Multiple star Maps

I won a couple of small maps and felt like I had a handle to go for something bigger. This is my first multi star game. Playing on systems of war (Medium, 4 player, 5 stars, 50 planets), and didn't realize that the star was the jump off point to other stars.

I am at a loss on what to do. If an enemy jumps into my home system, he has access to every planet (but 1) in my system from the get go. You can't defend stars with structures (right?) and building chokepoint defenses in every system ...just can't do it.

Add to that, I was the first one with a foothold in the massive center system and to defend that I'll have to basically do the same thing. Can't be done, well eventually it could but not in time. Any advice here?

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1.) You can't defend the star itself with structures, but you can defend with a fleet. By the time you're jumping to other start systems, you should have more than enough points invested in logistics to be wielding at least 3-4 capship lead fleets.

2.) By the same measure, you should also have the key choke points well-fortified; if you are uncontested in a system (meaning you've killed everyone there...*especially* any AI allies), invest in the checkpoints by the stars...and, yes, you *can* do it; just have your fleet sit tight on the star while you build up.

...oh, but wait...

3.) DO NOT FORGET ABOUT WORMHOLES. Nearly lost before I realized that one of the AI was using a wormhole to get in. Luckily I play against the AI by expanding, then fortifying, so all my planets were *very* well defended.

4.) If you're Varsari, invest in the phase lane tech; it's useful even in 2v2 maps if they stagnate (or you're a turtler like myself); I'd imagine they're *much* more useful in larger maps.

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Split your forces into two fleets and make sure all of your planets have max defenses. Send one fleet off to the center solar system and begin taking new worlds while your other half stays at your start to defend your planets. If the enemy jumps off to one of your planets, just have your fleet follow. That's the best advice that I can give. Or instead of going to the center star, fly off to the other ones and try to destroy some homeworlds.

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Why automatically assume you need to defend every single planet? There are many things you can do that are not turtling, especially in situations like this where it's not viable or possible.

It's possible to use every bad situation to your advantage. Ergo, don't bother building defenses at all (other than the health of your planets) and spend the money on two mobile fleet. Bait the enemy to your planets and crush him in a surprise pincer attack followed by a nice followup counterattack inside his planets.

You could also intentionally leave a few planets uncolonized so you can focus defense on more vital ones. This can also be a trap for his colony ships.

A more devious strategem would be to intentionally leave certain planets completely undefended, and upgrading only the population while defending one or two prime ones. This way, you can just chase off the enemy fleet and repopulate at any time with hardly any change in your economy.

Furthermore, you could just attack him and force him to defend instead. He should have the same problem as well.

Lastly, you don't actually NEED to BUILD DEFENSES to turtle. Just plunk a hundred or so ships in the star itself, facing the exit point of incoming ships. Ships repair themselves too and support capships can return a fleet to fighting capability after a big fight with no problems.

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and building chokepoint defenses in every system ...just can't do it.

Why not?

Serious, I love the multi-system maps and find it relatively easy to defend myself. Every planet should have solid defenses even if it isn't in a chokepoint otherwise you're doomed if you loose that one chokepoint.

What works for me is to have a carrier fleet (don't have to use capships, just LOTS of bombers) sitting in the star's gravity well. Bombers are faster than any ship so they can get in and dish out some punishment as soon as enemy ships jump in. They get a few kills but more importantly they inflict a lot of damage that won't be repaired by the time the enemy reaches one of my planets. If they bring defense frigates or fighters it doesn't really matter as the bombers will still get some hits in. By the time they jump to one of my planets my response fleet (again, doesn't need capships) is moving to meet them at their destination. Between the response fleet and the planetary defenses and any damage done by the bombers in my 'speed bump' fleet the enemy will take enough damage to give up and run.

Oh and those pure siege frigate groups that are such a hot topic... they never make it past the star let alone the planetary defenses.

In my last game I did have to adapt the general tactic because I was getting pounded by three AI players at once. In that case I added a couple dozen light frigates to the star defense and used them with the bombers to inflict extra damage since I was having trouble moving my response fleet around to keep up with the number of invaders. This extra bit of firepower made it possible for my planetary defenses alone to dish out some serious punishment on the battered fleets. This also leads me to believe that increasing the size of the start defense fleet and being more aggressive with them would yield even better results although it would require a bit more attention than the bomber defense tactic.

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RonLugge

Join Date 05/2004

+50

Systems of war isn't the best map to start dabbling in multi-solar maps with -- its a little bit of an oddball.

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