download links:
version :6 download (extract to your allegiance\artwork folder)
version 6 mirror: link
version: 7 download mirror
version: 8 download
Version: 8 download - no pheonix
[/edit]
ok, so i'm on holiday so dont realy have time to explain everything properly.
the basic idea is to make each capship only good for one thing, and for them to be effective they need to be used together (TEAMWORK!)
firstly, flatten the sy tech tree
SY
-> LT class
-> Med class
-> Hvy class
-> Super hvy class?
-> Support class? (explain this later, an implimentation of the hvy sector support ship i mentioned else where, different to the MS one though (look for my post, if its on these boards)
-> ship speed
(corresponding techs in appropiate places, will expand it later)
lt class would be close range anti fighter ships (corvs, perhapse a new type of ship too).
they would be fast (top speed of 100)
quick turning
cost: 1000?
mounts lt Lrg shield
weakish, a single fig with galvs + dis could kill them fairly quickly if it was left alone (note here its an anti small ship cap so the lone fig wont be left allone), 3 figs with galvs could take one and win.
mounts 2 AC turrets (i'm changing what turrets are used for here)
driver can use hunters (maybe a mini AC?)
med class
medium speed (max 60, maybe 70?)
mounts med Lrg shield
cost: 3000?
dests are long range anti fighter caps,
mount hunter killers (that lock on in 1 sec / same as seekers, more cm resistant too)
no turrets
slow turning.
no turret
it should be able to kill a fig 5k away easily, but it can be killed by one close up since it cant turn round to lock missiles on (fighter can stay behind it) - needs either another dest further away to try and kill the fighter (provided the fig doesnt use the dest as cover, or a lt class ship to kill the fighter)
stronger hull
devs,
similar to now, but no turret. (can take a lt class ship easily, but need 5 to win vs a fully manned hvy class ship, 4 just looses)
hvy class
very slow (top speed of 40)
cost: 10k? (15k for super hvy class?)
turn slowly,
4 turrets,
sc turrets will fire slow moving high damage projectiles, about 1/sec - no use on fighters as they can dodge them (if you managed to hit a small ship with one its 1 hit kill), only things you can hit with these are other capships (lt class may be fast enough to get out the way, but not hvy class or med class) and bases (i'm thinking perhapse turrets are to be used for base killing)
perhapse one low damage, high speed, faster fire rate turret (1'st one so it gets taken first) for anti missile use, (only slightly effective vs fighters, really needs lt class for close support, to mop up what the dests didn't get at long range).
lots of hull
(cruisers are anti base caps, still get to use the missiles + use new sc turrets, battle ships are anti hvy class ships, use longtoms - which are sc turrets that do more damage and can damage bases, it can mount a lrm torpedo for use on other caps, med damage, xrm cruise speed (to supliment turrets, not for use by its self), doesn't mount anti base missiles)
roughly, i don't really have time to explain everything fully.
but for caps to be effective, you need to use different types, and to do that you need more people, so in small games caps would be weaker, in larger games they would be stronger.
in small games you might be able to use a lt class ship well, but if you got a hvy class one with no anti fighter support, a single fig could kill the cap in the time it takes to cross the sector (at 40m/s) (and note here the hvy class cap doesn't have anti fighter turrets, so it cant kill the fighter).
in large games you have the numbers to use lots of capships (now cheaper so you can afford to) and they will be effective, balanced by the fact the other team has lots of people to kill them.
you can still nan your cruiser, but without anti fighter caps (or fighters?), your nans are easy targets (following the 40m/s cap).
that's the general idea anyway