Galaxy-Shaking Combat

[Incanur]

I'm currently having a blast in the late game as humans. (Impossible, Huge, Average, 8 Enemies, Prewarp.) I got tired of the lack of the meaningful fleet combat. With custom races and even in a game as the Silicoids, I tend to surpass the AIs in population and buildings to the point where it's not much of a contest. Though brutally effective, missile tactics get boring. Shoot all your missiles, run away, then do it again. In such setups, there's no legitimate opposition left by the time beams become tempting.

I wanted epic space combat and I got it - perhaps more than I bargained for. I specifically adopted a strategy of development, diplomacy, and tech trading in order to give the AIs time to build worthy fleets. When I finally went to war with the Trilarians, they hit me with around eighty battleships - including the Avenger, because Orion was in their sector and I didn't find it before they defeated the Guardian. I lost many ships and one of my best colonies before finally chewing through their strike force. Doom stars equipped with stellar converters appeared soon after, sometimes getting into the double digits. I've captured more doom stars via death rays and transporters than I can count on my figures. And the Psilons still have doom stars in the dozens and overall fleet much larger than mine. I initially avoided the time warp facilitator/phasing cloak combo because I thought it would make things too easy, but happened to get those tech anyway. Now I'm thinking I might need them to beat the Psilons.

I love this and want more of it. Any suggestions on ways to foster awe-inspiring late-game wars in Master of Orion 2? I made a number of intentionally suboptimal strategy and ship design choices here, so humans - at least with the start I had - might be a hair too powerful.

 

[scratchthepitch]

Any suggestions on ways to foster awe-inspiring late-game wars in Master of Orion 2? I made a number of intentionally suboptimal strategy and ship design choices here, so humans - at least with the start I had - might be a hair too powerful.

You can let the AI get Orion and the rest of the monster planets. Make trade and research treaties with them and pass along techs to them that will help them grow larger. You can also gift them systems. If you are rich enough, you can give the ones who look like they are hurting for cash a 5% or 10% tribute treaty, or just toss them some money periodically. This will help them afford to build a large number of ships.

The largest fleet I've seen was of around 120-125 ships, of which about 110 were titans and battleships. This was owned by a run away race who probably owned half the map by then and had got Orion. Altogether, I estimated they had over 150 titans and battleships, counting the ones they had scattered about their systems. At least half of these they had built since capturing the Orion techs, so many of them would be quite potent.

I only had about 30 battleships, but I was curious to see what I would have to deal with so attacked that 120 ship fleet as a test. Turns out the game will only allow 99 ships per side to fight. Additional ships sit it out that turn.

In every game where the AI captured Orion, I've never been able to engage an AI fleet that had the Avenger. The AI always lost the ship by the time I got to fighting them. Always wanted to capture it.

 

[xThomas]

Let the Antarans build up, and then attack Antares or let them come for you! Mind you, they're pathetic for a while but send decent ships later. Takes too long imo
Play as uncreative. On impossible. Adapt tactics with your weird tech. Vary your games.
Let the eels spawn.
Spy and frame the other races.
..
..
Try playing the AI against each other. I'm losing a lot, but I'm playing now.

Play as the stock races. Psilons used to be my favorite race, but years of Age of Empires have taught me that having all techs is boring. I think the best things that would improve the game a LOT would be an AI that wasn't an idiot, especially in tactics and ship design, and an option to varying the tech placement occasionally (like having energy absorber come early!).
Aside from that, what I don't understand is why the jump from interceptors to assault shuttles bombers and heavy fighters is so big... or why it exists at all.

 

[Incanur]

In every game where the AI captured Orion, I've never been able to engage an AI fleet that had the Avenger. The AI always lost the ship by the time I got to fighting them. Always wanted to capture it.

It took me a few combats, but I did eventually manage to capture the Avenger and then scrap it for tech. Good times.