Strategically Select the Sector's Ships (December 3, 2013)

[ChrisReid]

In honor of the rerelease of Wing Commander Armada, we're asking about your favorite fighter from the game. There are ten to choose from from both the Confed and Kilrathi sides! Unlike previous polls, this one isn't just asking about which is the best to fly. As sector commander, players in Armada are charged with the responsibility of mining raw materials and strategically allocating resources to shipyards in order to assemble their fleet. Seasoned veterans make the best use of each type, but when all things are considered, which do you deem the best: the cheap and nimble light fighters? Well-balanced medium attack craft? Or expensive heavy bombers? Just like in Armada, the choice is yours!



Also take a moment and appreciate the game's cockpits as well! Armada was the first game to feature the invisible dashboard HUDs. Many players hit 'F1' as soon as they launched into space to turn the cockpit off, but there's so much rich detail to see in these shots.















The last poll aspected about everyone's favorite hangout from Privateer. New Detroit was credited with having the best atmosphere, but Oxford wasn't far behind. Predictably, special places like New Constantinople, Perry Naval Base and the Steltek Carrier also fared well. Among the more common locales, the Agricultural worlds were neck and neck with Pleasure Planets! See the full results below.

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Original update published on December 3, 2013

 

[capi3101]

If I were to say "I voted for the Phantom", how bad of a ribbing would I receive?

 

[Whistler]

If I were to say "I voted for the Phantom", how bad of a ribbing would I receive?

Pretty bad, Capi.

Personally, just because it's a fun craft with multiple uses I voted Shok'lar. If I had to choose a Confed craft the Wraith is a easy choice for the round-about effectiveness of the chassis. But Wraith is too easy a choice.

Don't want to say more as my tactics will be telling. Still looking forward to future MP games. I do like Banshees though. Nothing like superior firepower.

 

[capi3101]

Pretty bad, Capi.

Okay. Well, I won't say that then, even though I find the Phantom to be more challenging (read: fun) to fly than the Wraith...

 

[ChrisReid]

First days' results can be very different than the final tallies, but I'm very surprised to see how well the Phantom is doing! It's currently neck and neck with the Arrow and the most popular of the Kilrathi ships.

The Gladius is also polling very well - in third behind the Wraith and Banshee. Who are all these people? Do they think it's a compromise between the two of those ships? Personally I build Arrows, Wraiths and Banshees. The Phantoms and Gladius fighters seemed like go-betweens that weren't really all that great, but Origin seems to have been on the right track by making them options for people.

 

[capi3101]

Me, it's a mix of Phantoms, Wraiths and Banshees, with more Phantoms than Wraiths as a rule. I generally use the Phantoms for scouting duties; I prefer the heavier armament as compared to the Arrow. Wraiths are for zone defense and Banshees for carrier-busting. I usually skip over the Gladii, though it has been a while since I've played and I've since noted it's supposed to be fast (on the same order as the Phantom), so that one might be useful for a quick strike on the enemy carrier (in the event you want to actually put the torpedo on in yourself).

 

[Quarto]

My poor Jrathek... the Kilrathi never get any love.

 

[capi3101]

Sorry, Quarto. If it helps, I do prefer to fly the Jrathek when I play as the Kilrathi...

 

[Mekt-Hakkikt]

I voted for the Shok'lar - it is strong but not overpowered like one could say about the Wraith. I admit, that the poll kind of asked which was the objectively best fighter but well, the Shok'lar is not a bad choice. Especially considering that is even relatively cheap. I am not surprised the Gladius does well: I mean, it's fast as the Dralthi, has nuch better guns than the Kor-larh and Goran and with 8 DFs, you're encouraged to let them loose. It has only 1 torpedo but that is all it takes.

And Quarto: the Jrathek is good and beautiful but just not strong enough.

P.S.: Unlike WC3, I almost never switched the cockpit view off. Granted, in MP, I might do it.

 

[Ijuin]

I liked the cockpits, and it broke the immersion for me a bit when they were not included in WC4.

 

[Quarto]

P.S.: Unlike WC3, I almost never switched the cockpit view off. Granted, in MP, I might do it.

Yeah, Armada's cockpits are too beautiful to switch off. In many ways, Armada was the pinnacle of WC cockpits - WC3 had ugly, dull-coloured cockpits that could just as well have been greyscale, WC4... no comment, and WCP was a nice idea but implemented without sufficient detail (Standoff is proof that it could have been done way bettter...).

 

[ChrisReid]

I am not surprised the Gladius does well: I mean, it's fast as the Dralthi, has nuch better guns than the Kor-larh and Goran and with 8 DFs, you're encouraged to let them loose. It has only 1 torpedo but that is all it takes.

And the votes keep rolling in for it! I agree on the strong guns, but I prefer the tracking missiles, so the lack thereof really hurt it for me. Did people actually use Dumbfires in Armada? It's a really fast twisty/turny engine for that...

 

[Lorien]

If I were to say "I voted for the Phantom", how bad of a ribbing would I receive?

You won't get any from me, I loved the Phantom.

And the votes keep rolling in for it! I agree on the strong guns, but I prefer the tracking missiles, so the lack thereof really hurt it for me. Did people actually use Dumbfires in Armada? It's a really fast twisty/turny engine for that...

Our multiplayer matches never seemed to get much out of the tracking missiles, they either got decoyed or the opponent went crazy dodging them and become nigh-impossible to hit with guns in the follow-up. A well-timed point blank DF at the end of a gun pass, however, won many matches.

 

[wcnut]

I believe this entire vote is suspect. Clearly once again people are just clicking on the vote button without actually having played armada. How can you vote for anything else when Shok'lar is an option? That cloaking device is probably the most fun part in the entire game. The cockpit is pretty good and probably the least obstructionist of the bunch. I mean common, the wraith isn't even anything special in armada. I think they are just attracted to the name without even considering the kilrathi options because they are made up words with no meaning to them. All of them are behind. If this were entirely based on cockpits you would think they would get special attention as, aside from the dralthi in wc1, we don't usually see them in the games. The human cockpits aren't anything special. Especially when put up against wc1 2 and 3, they are actually kinda bland. At least the kilrathi use some color and a little character. Even though they all make me think I'm flying my 2002 Buick LeSabre.

 

[Mekt-Hakkikt]

Yeah, Armada's cockpits are too beautiful to switch off. In many ways, Armada was the pinnacle of WC cockpits - WC3 had ugly, dull-coloured cockpits that could just as well have been greyscale, WC4... no comment, and WCP was a nice idea but implemented without sufficient detail (Standoff is proof that it could have been done way bettter...).

If this were entirely based on cockpits you would think they would get special attention as, aside from the dralthi in wc1, we don't usually see them in the games. The human cockpits aren't anything special. Especially when put up against wc1 2 and 3, they are actually kinda bland. At least the kilrathi use some color and a little character.

You're both right: Armada always was the game with the best cockpits - but now that I think of it, that's mostly because of the Kilrathi cockpits (especially the Kor-larh). It's true, the Terran cockpits are all grey, the colourful cockpits of WC1 and 2 were beautiful. And yet, the Armada cockpits work for me.

And the votes keep rolling in for it! I agree on the strong guns, but I prefer the tracking missiles, so the lack thereof really hurt it for me. Did people actually use Dumbfires in Armada? It's a really fast twisty/turny engine for that...

I only played Armada in MP twice, one on one via Modem back in the nineties. But I do use DFs in the SP with some success (though certainly less than 50%).

You won't get any from me, I loved the Phantom.

If I were to say "I voted for the Phantom", how bad of a ribbing would I receive?

Really? I think the Phantom is the worst Terran ship I ever flew, it has nothing and is as bland as the Hellcat V - which was redeemed a bit when I last played WC3.

 

[Quarto]

Really? I think the Phantom is the worst Terran ship I ever flew, it has nothing and is as bland as the Hellcat V - which was redeemed a bit when I last played WC3.

I wouldn't say that. I think I actually tried building Phantoms the last time I played Armada. They are a good compromise - reasonably well armed, fast, as well as being significantly cheaper and faster to build than a Wraith. And in Armada, that is important. At least it should be, but the unfortunate truth is, a single Arrow or even Dralthi flown by a human can beat any number of AI-piloted ships.

 

[capi3101]

Really? I think the Phantom is the worst Terran ship I ever flew, it has nothing and is as bland as the Hellcat V - which was redeemed a bit when I last played WC3.

I wouldn't say that. I think I actually tried building Phantoms the last time I played Armada. They are a good compromise - reasonably well armed, fast, as well as being significantly cheaper and faster to build than a Wraith. And in Armada, that is important. At least it should be, but the unfortunate truth is, a single Arrow or even Dralthi flown by a human can beat any number of AI-piloted ships.

It's a challenging ship to fly; hence my enjoyment of it. Quarto's right in that it's a compromise ship - with the AI the way it is, an Arrow is enough to defeat any number of AI ships; facing the AI in a Wraith is almost a joke it's so easy. The Phantom let's you waste the AI faster than you could in an Arrow due to the improved armament over the Arrow, while not allowing you the two-shot kill (Leech followed by ImRec) the Wraith does. Plus I like the gatling action of the guns on the Phantom when its capacitor is drained. It probably works against you tactically; I just think it's a cool effect.

The real measure of its worth would be in a straight-up fight against a human opponent...

 

[Dyret]

Didn't the Phantom have preposterously short ranged guns? Or was that just the Kor-Larh?

 

[ChrisReid]

I believe this entire vote is suspect. Clearly once again people are just clicking on the vote button without actually having played armada. How can you vote for anything else when Shok'lar is an option? That cloaking device is probably the most fun part in the entire game. The cockpit is pretty good and probably the least obstructionist of the bunch. I mean common, the wraith isn't even anything special in armada. I think they are just attracted to the name without even considering the kilrathi options because they are made up words with no meaning to them. All of them are behind. If this were entirely based on cockpits you would think they would get special attention as, aside from the dralthi in wc1, we don't usually see them in the games. The human cockpits aren't anything special. Especially when put up against wc1 2 and 3, they are actually kinda bland. At least the kilrathi use some color and a little character. Even though they all make me think I'm flying my 2002 Buick LeSabre.

I do admit I almost always exclusively play the Confed side - just due to Terran bias rather than regards for how good the Kilrathi ships are. The Wraith is a pretty good medium fighter on its own, but its Leech missiles are really really powerful! One well-placed hit and suddenly the Goran is a fraction of its former scary self.

 

[capi3101]

Didn't the Phantom have preposterously short ranged guns? Or was that just the Kor-Larh?

Lasers and Mass Drivers. You know, the same gun loadout as the Rapier-II/A. Only had 2x1 DF and 2x1 Imrec; maybe that's what you're thinking about.
Granted, the Mass Driver was one of the shortest-ranged guns in Armada...the Laser was the longest, so it averaged out.