Command Decision, kind of an opinion poll

[Death's Head]

If you were commander of a squadron based on a destroyer and you had 2 ships of any type and you could only spare 2 to send on a strike against a nearby convoy of Kilrathi transports. You need to launch 2 fighters in two vectors each to intercept incoming fighters, 2 fighters to stay with the mother ship to intercept incomming bombers, and another wing to go against a cruiser. Which wing to you send against the transports?
a)2 Arrow
b)2 Hellcat
c)2 Thunderbolt
d)2 Excalibur
e)2 Longbow

[This message has been edited by Death's Head (edited May 03, 2000).]

[This message has been edited by Death's Head (edited May 11, 2000).]

 

[KillerWave]

I would sent the thunderbolts against the transport, the excaliburs to intercept incomming bombers, the longbows against the cruiser with the hellcats to escort them, and the arrows against the fighters

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Only a complete fool is absolutely sure about what he says
Are you absolutely sure about this?
Yes, i am...i mean...do'h

[This message has been edited by KillerWave (edited May 07, 2000).]

 

[Meson]

I would send the Hellcats towards the transports. Tansports typically don't need torpedoes to be destoyed. So I would send the Longbows against the cruiser. the T-bolts will be my interceptors. Arrows, because of their speed, would stay with the mothership on deffense.

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Robert "Meson" Stukowski

Wing Commander is more than just a game. It is a lifestyle.

 

[Gib Keeg]

I'd gather everyone up and tell them to search around for more fighters... then I'd run really fast to one of those Excalibur and I'd get the heck out of there. Not enough fighters for that many jobs. If I can't do that then I'd hold everyone back to defend the ship.

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Mick Foley is a pretty guy.

 

[KillerWave]

Yes, but if you hadnt a choice, like if the transports where transporting kilrathi troops to a confed colony, and the enemy cruiser was closing in?
All this supposed during the kilrathi war...

------------------
Only a complete fool is absolutely sure about what he says
Are you absolutely sure about this?
Yes, i am...i mean...do'h

[This message has been edited by KillerWave (edited May 07, 2000).]

 

[Gib Keeg]

Well if I was commanding a squadron I don't think this would be my descision

, but if I had to decide... then I'd still keep everything back and defend the carrier cause I think there would be some mighty pissed off people if you lost a carrier taking on transports and a cruiser. And plus if you're on a carrier with only 6 fighters and 2 bombers then you're pretty screwed...

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Mick Foley is a pretty guy.

 

[Death's Head]

But you must mave ticked someone off beacause your mothership is a destroyer on a quick strike into Kilrathi space, keeping all your fighters and bombers around the nest, hoping to avoid engagements is a good way to blow the mission. Doesn't usually help fight a war.

The transports are carrying thousands of troops ready to attack the planet you were dispatched from. This mission will crush the invasion force and free up some of the rest of the Confed ships in the area to attack a nearby Kilrathi shipyard.

 

[Nighthawk]

Ok, here we go:

1. T-Bolts -> transports: Just to be on the safe side

.

2. Longbows -> cruiser: They could hold on their own without escort.

3. Arrows, Hellcats -> fighters: The Arrows should be able to complete their objective in time to save the Hellcats' butt

.

4. Excals -> bombers: They will finish the bombers off easily and could perhaps help intercept fighters that escaped the Arrows/Hellcats.

It would be possible to swap the mission assignments of the Hellcats and T-Bolts but IMO, the above fighter assignment is the safest bet. (Well, as safe as it is possible with Hellcats around!

)

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No one will hear your cry of death in the void of space

 

[Quarto]

Ok, my solution would be slightly different. In detail:

The Thunderbolts defend the carrier. But they do not sit around, they intercept the bombers, engaging as far as possible from the carrier.

The Longbows, quite naturally, go up against the cruiser.

The Hellcats and the Arrows engage the two incoming flighst of fighters.

And finally, the Excaliburs are sent against the transports at FULL SPEED. Thus, they complete their missions long before the rest of the squadron, and can be sent to any of the other wings to reinforce them, if necessary. This essentially mean that not only do I take out the transports, but I also can use the Excaliburs anywhere I like

.

 

[Twister]

stand back and let the master handle it

1. T-Bolts -> transports: shouldn't be a problem...

2. Hellcats, Longbows -> cruiser: They have the hellcats as escorts and cover for any defensive escorts from the cruiser...

3.Arrows-> fighters: The Arrows are build interceptor IIRC...

4. Excals -> bombers: They will finish the bombers off easily and could perhaps help intercept fighters that escaped the Arrows/Hellcats. (you're right about that Nighthawk.

)


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When I'm in the air...
I'm indestructible.
No one can stop me...
But they try.
Realy WC fans support the WCSCRP

 

[Quarto]

Bang! You're dead, Twister. The way you did it, either you ignored one incoming wing of fighters altogether, or you sent one Arrow per wing. In the case of the first option, your Excaliburs get attacked by both a wing of fighters and the bomber wing. In the second scenario, each Arrow is quickly overcome by the enemy fighters, and so the Excaliburs get attacked by TWO wings of fighters and the bombers. And to make things even worse, your other, slower ships are too far away to be of any use. They fulfil their objectives, but come back to find only wreckage of the carrier.

 

[Hero]

Ouarto, you read my mind

Arrows and no match agaist Paks, so there's no piont at keeping them aroud the cap ship. Hellcats might be enough, but it's safer having more fire power to protect the cap ship (that's what the T-bolts are for, and if the Kats are really despert, they'll might send a corrvet to help it's bombers

). Longbows go for the cruser (kinda risky without escort, but that's the best option there is...). And finally, much like Quarto said

, the Excals go for the transports (after all, that's the main objective besides keeping the mother ship alive, and the Excals can handle almost anything escorting these transports, and do it quickly)

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Evilution!

 

[Gib Keeg]

Ok, in my mind this is one of those situation where you just can't do everything... what do you guys mean by a wing of fighters? Two? Four? Eight? It just looks to me like if I try and do everything I'll end up doing nothing...

 

[LeHah]

You forget something people. There's no such thing as a unescorted transport, just like there's no such thing as a free meal. Hellcats, as it were SOUND good, if it's just transports, but we don't even know WHAT kind of transports? Heavy? Civie? Cat or (shudder) Neph? It can be anything. Honestly? It'd be best to ignore supply ships until the surrounding threat of enemy force is eliminated.

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"The Way of the Samurai is in desperateness.
Ten men or more cannot kill such a man.
Common sense will not accomplish great things.
Simply become insane and desperate."
-Yamamoto Tsunetomo, "Hagakure"

 

[Quarto]

Uhh, yeah. Well, Death's Head clearly stated that they were Kilrathi vessels, and they are not supply ships, but troop transports. And to let them pass you by would cause more damage to Confed operations in the area than the loss of your little squadron would.

Oh, and our strike force doesn't need to take down the convoy's escorts. That's another reason why I say Excaliburs (no, I am not assuming they have cloaks; just the opposite in fact). They're fast enough and powerful enough to fly in, torpedo the two transports (only takes one torp), and run away on 'burners before the escorts are any wiser.

 

[LeHah]

Allow me to clear up my previous banter.

Of course NOT going after troop transports will hurt Confed in the long run, transports are not known for manueverability or speed (not at any fighter-class anyway...). It would be nice to have a competant enough sensor officer on-board to draw up the class of the transports and how close they are to a jump point or target.

As for the Excallibur's running after transports, Quatro's theory that their speed and assault ability is ideal is very true, but, in a way, is a waste, where the Excals could be used for protecting the carrier by fighting incoming fighters to a much higher advantage (one would send the Excals out to fight and keep Hellcats home, as the Arrow and Excals speed efficency and manuverability are haulty wasted if they are forced to protect, when there abilites are speed and manuverability).

Also, what kind of carrier is this? I mean, if it's the old Tarawa, I'd start booking to get a lead away from the incoming fighters but, now I'm just rambeling.

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"The Way of the Samurai is in desperateness.
Ten men or more cannot kill such a man.
Common sense will not accomplish great things.
Simply become insane and desperate."
-Yamamoto Tsunetomo, "Hagakure"

 

[Death's Head]

Some very good ideas here, one ideal, and others well not so ideal.

Few things, Arrow point defense ships are according to the novel HOT to have a short range radius around the capship. Even still, the Arrows would have a tough time dealing with several Paktakns until they got within the gun range of the Destroyer, which may take out a couple, but two torps to a destoyer is more than enough to kill it in this case. Hellcats are supposed to have a better chance, but the rear turret of the Paktahn can kill less experienced pilots fling Hellcats with moderate ease.

Longbows can lock torpedoes at 15,000 out, then burn in and drop the fish. Very little risk there if the bomber shields are at 200% normal recharge, especially with salvo firing.

Excaliburs can sooner destroy a capship like a transport with its gun than it can with torpedoes. Missiles would come in much more useful, say against certain cloaked or camoflaged escorts, or perhaps unexpected reinforcements. The 'sports are the mission main objective, so it would be...prudent to send fast and heavily armed ships to ensure thier destruction.

 

[LeHah]

"Drop the fish?" I love it!

As for torpedo banter, we seem to be forgetting the glory that is Dumbfires.
Any ship can carry them, and despite needing
good depth perception and slow moving, against troop transports, a single one could be deadly if you've already knocked it's shields down.

------------------
"The Way of the Samurai is in desperateness.
Ten men or more cannot kill such a man.
Common sense will not accomplish great things.
Simply become insane and desperate."
-Yamamoto Tsunetomo, "Hagakure"

 

[Quarto]

First of all, it's Quarto, not Quatro.

I don't think it makes much difference what class the transport is. They all die about the same

. As far as we know, it's vulnerable right now - and it won't be when it joins its destroyer escort. Which is most definitely on its way, since troop transports are never left alone for very long. So, if you don't take them out right now, you may never get another chance. And it would appear as though their destruction was imperative.

Note that the whole point of sending a really quick fighter against the transports is so that they can get back in time to help out the others. I mean, if you send Thunderbolts or Hellcats out there, they probably won't be back until it's all over, one way or another.

 

[LeHah]

First of all, it's Quarto, not Quatro.

My sincere appologies for mis-quoting your callsign. Imagine mine, going through the same problems...

As a final statement, before stopping this "sterile conjecture", I'd like to point out that there is NO SUCH THING AS AN UNESCORTED
TRANSPORT. Only in a game is there such a strange sight, and even then, I'd approach it with great ill-at-ease.

Be not afraid of the dark, but what you cannot see beyond it.



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"The Way of the Samurai is in desperateness.
Ten men or more cannot kill such a man.
Common sense will not accomplish great things.
Simply become insane and desperate."
-Yamamoto Tsunetomo, "Hagakure"