlq
Love it! I'll try to make something like that for other kind of FOCS files, will be really helpful.
You should be aware this should work on any kind of FOCS files. The script is "merely" putting everything on the right side of any "=" on a line as an entry in the column whose name is equivalent to the left side. There are actually some 30 columns if you look closely, they are just hidden because most of them are not very informative.

It could definitely be better formatted though lol

User avatar
LienRag
Cosmic Dragon
Posts: 2148
Joined: Fri May 17, 2019 5:03 pm

Re: Hello, meatshield strats, auto-extract hull stats

#5 Post by LienRag »

What does "meatshields" actually mean ?

User avatar
Oberlus
Cosmic Dragon
Posts: 5715
Joined: Mon Apr 10, 2017 4:25 pm

Re: Hello, meatshield strats, auto-extract hull stats

#6 Post by Oberlus »

Chaff, cannon fodder. Cheap ships to soak damage.

Post Reply